Discernment Updates
Dear Aldersgate Family,
As part of our commitment to
keeping you updated on the discernment process, we are writing today with an
important update... You will recall that, in May of 2023, in accordance with
the Annual Conference’s policy, we requested District Superintendent Dr. Jeff
Wilson to schedule a church conference to conduct a vote of our congregation to
determine whether Aldersgate would disaffiliate from the United Methodist
Church.
You will also recall that, in
June of this year, we were notified that the requirements to be able to enter
discernment and consider disaffiliation changed substantially. The Aldersgate
Leadership Council and the Discernment team cooperated fully with the Annual
Conference Board of Trustees’ new requirements. They provided a Letter of
Eligibility and Good Faith, the Fair Process statement, and a copy of our
congregation roll. All documents were provided by July 7, 2023.
On Monday, September 25, 2023, we
finally received notice from the District Superintendent denying Aldersgate’s
request for a church conference to hold a congregational vote. The District
Superintendent’s letter states that the Board of Trustees has indicated that
our congregation does not meet the terms and conditions for disaffiliation
under ¶2553. Therefore, the Board of Trustees does not intend to establish a
disaffiliation agreement with our congregation.
According to the Conference’s
Board of Trustees, our Discernment team and ALC properly followed the
prescribed Disaffiliation Process; however, they determined that the
eligibility statement provided by Aldersgate United Methodist Church (6015) did
not comply with the eligibility requirements of ¶2553. The Trustees did not
explain why Aldersgate did not comply with the eligibility requirements, nor
did it provide why we will not meet the terms and conditions for
disaffiliation. To our knowledge, several churches submitted their information
as well. We know the vast majority have also been denied, with only a small
number being approved. In the coming weeks, we will request a meeting with the
District Superintendent and the Aldersgate Leadership Council to discuss this
determination.
As we move forward from this
decision of the Annual Conference, we know this decision leaves many questions
and concerns. Let us remind ourselves that Aldersgate’s mission remains active,
and our work to share Jesus remains. We pray you’ll continue to live out this
mission in worship with us at Aldersgate.
In His Service,
The Aldersgate Discernment Team,
Jennifer Elmore, Wendy Askew, Julia
Stevenson, Joe Guillot, George Mingledorff
Please Click on an Images Below to View Previous Information Sessions
Information Session #1
Information Session #2
Information Session #3
Information Session #4
Town Hall
As part of the Discernment Process, the
District Superintendent presided over a Town Hall on April 19 at 6:15pm in the
Sanctuary. Prior to the meeting, our Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Jeff Wilson, had
requested everyone watch the following two videos.
The Episcopal Address of Bishop David Graves at Annual Conference 2022.
Q&A with Bishop David Graves from March 2022.
