Dear Pittman Park community,
Over the past few weeks we have had several people ask us how denominational decisions may impact the future of Pittman Park. Most of these questions arise from the announcement on March 3rd that the 2020 UMC General Conference would be further postponed until 2024 due to visa and vaccination challenges caused by Covid-19. That day a group of United Methodists also announced its intention to form a new expression of Methodism called the Global Methodist Church (GMC) effective May 1, 2022. The GMC will take a conservative interpretation on issues of human sexuality.
Some churches have left the UMC or begun the process to do so in accordance with the 2019 procedure approved by the UMC General Conference and the South Georgia Annual Conference. This process allows churches to leave with their church property, but requires disaffiliating churches to meet apportionment and pension commitments first. Bishop Graves has encouraged churches to “remain at the table” in mission and ministry within the UMC. We anticipate that there will be additional developments in the coming weeks and months. We will continue to monitor the denominational news and share with the Pittman Park community.
The next meeting of our Church Council will be on April 25th at 6 p.m. Part of the agenda that evening will be to discuss the latest information from the Bishop and denomination on this subject. As a reminder, all Church Council meetings are open not only to Council members, but to any other individuals who are interested in attending. Please be in prayer for all the churches of our connection and for God’s ministry through us as we seek to make faithful followers of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Jonathan Smith
Bill Bagwell