North Alabama Conference of the Global Methodist Church
The North Alabama Provisional Conference of the Global Methodist Church is a regional unit of the Global Methodist Church, founded in 2022. Alan Beasley of Jasper First Methodist Church serves as president pro-tem of the organization.
The Global Methodist Church is a Protestant denomination launched at a meeting of the Wesleyan Covenant Association in Avon, Indiana on May 1, 2022. It was created to provide an organization for congregations wishing to leave the United Methodist Church for a more conservative body, specifically to disallow the same-sex marriages and the ordination of openly gay clergy and bishops, enforced by making clergy more accountable to congregations.
The North Alabama Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church met in special session in Birmingham on December 10, 2022, and approved the disaffiliation requests of many congregations. Additional disaffiliations were approved on May 11, 2023.
Many Birmingham area congregations that disaffiliated remained independent. A few have identified as part of the Global Methodist Church. They include:
- Ashville First Methodist Church
- Bayview Methodist Church
- Bethlehem Methodist Church (Oneonta)
- Clay Methodist Church
- Christ Church Birmingham, Shelby County
- Christ Harbor, Northport
- Clearbranch Methodist Church, Trussville
- Cornerstone Church, Alexander City
- Ebenezer Methodist Church
- Edgewater Methodist Church
- Fulton Springs Methodist Church
- Good Hope Methodist Church
- Helena Methodist Church
- Hueytown First Methodist Church
- Jasper First Methodist Church
- Lester Memorial Methodist Church
- Leeds First Methodist Church
- Midway Methodist Church
- Morningstar Methodist Church, Chelsea
- Newcastle Methodist Church, Gardendale
- St Mark Methodist Church, Tuscaloosa
- Trussville First Methodist Church, Trussville
See also
Other organizations that have received affiliations from former United Methodist churches include Alabama District of the Free Methodist Church, the First Congregational Methodist Church], Association of Independent Methodists, and The Foundry.
External site
References
- Garrison, Greg (November 22, 2022) "United Methodist split update: Clearbranch votes to go; Trinity Homewood stays" The Birmingham News
- Garrison, Greg (December 10, 2022) "United Methodist split: 198 churches leave North Alabama Conference" The Birmingham News
- Garrison, Greg (December 12, 2022) "After split, Methodists go in different directions" The Birmingham News
- Garrison, Greg (April 11, 2023) "Another 132 North Alabama United Methodist churches disaffiliate: Trussville, Helena, Gardendale." AL.com
- Garrison, Greg (April 18, 2024) "What is the Global Methodist Church? Splinter group formed as United Methodist split continues." AL.com