Delegates pray before a plenary session at the United Methodist Church s 2016 General Conference in Portland, Oregon. | Facebook/United Methodist General Conference
The United Methodist Church, the third-largest Christian sect in the United States, took another step toward schism over their longstanding debate on LGBT issues when theological conservatives recently unveiled their plan for a new denomination.
Known as the Global Methodist Church, it was the product of the 17-member Transitional Leadership Council, a group of theologically conservative United Methodists.
The Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative United Methodist advocacy group, announced the launching of the GMC on March 1, explaining that it will not officially begin operations until a formal separation policy is approved by the UMC.
Planned traditionalist Methodist denomination gets name christiancentury.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from christiancentury.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
(Global Methodist Church website)
Article continues below advertisement ↴
The United Methodist Church is expected to split in the 2022 General Conference over the issue of sexuality and marriage. Conservatives are laying the foundations for the new Global Methodist Church.
An agreement expected to be approved in the next General Conference of the United Methodist Church will lead to schism in the denomination worldwide.
In August 2022, a majority of Methodists is expected to vote for a separation plan known as “Protocol for Reconciliation and Grace through Separation.” After that, several new groups will emerge to re-configure the Methodist panorama around the world.