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WIUMC Discernment Timeline (most recent at the top)
July 1, 2023 Wilmington Island Methodist Church becomes an official member of the Global Methodist Church and the South Georgia Global Methodist Church.
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May 21, 2023 On Sunday, May 21, at the Special-called Session, the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church ratified the disaffiliation agreements of 193 churches, including Wilmington Island United Methodist.
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April 30, 2023 Scheduled church conference to determine future denominational affiliation. Voting instructions were emailed to the congregation on April 25 along with a sample ballot. Click here to view the denominational comparison chart. The congregation voted by an 85% majority to join the Global Methodist Church. Click here to read the announcement to the congregation.
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April 20, 2023 @ 4:00 pm Rev. Jay Hanson, President pro Tempore of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the Global Methodist Church, spoke to the congregation about the Global Methodist Church. Watch the meeting here.
April 16 at 5:00 pm Steve and Hope Shearouse and Harry and Phyllis Shearouse, members of Springfield Oaks Church (formerly Springfield UMC), met with the What's Next Committee to answer questions about their church's post disaffiliation experience. Springfield disaffiliated from the UMC in June 2022, and, after a period of independence, has voted to join the Global Methodist Church.
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April 13, 2023: Update from "What's Next Committee" emailed to congregation along with denominational comparison chart.
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January 16, 2023 "What's Next Committee" formed to research and recommend the next steps for Wilmington Island Methodist post-disaffiliation.
January 8, 2023 The members of Wilmington Island UMC voted by an 87% majority to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. Click here for the report to the congregation.
January 5, 2023 Vote reminder to members 2nd email
December 28, 2022 Vote reminder to members 1st email
December 12, 2022 Letter regarding vote mailed to members
Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, Church Council voted unanimously to request the District Superintendent to hold a called church conference for the purpose of voting on disaffiliation from the UMC. Congregation was notified by email, church bulletin, and an announcement in worship on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022. See document below for document distributed to the congregation.
October 23, Rev. Baxter Hurley, senior pastor of Forest Hills Church in Macon and former associate pastor at WIUMC, gave a presentation to the church members explaining Forest Hills’ path through the disaffiliation process. Forest Hills disaffiliated in August.
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October 15, 2022, eleven church members traveled to Epworth by the Sea for the Isaiah 43 Conference to learn more about the disaffiliation process as well as the Global Methodist Church.
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October 12, 2022 An informal meeting with DS David Thompson was held. Rev. Thompson explained the disaffiliation process and answered questions from the congregation.
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August 2022, Church Council notified District Superintendent Rev. David Thompson that Wilmington Island UMC is considering disaffiliation.
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July 17 and July 27, 2022, WIUMC held Town Hall meetings to share with the congregation information regarding disaffiliation. Information from both sides of the issue was shared with the members.
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Spring 2022 Discernment team created.
Information distributed to the congregation October 2022
Additional Resources
Rev. Rob Renfroe, retired associate pastor at The Woodlands UMC in Woodlands, TX, and President and Publisher of Good News, has created a series of six videos (approximately 15 minutes each) detailing the reasons Traditionalists are leaving the denomination. The videos can be found by clicking the link below.