Disaffiliation Process & Information

No. The Judicial Council ruled in 1993 that The Book of Discipline has no provision allowing an ordained United Methodist clergy to hold membership simultaneously in another denomination.

The Certificate of membership and certificate of ordination are distinct and tangible documents. 

One’s ordination and conference membership are two different aspects of a clergyperson’s relationship with the United Methodist Church. The expressions of those aspects have changed over the years by virtue of action taken by The General Conference. 

Before 1996, clergy were ordained Provisional Deacons and Ordained Elders. Certificates were issued with each status. In 1996 the General Conference made changes to The Orders of Ministry. These changes resulted in clergy being commissioned as Provisional Deacons/Elders, Ordained Deacons/Elders, and Received into Full Connection. Eventually, separate certificates were issued with each status.

Depending on when a clergy person entered into relationship with the Annual Conference will determine what certificates they have and what certificates they need to submit. Those most recently ordained likely have a Certificate of Conference Membership separate from their Ordination Certificate.

Clergy withdrawing to unite with another denomination keep their Certificate of Ordination and surrender their Certificate of Conference Membership to the Conference Secretary.

Clergy withdrawing from the Ministerial Office must surrender to the Conference Secretary their Certificate of Ordination and, where applicable, their Certificate of Conference Membership.

Submit a written request to withdraw, noting in the letter that you can not locate your original certificate. Additionally, Additionally, complete and submit the second page (including notarization) of the withdrawal request to the Conference Secretary (grays@nccumc.org).

The withdrawal letter and certificates are received by the Conference Secretary and reported to the Office of Clergy Life and the Executive Clergy Session of the NC Conference.

The effective date of withdrawal is the date of the letter of withdrawal.

Records/files are not shared with other Denominations.  Upon request of the clergy person, The Office of Clergy Life can submit a letter of status and standing to other Denomination Officials. Clergy designated as in “good standing” have completed Sexual Ethics Training, are current with Course of Study requirements [applies only to Local Pastors], and are not under formal Complaint.

The effective date of the withdrawal marks an immediate change in the relationship between the clergy and congregation. Those who withdraw can no longer serve as a pastor of a United Methodist congregation nor reside in a United Methodist parsonage. 

Clergy on the Conference health insurance plan at the point of withdrawal from the NC Conference can continue on the Conference plan for up to 18 months on continuation coverage with full cost being paid by the participant.

Coverage on the Conference life insurance plan will end on the last day of the month of the effective date of the clergyperson’s withdrawal.

Wespath Benefits and Investments manages pension benefits for the UMC and has provided Frequently Asked Questions about the continuation of benefits for clergy who withdraw from the UMC. All questions about pension benefits (except the Transition Fund for NC Conference participants) should be directed to Wespath. 

Wespath Benefits and Investments manages pension benefits for the UMC and has provided Frequently Asked Questions about the continuation of benefits for clergy who withdraw from the UMC. All questions about pension benefits (except the Transition Fund for NC Conference participants) should be directed to Wespath. 

For clergy participating in the Transition Fund, previously accrued benefits are held in the participant’s Personal Investment Plan (PIP) account. Benefits already earned are already held in the PIP and will remain in the participant’s account. Any requirements of the PIP apply to Transition Fund benefits in the PIP, including retirement eligibility, plan loans, plan withdrawals, etc.

The Transition Fund is a plan of the NC Conference for NC Conference participants. If a Transition Fund member is no longer a member of the NC Conference, s/he is no longer eligible to participate in the Transition Fund and will be terminated from future participation in the Transition Fund. All benefits previously earned and invested in the participant’s PIP will remain with the participant.

NC Conference retirement health insurance benefits are provided for clergy who retire from ministry in the NC Conference. If a clergyperson does not retire from the NC Conference, the clergyperson is not eligible for retirement health insurance benefits through the NC Conference.

If a clergyperson retires from the NC Conference and receives benefits, those benefits will continue throughout retirement as per plan provisions. If a clergyperson does not retire from the NC Conference, s/he is not eligible for retirement health insurance benefits. A clergyperson who previously retired from the NC Conference will continue the benefits already being received through plan provisions.

Spouses of clergypersons who retire from the NC Conference or who have previously retired from the NC Conference will continue to receive benefits as per the plan provisions. Spouses of clergypersons who do not retire from the NC Conference will not be eligible for retirement health insurance benefits.

Wespath Benefits and Investments manages pension benefits for the UMC and has provided Frequently Asked Questions about the continuation of benefits for clergy who withdraw from the UMC. All questions about pension benefits (except the Transition Fund for NC Conference participants) should be directed to Wespath. 

A clergyperson who previously retired from the NC Conference will continue the benefits already being received through plan provisions.

Wespath Benefits and Investments manages Comprehensive Protection Plan (CPP) benefits for the UMC and has provided Frequently Asked Questions about the continuation of benefits for clergy who withdraw from the UMC.

Regarding benefits through the Comprehensive Protection Plan (CPP), Wespath Benefits and Investments manages CPP benefits for the UMC and has provided Frequently Asked Questions about the continuation of benefits for clergy who withdraw from the UMC. Regarding benefits offered through the NC Conference outside of CPP, eligibility for benefits is defined by policies set by the Annual Conference through the Joint Committee on Clergy Medical Leave. Eligibility is defined as including those appointed to Clergy Medical Leave. If a clergyperson is no longer appointed to Clergy Medical Leave, medical leave benefits through the NC Conference are no longer available. 

According to plan provisions as approved by Annual Conference, moving expense reimbursements are available for clergy continuing under appointment in the categories approved in the Moving Expense Policy of the Report of the Council on Finance and Administration. Clergy who withdraw are not continuing under appointment and are, therefore, not eligible for moving expense reimbursement. Clergy who retire are eligible for reimbursement at rates set in the Moving Expense Policy for retirement moves.

According to The Duke Endowment, this gift is restricted to retired clergy of The United Methodist Church. Surrendering credentials would forfeit receipt of this grant.

United Methodists throughout the world are bound together in a connectional covenant in which we support and hold each other accountable for faithful discipleship and the mission of Jesus Christ. UMC congregations are not in an independent church. Each local church congregation and property is connected for the benefit of the denomination, each church, and the ministry and mission of all at home and throughout the world. Disaffiliation means separating from the NC Annual Conference (NCC) and the entire UMC.

The 2019 Special Session of the General Conference of the UMC adopted paragraph ¶2553 in the Book of Discipline – Disaffiliation of a Local Church Over Issues Related to Human Sexuality. Because of the current deep conflict within the UMC around issues of human sexuality, a local church shall have a limited right, under the provisions of this paragraph, to disaffiliate from the denomination for reasons of conscience regarding a change in the requirements and provisions of the Book of Discipline related to the practice of homosexuality or the ordination or marriage of self-avowed practicing homosexuals as resolved and adopted by the 2019 General Conference, or the actions or inactions of its annual conference related to these issues which follow.

Yes. The choice by a local church to disaffiliate with the UMC under ¶2553 shall be made in enough time for the process of exiting the denomination to be complete before December 31, 2023.

Paragraph ¶2553 stipulates a process with terms and conditions established by the General Council on Finance and Administration and the Board of Trustees of each annual conference. This resulted in the NCC Disaffiliation Agreement above. The process is summarized in the NCC Disaffiliation Agreement Process Steps above.

The Conference Board of Trustees has released the following statement regarding the NC Conference’s disaffiliation plan:

“The Conference Board of Trustees retains the authority under The Book of Discipline to establish, and change when appropriate, the terms and conditions for churches within the Conference to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church. The Board of Trustees hereby confirms, however, that it adopted the Disaffiliation Agreement, in the form in which it was published in May 2022, with the expectation and understanding that this will be the final version of the Disaffiliation Agreement that will remain the path for churches to disaffiliate for reasons described in paragraph 2553 of The Book of Discipline until December 31, 2023, the time limit provided in paragraph 2553.2 for this process. The Board does not anticipate or expect any changes to the Disaffiliation Agreement prior to the expiration of paragraph 2553 as outlined in The Book of Discipline, and the Board does not anticipate or expect that a potential change in bishop for the Conference in 2023 will provide a reason or occasion to revisit the terms and conditions of the Disaffiliation Agreement.” [The above was written in response to questions in 2022; in 2023 we did receive a new Bishop and the terms and conditions of the Disaffiliation Agreement did not change in the Spring 2023 process.  That will also be the case in the Fall 2023 process.]

Your Church Council or Trustees Chairperson may submit a Disaffiliation Inquiry Form which serves in part to request specific payment amounts for your church.

The NCC Disaffiliation Agreement and Process Steps above address how to determine costs and list the required payments. Your Church Council or Trustees Chairperson may submit a Disaffiliation Inquiry Form to request specific payment amounts.

The Conference worked hard to find ways consistent with the Discipline to make the terms/costs as favorable as possible for a Local Church that wants to depart while still honoring the Conference and all who remain. More favorable terms include no payment to the NCC to retain church property and release the Trust Clause of ¶2501. The pension liability payment is calculated in the most beneficial way for the Local Church. See separate Q&A related to unfunded pension obligations.

A pension plan for past/current UMC pastors that is fully funded today could become underfunded due to economic downturns that produce lower-than-expected earnings or increased longevity that results in longer periods of benefit payments. Such underfunding could result in significant additional contributions to the required plan (it has happened before). These additional contributions to the plan are the responsibility of the annual conference and, in turn, the local churches of that conference. UMC clergy served congregations who may leave the UMC in past decades who are receiving pension benefits or are due benefits in the future. Unless a departing church pays to the conference to cover future pension funding needs, it leaves the pension obligations for conference clergy to fall on the remaining churches in the conference.

There is no extra money coming in from disaffiliating churches. The disaffiliation agreement requires disaffiliating churches to pay their portion of the unfunded pension obligation as calculated by Wespath, the previous 12 months of apportionments, and 12 more months. Other financial obligations would be to make sure any loans, benefit arrearage, and legal expenses are paid.

The pension obligation funding is to be used strictly for pension obligations that arise in the future related to United Methodist pension plans. This funding is only for future pension obligations and is not available for other uses.

Apportionment funding consists of payments in full for the previous 12 months and 12 more months at that rate. This funding is remitted to support apportioned budgets, so it will be applied to those budget years. For example, apportionments for churches that disaffiliated on December 31, 2022, consisted of the previous 12 months (total 2022 apportionments) and 12 more months at that rate. The amount for the 12 previous months was applied to the 2022 apportionment year that funds the 2023 operating budget (because we raise funds a year in advance for Conference ministries in NC). The next 12 months will be applied to the amount raised for 2023, which will fund the 2024 operating budget. These budgets have already been set by the Annual Conference, so the amounts paid from disaffiliating churches will be applied to those budget years.

All funding collected from disaffiliating churches was provided in the agreement for the purpose of providing sustainability through the transition period in the NC Conference. The NC disaffiliation agreement did not require extra payments that are held by the Conference with no stated purpose or designation. Thus, there is no extra money coming in from disaffiliating churches.

The next General Conference may approve a new disaffiliation agreement with more favorable terms. In the meantime, please check out #BeUMC and prayerfully consider remaining in the UMC family.

Paragraph ¶2548.2 requires, among other things, “consent of the presiding bishop.” In compliance with the UMC Council of Bishops (COB) recommendation, our presiding bishop has determined that 2553 rather than 2548.2 is appropriate for this purpose.

We understand the COB recommendation to be informed by the following concerns: 1) There was a consensus at the General Conference in 2019 that a new means was needed to allow churches to disaffiliate for reasons of conscience due to longstanding disagreements over issues involving human sexuality, and that is why 2553 was adopted. If 2548.2 were available at that time, then there would have been no reason to request the adoption of 2553. Nothing has changed in the Discipline since General Conference 2019. 2) The history of 2548.2 suggests that it was developed in 1948 for a very different reason than the reason some churches now want to depart – to enable conferences to convey churches with serious viability problems to alternative denominations that might have a better chance of serving the local community. 3) The COB is concerned that widespread use of 2548.2 for this purpose would lead to wide discrepancies amongst conferences in how churches might disaffiliate given the lack of standard required terms for disaffiliation, and therefore believes that it is appropriate to apply the more uniform standards in 2553, at least until such time as a new set of uniform standards is adopted by a GC. 4) Unless and until there is a Judicial Council ruling confirming that 2548.2 is an appropriate vehicle for this type of disaffiliation, the Conference is concerned that any disaffiliation under that section will be subject to legal challenge, which would create serious practical problems for the local church and the conference.

No, that is not correct. There is not a denominational comity agreement. Annual conferences might create comity agreements that suit their local context, but even then, the terms of the Protocol cannot be accomplished without General Conference. 

There are draft versions of comity agreements that reflect attempts by some parties to come to common understandings, but these are not final agreements. Agreements of this sort will not work in all circumstances. They would need legal review and be configured to local context and circumstances, which can vary significantly from conference to conference.

Yes. Either way, the conference will work with you in an amicable, fair, and gracious process.

Everyone may find a home in the UMC. The NCC Disaffiliation Agreement includes a section on the “Remnant Congregation” for any members who do not wish to disaffiliate. Visit Continuing in The United Methodist Church to explore options for how you can continue in the UMC!

At any point before your church’s disaffiliation date (as specified in your Disaffiliation Agreement), you may choose not to fulfill any of the items in the Agreement, thus causing the Agreement to become null and void. This will, in effect, stop your church from disaffiliating under the current Agreement.

If the church has decided that they no longer wish to disaffiliate, or there is a desire to reconsider, the first step will be to contact your District Superintendent and let them know. They will then be able to advise you about how to proceed.

There are simple processes in place for clergy and churches who wish to reaffiliate with The United Methodist Church following a separation. The first step will be for a representative of the church to contact the District Superintendent who serves the geographical area where the church is located.

If the Church Council has submitted a Disaffiliation Inquiry and subsequently voted against pursuing a Church Conference and call to consider disaffiliation, the issue may not be voted on again. To vote again could perpetuate unhealthy and divisive discussions distracting the local church from living into the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ. In this situation, we suggest engaging church leadership with the District Superintendent to discuss a path forward to help the congregation come together for the sake of Jesus Christ and his mission.

Each pastor is, by Discipline, a member of their assigned local Charge/Church Conference. It is typically understood that they are also a member of the Church Council and may vote on matters before the Council or Charge/Church Conference. The pastor may choose to abstain, but that is not required.