55 Oklahoma congregations leave United Methodist Church

A worship service at Bixby First United Methodist Church of Bixby, Oklahoma in April 2023. | Screengrab: YouTube/Bixby Fumc (The Christian Post)

 By Michael Gryboski - Posted at The Christian Post:

Fifty-five congregations in Oklahoma have disaffiliated from The United Methodist Church, joining a wave of churches departing the mainline Protestant denomination since last year.

At a special called conference held on Saturday, delegates at the UMC Oklahoma Conference voted to recognize the disaffiliation votes of 55 congregations, representing over 10% of their 425 member churches.

“I am thankful for all the members of the annual conference for the time they have been and will be devoting to evaluating the report from the Trustees, listening to the motions and discussions from other members and casting their votes,” said Oklahoma Area Bishop James G. Nunn in a statement emailed to The Christian Post on Monday. Nunn also said he recognized “how painful and emotional these decisions are for all involved.”

“I am comforted that the process for today’s vote was carried out according to the requirements identified in our denomination and conference disaffiliation agreements.”

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