Arkansas United Methodist conference OKs disaffiliations for all 67 congregations that voted to leave

People arrive at First United Methodist Church in Jonesboro for a disaffiliation vote in this July 31, 2022 file photo. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Frank E. Lockwood)
People arrive at First United Methodist Church in Jonesboro for a disaffiliation vote in this July 31, 2022 file photo. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Frank E. Lockwood)

The Arkansas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church has ratified the disaffiliation requests for all 67 congregations that wished to break from the church.

The disaffiliation agreement for Wheatley United Methodist Church was the last of three that were approved when the conference reconvened after a lunch break on Saturday during a special session in Hot Springs. That congregation was allowed to depart by a vote of 351 to 102.

The conference had also ratified the disaffiliation agreements for Hope First United Methodist Church by a vote of 249 to 216, and Pine Bluff First United Methodist Church by a vote of 250-226.

The other 64 disaffiliation requests were ratified during the morning session. Of those, 61 were ratified in a bloc, followed by separate votes to ratify the agreements for Greenbrier First United Methodist Church, Good Faith Carr United Methodist Church in Pine Bluff, and Greenwood United Methodist Church

Thirty-five other congregations had been allowed to disaffiliate in November.

1:42 p.m.: 64 Methodist churches in state allowed disaffiliation after votes

The Arkansas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church has approved the disaffiliation requests of two more congregations during its special session in Hot Springs on Saturday.

Before lunch, the special session voted to ratify disaffiliation agreements for Good Faith Carr United Methodist Church in Pine Bluff, by a vote of 346 to 147, and Greenwood United Methodist Church, by a vote of 273 to 219.

The disaffiliation agreement for Greenbrier First United Methodist Church had been approved earlier by a vote of 288 to 205.

Disaffiliation agreements for Hope First, Pine Bluff First and Wheatley United Methodist churches were due to be considered after 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

12:15 p.m.: 62 Methodist churches in state allowed disaffiliation after votes

The Arkansas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, at a special session in Hot Springs, voted Saturday morning to allow a bloc of 61 congregations to disaffiliate from the denomination.

Fifty of the congregations had voted unanimously to leave. The other 11 had supported disaffiliation by 80% or above.

Rather than debating them individually, all 61 were voted upon as a group, with 411 clergy and lay members voting to ratify their disaffiliation and 79 voting no.

The special session subsequently voted 288-205 to allow Greenbrier First United Methodist Church to depart.

Five others are still awaiting votes: Greenwood, Hope First, Good Faith Carr; Pine Bluff First and Wheatley.

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