Florida Methodist Conference approves departures of 46 congregations

Lakeland Ledger
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The Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church has approved the departures of another 46 congregations.

Members of the Lakeland-based conference held a virtual session Saturday to vote on proposed disaffiliations from the churches. It was the second time this year that members have approved the separations of a batch of churches from the denomination.

The 46 departing congregations included two in Polk County, First United Methodist Church of Fort Meade and First United Methodist Church of Frostproof. The disaffiliations are effective Sept. 1.

Conference members in April voted to approve the separations of 55 churches, two of them in Polk County. That brings the total disaffiliations to nearly 120 since last year.

For first time Florida United Methodists approve LGBTQ clergy at Lakeland meeting

The worldwide United Methodist Church has been facing conflicts over doctrine, including LGBTQ issues. The departing congregations tend to be more conservative, and some have sought to join an alternate denomination, the Global Methodist Church.

At the global meeting of the United Methodist Church in 2019, leaders established a process for congregations to exit by the end of this year.

The latest to leave

The following churches were approved for disaffiliation Saturday:

(Church name, city)

  • Altoona, Altoon

  • Community, Casselberry

  • First, Apopka

  • Grace, Lake Mary

  • Lifesong, Orlando

  • Paisley, Paisley

  • Lake Magdalene, Tampa

  • Ruskin, Ruskin

  • Evinston, Evinston

  • Lochloosa, Hawthorne

  • Nueva Vida, Ocala

  • CrossRoad, Jacksonville

  • First, Green Cove Springs

  • First, Macclenny

  • First, Starke

  • Florahome, Florahome

  • Greater Bell, Brooker

  • Lakeshore, Jacksonville

  • Mount Zion, Jacksonville

  • Orange Park, Orange Park

  • Ortega, Jacksonville

  • Pleasant Grove, Starke

  • Ponte Vedra, Ponte Vedra Beach

  • Southside, Jacksonville

  • Spring Glen, Jacksonville

  • First, Chiefland

  • First, White Oak

  • First, Monticello

  • Jennings, Jennings

  • Tallahassee Heights, Tallahassee

  • White Springs, White Springs

  • Matecumbe, Islamorada

  • Riverside, Miami

  • Westwood, Miami

  • Bay Point, Nokomis

  • Carlson Memorial, LaBelle

  • First, Cape Coral

  • First, Frostproof

  • First, Fort Meade

  • First, Immokalee

  • First, Zolfo Springs

  • Memorial, Lake Placid

  • Old Miakka, Sarasota

  • Pine Level, Arcadia

  • St. John's, Sarasota

  • Trinity, Arcadia

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Florida Methodist Conference approves departures of 46 congregations