Here is a list of Mississippi churches disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church

Ross Reily, Mississippi Clarion-Ledger
Updated ·8 min read
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In yet another round of disaffiliations within Mississippi's United Methodist Churches, many congregations are splitting to make known where they stand on church doctrine.

Meanwhile, others are standing pat.

In recent weeks, St. Matthew's United Methodist Church in Madison voted not to split as did West Point and Starkville. However, in the same timeframe, Merigold, Ellisville and Brandon United Methodist Churches made the decision to switch to the Global Methodist Church.

Bonnie Chapel UMC of Vancleave is opting to stay a part of UMC.

Schism impact on Millsaps College: What is the Methodist schism impact on Millsaps College? It's more than money

This church isn't following the herd: This Methodist church has voted not to follow the herd in leaving UMC

Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church, one of nearly 40 churches that has chosen to stay affiliated with the United Methodist Church amidst many disaffiliations in the region, is seen in Jackson, Miss., Thursday, February 23, 2023.
Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church, one of nearly 40 churches that has chosen to stay affiliated with the United Methodist Church amidst many disaffiliations in the region, is seen in Jackson, Miss., Thursday, February 23, 2023.

This is just the latest in the schism of the church. Around 22% of all Mississippi's United Methodist Churches left the fold in June when 189 congregations had their disaffiliation votes ratified at the 2023 Session of the Mississippi Annual Conference in Tupelo. The process has been described by some as the largest denominational schism in the last 50 years.

In this round of voting, Mississippi churches have until the end of October to have a church vote. From there, the Mississippi Annual Conference will have a special called session on Dec. 9 at Anderson United Methodist Church in Jackson to ratify the votes. All special church conferences will be completed no later than Oct. 25.

The issues for the United Methodist Church, in general, center around, but are not limited to, a difference in opinion about whether someone who identifies as LGBTQ should be ordained in churches. Other denominations, including the Episcopal church, have faced similar challenges in recent years. Amid issues surrounding human sexuality, hundreds of Episcopal churches splintered off nationally to move to the new, more conservative Anglican Church in North America, though no Mississippi parishes left the Episcopal fold.

In a Facebook post, St. Matthew's pastor Andy Stoddard suggested now is a time for healing.

"I was talking to someone, and we agreed there were no winners in any of this," Stoddard said of the vote that kept the Madison church in the UMC fold. "It was a hard season, as hard a season as I, as a pastor, and we, as a church, could have gone through. But now, we work together to heal. There is much hurt in our church and in our world. There are folks today who I deeply love, who are hurting. All of us have those we love on all sides of this issue. We should honor that hurt, honor that pain, and be gentle with each other in all things."

In West Point, pastor Darian Duckworth said she hopes her church can move forward after a vote to disaffiliate failed to receive the 67% threshold with only 55% voting to leave the UMC.

"It was a rough day, but we got through it," Duckworth said of the Oct. 1 decision. "I am grateful for the outcome. This has been a very difficult season for Methodists of all theological leanings. Where we are now, it is a time for healing and finding an identity as a congregation. The reality is this process changes churches."

Duckworth said she has thought a lot about the June Annual Conference in Tupelo when Bishop Sharma Lewis talked about the importance of blessing one another, "to go and be what God has called us to be."

"This has been emotionally heavy," Duckworth said. "But I believe God is leading us into some healing now."

In some churches where the vote was to stay with the UMC, there have already been splits as opposing congregants have rented out spaces for church services away from their former congregations.

United Methodist churches disaffiliating

Here is a list of all 189 churches within the Mississippi United Methodist conference, which were ratified for disaffiliation from the conference in June. Included is the church, votes to ask for disaffiliation, and the percentage.

Brookhaven District

  • Rehobeth, 13-0 — 100%

  • Beauregard, 42-0 — 100%

  • Mallalieu, 6-0 — 100%

  • Chapel of the Cross, 15-1 — 93.75%

  • Ebenezer, 20-0 — 100%

  • Community UMC, 6-0 — 100%

  • Gloster, 6-0 — 100.00%

  • Kokomo, 7-0 — 100%

  • Whittington Memorial, 7-0 — 100%

  • Meadville, 23-0 — 100%

  • Grace Natchez, 44-3 — 93.62%

  • Natchez Jefferson Street, 140-26 — 84.34%

  • New Hebron, 26-0 — 100%

  • New Hope, 50-5 — 90.91%

  • Greendale, 8-0 — 100%

  • Sartinville, 16-0 — 100%

  • Tilton, 36-0 — 100%

  • Tylertown, 35-8 — 81.40%

  • Woodville, 24-1 — 96%

East Jackson District

  • Gasque, 19-0 — 100%

  • Fannin, 40-0 — 100%

  • Freeny, 29-3 — 90.63%

  • Madison UMC, 605-57 — 91.39%

  • Magee, 60-2 — 96.77%

  • Pelahatachie, 22-0 — 100%

  • Puckett, 52-0 — 100%

  • Ridgeland First, 36-2 — 94.74%

  • Mize, 7-0 — 100%

Greenwood District

  • Avon UMC, 33-0 — 100%

  • Glen Allen, 39-1 — 97.50%

  • Benoit, 12-0 — 100%

  • Greenwood St John's, 130-23 — 84.97%

  • Hollandale, 21-0 — 100%

  • Indianola: Christ, 19-0 — 100%

  • Indianola FUMC, 157-8 — 95.15%

  • Inverness, 78-1 — 98.73%

  • New Hope, (Winona) 30-1 — 96.77%

  • Silver City, 13-0 — 100%

Hattiesburg District

  • Collins, 43-3 — 93.48%

  • Good Hope, 4-0 — 100%

  • Mount Olive, 15-3 — 83.33%

  • Oak Grove Hatt, 131-58 — 69.31%

  • Petal Asbury, 60-9 — 86.96%

  • Philadelphia Jasper Co., 23-0 — 100%

  • Prentiss, 22-0 — 100%

  • Santee, 8-0 — 100.00%

  • Sumrall, 72-1 — 98.63%

  • Boyles Chapel, 7-0 — 100%

  • Waynesboro, 67-1 — 98.53%

  • Williamsburg, 28-0 — 100%

  • Lone Star, 22-2 — 91.67%

  • Winchester, 8-0 — 100%

Meridian District

  • Chunky, 15-0 — 100%

  • Big Oak, 25-2 — 92.59%

  • Coker Chapel, 57-2 — 96.61%

  • Collinsville, 44-0 — 100%

  • Pleasant Ridge, 16-0 — 100%

  • Concord, 17-0 — 100%

  • Cooks Chapel, 24-0 — 100%

  • Coopers Chapel, 40-0 — 100%

  • New Hope Dekalb, 21-0 — 100%

  • Pleasant Ridge, 5-0 — 100%

  • Spring Hill, 3-0 — 100%

  • Enterprise, 19-0 — 100%

  • North Bend Philadelphia, 16-0 — 100%

  • Hope-Philadelphia, 17-0 — 100%

  • Philadelphia First, 150-15 — 90.91%

  • Southside, 27-0 — 100%

  • Pleasant Grove, 14-0 — 100%

  • Sandtown, 126-1 — 99.21%

New Albany District

  • Baldwyn, 26-1 — 96.30%

  • Asbury, 25-0 — 100%

  • Belmont, 41-9 — 82.00%

  • Christ Boonville, 48-0 — 100%

  • Lebanon, 4-0 — 100%

  • Booneville First, 106-18 — 85.48%

  • Carolina, 32-0 — 100%

  • Pisgah, 20-0 − 100%

  • Corinth First, 107-9 — 92.24%

  • Gaines Chapel, 59-1 — 98.33%

  • Old Bethel, 20-3 — 86.96%

  • Ingomar, 26-2 — 92.86%

  • Campground UMC, 13-0 — 100%

  • Rocky Springs, 7-0 — 100%

  • Snowdown, 11-0 — 100%

  • Spring Hill, 40-6 — 86.96%

  • Kossuth, 42-3 — 93.33%

  • Pleasant Hill, 12-0 — 100%

  • Liberty, 29-0 — 100%

  • Thrasher, 5-0 — 100%

  • Dumas, 24-0 — 100%

  • New Harmony, 16-0 — 100%

  • Paynes Chapel, 27-0 — 100%

  • New Albany Calvary, 29-4 — 87.88%

  • Mt Olivet, 10-0 — 100%

  • New Albany First, 317-76 — 80.66%

  • Christ, 6-0 — 100%

  • Cambridge, 5-0 — 100%

  • Pine Flat, 10-0 — 100%

  • Abbeville, 7-0 — 100%

  • Bethel Rienzi, 11-0 — 100%

  • Adkins Chapel, 24-0 — 100%

  • Ripley, 93-42 — 68.89%

  • Blue Mountain, 12-0 — 100%

  • Union Hill, 35-7 — 83.33%

  • Paradice, 10-0 — 100%

Global Methodist Churches

Here is a list of churches in Mississippi that have left the Mississippi United Methodist Church to become part of the Global Methodist Church as of Aug. 6.

  • Abbeville Methodist Church

  • Amory First Methodist Church

  • Antioch Church (Laurel)

  • Avon Methodist Church

  • Batesville First Methodist Church

  • Belmont Methodist Church

  • Benoit Methodist Church

  • Big Point Methodist (Moss Point)

  • Buena Vista Methodist Church (Jackson)

  • Cambridge Methodist Church (Abbeville)

  • Carolina Methodist Church (Nettleton)

  • Cedar Bluff Methodist Church

  • Cedar Lake Church (Biloxi)

  • Christ Methodist Church (Indianola)

  • Christ Methodist Church (Oxford)

  • Clarksdale Methodist Church

  • Collins Methodist Church

  • Columbus First Methodist Church

  • Como Methodist Church

  • Concord Methodist Church

  • Corinth First Methodist Church

  • Diamondhead Methodist Church

  • Ecru Methodist Church

  • Ellison Methodist Church

  • Enterprise Methodist Church

  • Fannin Methodist Church (Brandon)

  • First Methodist Church Holly Springs

  • First Methodist Church Lucedale

  • First Methodist Church Nettleton

  • First Methodist Church of Eudora

  • First Methodist Church of New Albany

  • First Methodist Church of Yazoo City

  • Gaines Chapel Methodist Church (Corinth)

  • Glen Allan Methodist Church

  • Good Hope Methodist Church (Vaiden)

  • Grace Methodist Church (Natchez)

  • Grandview Methodist Church (Hattiesburg)

  • Hernando Methodist Church

  • Hollandale First Methodist Church

  • Houston First Methodist Church

  • Hurley Methodist Church

  • Indianola First Methodist Church

  • Inverness Church

  • Jefferson Street Methodist Church (Natchez)

  • Kossuth Methodist Church

  • Lebanon Methodist Church (Baldwyn)

  • Lone Star Methodist Church (Collins)

  • Madison Methodist Church

  • Mallalieu Methodist Church (Brookhaven)

  • McCondy Methodist Church (Trebloc)

  • Meadville Methodist Church

  • Mount Olivet Methodist Church

  • Mt. Olive Methodist Church

  • New Hebron Methodist Church

  • New Life Methodist Church (Bay St.Louis)

  • North Main Methodist Church (Water Valley)

  • Oak Grove Church Mississippi

  • First Global Methodist Church (Olive Branch)

  • Philadelphia First Methodist Church

  • Philadelphia Methodist Church (Heidelberg)

  • Pine Flat Methodist Church

  • Pine Grove Methodist Church

  • Piney Grove Methodist Church

  • Plantersville Methodist Church

  • Pleasant Grove Church

  • Pleasant Hill Methodist Church (Corinth)

  • Pleasant Hill Methodist Church (Lucedale)

  • Pleasant Ridge Methodist Church

  • Poplar Head Methodist Church (Saucier)

  • Puckett Methodist Church

  • Red Hill Methodist Church (Vancleave)

  • Saltillo First Methodist Church

  • Sardis Methodist Church

  • Senatobia First Methodist Church

  • Shiloh Methodist Church (Nettleton)

  • Siloam Methodist Church (West Point)

  • Smithville Methodist Church

  • Southside Methodist Church (Philadelphia)

  • St John's Methodist Church (Greenwood)

  • St. Andrews Global Methodist Church (Amory)

  • Sumrall Methodist Church

  • Terza Methodist Church (Batesville)

  • Thaxton Methodist Church

  • Tranquil Methodist Church (Aberdeen)

  • Trinity Methodist Church (Gulfport)

  • Water Valley First Methodist Church

  • Waterford Methodist Church

  • Wesley Chapel Methodist Church (Hickory)

  • Williamsburg Methodist Church (Collins)

  • Woodville Methodist Church

If you have more information on disaffiliation, the Global Methodist Church or the United Methodist Church in Mississippi, Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or at 601-573-2952. You can follow him on Twitter @GreenOkra1.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: List of Mississippi churches splitting from United Methodist Church