State's largest United Methodist Church votes on schism. See the results

Mississippi's largest Methodist church continued a recent trend Sunday when Jackson's Christ United Methodist Church voted to part ways with the Mississippi United Methodist Conference.

After a vote was held Sunday, it was reported to its members by email by Christ United Methodist Church that more than 86% voted to disaffiliate while a little more than 13% voted to remain United Methodist.

The vote required a 66.7% majority to move forward with disaffiliation.

A total of 830 votes were cast with 717 choosing to disaffiliate and 112 voting to remain United Methodist.

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

Not following the heard: This Methodist church has voted not to follow the herd in leaving UMC

This is the latest in the church schism that has swept across the country. 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 leave the United Methodist Church. Most are choosing to join with the Global Methodist Church.

Earlier this year, 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 video post last week to the congregants of Christ United Methodist Church, Bishop Sharma Lewis of the Mississippi Conference of United Methodist Churches said that while she believed there had been very serious, and thoughtful discernment on the issue, it would still be her preference for all to remain within the conference.

"Christ Church has been an influential presence in the east and west Jackson districts, the Mississippi annual conference and the United Methodist Church connection," Lewis said in the video that was a last attempt to sway voters to stay within the conference. "Please know that I will be praying with and for you as the Holy Spirit guides you."

CUMC Senior Pastor Eddie Rester did not immediately respond to attempts for a comment on this story.

In its email to the congregation, Christ United Methodist said there will be a meeting Thursday to consider, "what it would mean to remain Christ United Methodist, other possible United Methodist Churches in the area, or the possibility of planting a new United Methodist Church for this area."

"Please continue to pray for our church," the email stated. "Pray for our leaders as they gather this week to prepare Christ United to make disciples of Jesus Christ for this next season of life within the church."

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. Recent churches who voted to disaffiliate will not become official until Dec. 9 and are not included on this list.

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

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: State's largest United Methodist Church votes on leaving UMC