Intro

A congregational meeting has been scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022, to vote to disaffiliate from UMC. For the resolution to pass, it must receive an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of Christ Church in attendance.
-Two-thirds majority vote from Christ Church members in attendance at the congregational meeting to disaffiliate
-Agreement to pay two years of apportionments
-Agreement to pay our share of the unfounded pension liability
-A majority vote by delegates of the Special Annual Conference scheduled for May 22, 2023

Voting Process

Membership at Christ United Methodist Church is required to vote on Oct. 30.
Oct. 2, 2022
Yes, you are required to sign your legal name to the ballot, as well as print your name on the ballot. If your current legal name is different than your name as shown on the membership roll of Christ Church (e.g. married name as compared with maiden name), please contact the church office to advise them accordingly. View sample ballot.
Any child who has completed Confirmation, a three-year process from sixth through eighth grade, is eligible to vote at the congregational meeting.
No, there is no absentee ballot. Members must be present on Oct. 30 between 9:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to cast their vote. The United Methodist Church set the voting requirements in the Book of Discipline, including the rule that absentee ballots are not allowed during a disaffiliation vote.
The United Methodist Church set a disaffiliation voting process in the Book of Discipline. The Annual Conference prepared the required ballot, which cannot be changed by a local congregation.
Christ Church Memphis is following the requirements of the UMC and the Annual Conference, which includes a signed ballot. Signatures are used to verify that only members are voting.

Reasons for Disaffiliation

The United Methodist Church is a divided and hurting church, confronted with major disagreements on essential theological doctrines and the inspiration and interpretation of Scripture. This has led to ecclesiastical disobedience and divided approaches to our mission.
Christ Church Memphis has always been consistent in supporting the renewal and preservation of historic, orthodox, evangelical Christianity in the Wesleyan tradition. We are at a point where this commitment is at odds with a significant portion of the UMC and its leadership.
You can learn more about the divide here.
Every voter has the right and dignity to vote as their conscience dictates on October 30. Our prayer is that their vote will be informed and based upon information, processing, and reflection that we all participate in prayerfully about how seeking discernment for the next steps.
Our Senior Leadership Team, Executive Committee, and Church Council have all unanimously recommended disaffiliation after months and years of reflection and conversation through Scripture and prayer on addressing this topic. The leadership of Christ Church acknowledges how deeply sensitive, personal and difficult this situation and the Disaffiliation vote is to many of our members.
No, the disaffiliation vote is not a vote to cease being Methodist. Christ Church Memphis members will remain Methodist Christians regardless of the outcome. Christ Church was birthed in the Wesleyan heritage. Many of our members were Methodists before they were United Methodists (1968) and will remain so.
There are major disagreements within the United Methodist Church as to “how we view Jesus,” such as the divinity of Jesus, the virgin birth, the bodily resurrection of Jesus, belief in Jesus being the only way to God, and Jesus’ death on the cross providing the only way for salvation. There are also basic differences relating to the definition of discipleship and mission of the Church.
Christ Church stands for the authority of Scripture and Biblical truth through, among other acts, joining in the Houston Declaration and the Memphis Declaration.
You can learn more about the role differing views play in the UMC divide here.
First and primarily, the Book of Discipline teaches that all persons are of sacred worth and value and made in the image of God. It further teaches that we are to love, respect, and care for all persons and that human sexuality teaches us important truths about God, the gospel, and human flourishing, as well as human brokenness. In these truths, the Book of Discipline also states that the church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and that it is incompatible with Christian teaching. This was upheld in the Specially Called General Conference in 2019 and has not changed.
Our vote to disaffiliate does not hinge upon one divide but rather upon a series of irreconcilable differences among members of UMC.
Every voter has the right and dignity to vote as their conscience dictates on Oct. 30. Our prayer is that the vote of all persons will be informed and based upon factual information, processing and reflection and that we all participate in prayerfully seeking discernment for the future of Christ Church.
Our Senior Leadership Team, Executive Committee, and Church Council have all unanimously recommended disaffiliation after years of reflection and conversation through Scripture and prayer. We acknowledge how deeply sensitive, personal and difficult this vote is to many of our members.

Next Steps

The Executive Committee has established a Task Force to engage in a short-term study to recommend a future structure for Christ Church. This includes remaining an independent church after disaffiliation, joining the Global Methodist Church, joining the Free Methodist Church or another alternative.
There will be a new Tennessee nonprofit corporation formed as a church with the name "Christ Church Memphis," and all assets of Christ United Methodist Church will be conveyed, transferred or otherwise moved to that entity.
Christ Church Memphis will be required to pay the following amounts to disaffiliate from the UMC:
1. Two years apportionments. An annual apportionment is roughly 10% of the church's annual budget. Our annual budget is $7 million, thus making a yearly apportionment of $700,000 and two years of apportionments of approximately $1.4 million.
2. Unfunded pension liabilities. Christ Church must pay its share of the Annual Conference’s unfunded pension liabilities as determined under paragraph 2553. We have been advised by the Annual Conference that the figure is approximately $2.1 million.
Consequently, as currently calculated, the total amount that Christ Church will be required to pay to disaffiliate from the UMC is approximately $3.5 million. This figure may be lower depending on the pension fund recalculation at the time of disaffiliation, but it is very unlikely to be higher.
Because Christ Church Memphis has anticipated this possible expense for at least five years, our leaders have worked diligently for the church to be financially prepared to meet the required payment to separate from the UMC without sacrificing the church’s ongoing mission and ministries, as well as have sufficient cash for the normal operations of the church.
Christ Church is blessed to be in a positive financial position. To satisfy the expected approximately $3.5 million obligation, the church has two sources of funds totaling $2.4 million which are held for special designated purposes.These funds may be properly applied against the disaffiliation payment. Christ Church also has a $900,000 line of credit with a financial institution (current balance of zero) which may be drawn upon for this purpose. In addition, additional borrowing capacity of over $2 million is being secured by the church if needed. Members of the church may desire to make special gifts to the church to meet this one-time financial obligation upon Christ Church. Finally, the church currently has approximately $1 million in unrestricted cash, but the congregation may rest assured that leadership will not place the church in a situation in which it does not have adequate cash, including cash reserves, to prudently manage the financial affairs of Christ Church.
If Christ Church Memphis votes to disaffiliate, the final decision for disaffiliation will not take place until the Special Annual Conference in May of 2023. No changes will be made or will be necessary as it relates to church membership until that time unless a member so chooses. Upon the Special Annual Conference approving disaffiliation, Christ Church will move into its next season of ministry for the Kingdom of God either as an independent church or a member of the Global Methodist Church, Free Methodist Church, or some other Wesleyan denomination, as yet to be determined. At that time membership status at Christ Church will be fully explained.
No matter the outcome of the vote on disaffiliation, Christ Methodist Day School and all Christ Church Memphis operations will continue to move forward as they currently operate. There will be no change in the day-to-day operations in the Day School or church life and ministry.