Important Note from Pastor's Josh Kilbourne and Bill Thornton

Today, January 3, it is being reported by multiple news services that there is a proposal of separation in the United Methodist Church over differing opinions within the denomination related to the ordination of LGBTQ persons and same-sex weddings. You can read more here and here .

Please take time, as you are able, to read about this proposal, but please note that at this point this is only a proposal from a group of diverse leaders in the denomination who come from all over the world and who have different perspectives on the issues mentioned above. There will be other proposals brought before the 2020 General Conference of the United Methodist Church related to possible separation and other issues facing the Church. This year’s General Conference is the regularly scheduled General Conference of the UMC which is held every four years and serves as the official legislative body of the denomination. It is the General Conference and only the General Conference that speaks for the denomination which means that the news being reported today does not represent an official decision of the denomination at this time. As many of you know, last year the United Methodist Church held a called General Conference to specifically address the ordination of LGBTQ persons and same-sex weddings. The 2019 General Conference made clear that we are a divided denomination on these issues as the Conference voted 438-384 to affirm the Traditionalist Plan. With such a division of opinion, possible separation will be addressed at this year’s General Conference, but at this time nothing has been decided.

So again, let us stress, today no official decision has been made. The General Conference will not meet until May 5-15, 2020, and I (Pastor Josh) am actually an alternate delegate to the conference so I will keep the church informed of information that I receive moving forward. Thus, nothing is being asked of us to make a decision on these matters today in any direction, but let us still be in prayer for Signal Crest and for the United Methodist Church that above all we may seek to faithfully follow Jesus Christ and live out our mission to reach people with the Good News of His saving grace and unconditional love. Indeed, may we continue to be united in Christ as we continue to move forward together as His church here at Signal Crest.

-Pastor Josh Kilbourne and Pastor Bill Thornton