“It’ll be more of a rolling celebration.” Keith Boyette, chairman of the new denomination’s Transitional Leadership Council and a United Methodist minister in Virginia.
“This is the date that we can start receiving churches as they leave the United Methodist Church, and that’s going to occur over a considerable amount of time,” said the Rev. Harvey acknowledged the inevitable splintering of the denomination when she preached April 25 during her final address as the Council of Bishops president, “I also realize that it might be time to bless and send our sisters and brothers who cannot remain under the big tent.”Ī leader of the breakaway movement indicated Sunday’s launch would take place with little fanfare. “What we are interested in is a discovery of what God has in mind for us on the horizon as the next expression of who we are as United Methodists.”īickerton, who heads the UMC’s New York City region, succeeded Louisiana-based Cynthia Fierro Harvey as president of the bishops’ council. “We are the United Methodist Church not interested in continuing sexism, racism, homophobia, irrelevancy and decline,” he said. He urged the UMC, even as it suffers defections, to think of May 1 as its launch day as well. He said he prays the infighting will stop and the UMC will rediscover its mission to make disciples for Christ.
