United Methodist Church North Georgia Conference speaks out after court decision
The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church has spoken out following the Cobb County court ruling in favor of nearly 190 Georgia churches suing to disaffiliate.
In a video uploaded this week to the conference's website, Bishop Robin Dease shared she will be calling a special session of the North Georgia Annual Conference on Nov. 18.
"In my role as your bishop, I am calling a special session of our annual conference...," Dease said in the video. "Arrangements for the session are being made and will be announced once they are confirmed."
At the special session, Dease said the conference will vote on disaffiliations. Individual church conferences, for those involved in the lawsuit, will be called between June 4 and Aug. 31.
"The goal of our district superintendents is to move through this process with a gracious spirit," Dease said. "I remind you that the doctrinal standards of the United Methodist Church have not, and will not, change."
The regularly scheduled North Georgia Annual Conference will be held June 1-3, according to conference's website.
"This annual conference is strong and enduring, with a bright and vibrant future ...," Dease said to close out the video.
Churches win lawsuit: Nearly 190 Georgia churches win lawsuit to disaffiliate from United Methodists
Local church wins suit against UMC: Court rules in favor of Augusta church suing to disaffiliate from United Methodists
186 churches win lawsuit against UMC
The lawsuit, filed in Cobb County on March 30, involved 186 Georgia churches wishing to disaffiliate due to potential LGBTQ-friendly revisions.
The United Methodist Church has been at odds internally for decades over disagreements on doctrinal and social issues. However, the current court cases have focused only on the contractual agreements between the denomination and local churches.
The churches requested the North Georgia Annual Conference restore the processes that were already in place allowing churches to disaffiliate while keeping their property, according to previous reporting. Superior Court Judge Steven Schuster ruled the churches should be able to vote to disaffiliate from the UMC.
This is the second time in less than a month that a Georgia court has ruled in favor of United Methodist churches seeking to disaffiliate.
Augusta church wins local lawsuit against UMC
Earlier this month, Columbia County Superior Court also ruled in favor of Trinity on the Hill church, which sued the North Georgia Annual Conference of Methodists to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church, similar to the larger suit.
Judge Sheryl Jolly denied a motion by the conference seeking to dismiss the suit and granted Trinity’s motion for injunction, according to previous reporting.
Trinity on the Hill and its attorney has declined all media requests for comment.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: UMC North Georgia Conference speaks out after losing lawsuit
