Jackson Jambalaya

How is this newsworthy?

I didn't realize that something had to be newsworthy for Kingfish to post it on HIS blog.

Did I miss something? This is just a news site? Try 6 and 11 PM on the TV for NEWS.

This is further bad news for the MS Methodist Conference. For those not familiar with the UMC model each local church is assessed a yearly apportionment based on the local church finances (a very complicated formula) where the simple explanation is larger churches pay a larger apportionment. Last I saw over 800 churches in MS have let UMC. This has to be taking a toll on the conference finances.

Does anyone know if St. Matthew’s in Madison has had their vote and if so what was the outcome?

Dang. I hope they don't lose Eddie.

1:22. The largest UMC Church in the state has just left the denomination. Being that the church in in Jackson, it's certainly worthy of a blog post on news from the Jackson area.

1:22, let me help you. They are the largest United Methodist church in Mississippi. The United Methodist church is currently experiencing a split across the nation over the issue of homosexual marriages performed in the church and ordaining homosexual clergy. It is likely that as many as 75% of the United Methodist churches in Mississippi will leave the United Methodist conference.

"Gone!" is probably not an accurate summary. Just no following the leadership of the mainstream Methodist Church. Sad but common as wedge-issues divide congregations.

It is VERY newsworthy

Good for them. The United Methodists have strayed far from Biblical teaching. I'm disappointed more local churches didn't vote to disaffiliate.

This is part of a larger schism within the UMC. Interesting and encouraging that CUMC chose to disaffiliate. Glad to see it. Sad for the denomination more broadly.

ok and?

@1:22 PM - The amazing thing is that KF decides what is appropriate on here, not you.

KF, stay the course.

@122 because Christ United is a leading church in the metro. There has also been a great deal in religious circles discussed about the divid within the United Methodist Church. So stop being an idiot.

Go woke, go broke.

1:22. Under what rock do you abide? What a stupid post. "How is this newsworthy?" Good lord.

I'm a recovering Methodist, but I'm still interested in current church events. All I notice is that most Christian churches are becoming less and less Christian. My Savior is troubled, but still filled with love, even for those who aren't.

"How is this newsworthy?"

You can always just scroll on.

It's newsworthy on this site because it's a large church that's been in Jackson for a long time.

I remember this was a fast growing church in the 90's and early 2000's. Are any local churches still growing around here? I was once a member of Colonial Heights, which had some growth in the 80's and early 2000's, but I understand is much smaller now. At least not as bad as First Baptist Jacksonville, FL which once claimed 31,000 members but now reports 2100 members.

This is 100% about keeping out the gay influence. Much like when the SBC strongly supported segregation and recently when the SBC kicked churches out because women were preaching. Kris Kristofferson nailed it with the lyrics of Jesus was a Capricorn. True to this day.

Largest Methodist church in Mississippi leaves because the UMC has gone hard left is certainly newsworthy

Splitters!
(Insert crude Monty Python’s Life of Brian That would get censored)
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Do we blame Israel or Hamas for this?

How is it newsworthy? It's the most important thing that's happened in the tri-county area in at least a month. (I'm not Methodist and have never attended this church.)

KF more context plz. Is the the gay thing? Many Methodist churches are dropping because the lead organization is now open to lgbtq population serving in ministry. Is this this case here?
I know Anderson was also considering dropping out at one point and becoming independent .

I am not Methodist, but I have heard a lot about this split. What is Galloway's position? I assume they are probably more liberal.

St Matthew’s voted 10/08 to stay. Barely missed the 2/3 required to leave. Galloway’s leadership and pastors didn’t offer members the opportunity to discuss or vote. Someone decided to make it a Lighthouse church for folks whose church has disaffiliated and they want to stay UMC.

Thank goodness churches have an option and don't have to swallow the left's agenda.

Being progressive can have consequences.

Glad to see the Q radicals expunged from many protestant denominations. Now the Catholics need to excommunicate the heretical, leftist, fake pope, and get a real pope, no more jesuits please.

The atheists make themselves known.

Good for them. UMC administration in Mississippi was using CUMC for its money. They are better off independent.

Methodist Coference office in Jackson is about to pad their coffers with a fat check from Christ United.

A WIN for conservative Christianity.

I recently read an article about this, and it said that Christ Methodist was separating from the UMC because the UMC was against LGBTQ trends. I read it several times, because I thought I was reading it incorrectly, but it definitely indicated that Christ Methodist was separating because CM didn't want to shun the gay trends. Can anyone tell us for sure which is true?

At 3:20 you are full of shit Galloway has been having discussions about this with the congregation for years. I am a member still know for a fact. Haven’t brought it up for a vote yet to be fair. We will vote to stay. All you leave camp and haters are the reasons church attendance and membership is down among this generation. Hope the door doesn’t hit too many holy rollers in the ass Ont he way out. Hope your new church First Holier Than Thou looses all their money UMC conference. I feel horrible for the pastors of CUMC and other churches that voted to leave. If the pastors want to stay they are out of a job. Congrats
Mob mentality on the havoc you wreak.

1:37 "Does anyone know if St. Matthew’s in Madison has had their vote and if so what was the outcome?"

They voted several weeks ago and missed the threshold to disaffiliate by just a couple of percentage points. Same as Starkville missed it by 8 votes.

I know a large group are visiting other Churches and some are even discussing planting a Church.

Now they just have to BUY their own church back from the UMC that holds the title…. I have watched several smaller churches go through this process already…

A female member of another Methodist Church that recently disaffiliated stood up and spoke against the disaffiliation stating her concern about not welcoming the LGBT community. When she spoke, the B, in LGBT stood out.

B, i.e. bisexual, i.e. romantically attracted to both men and women, or to more than one sex or gender, i.e. engages in romantic or sexual relationships with, more than one sex or gender.

One has to wonder if this married with child heterosexual woman really knew what she was doing. Defending bisexuality. One that is bisexual cannot not therefore be monogamous.

If she therefore supports one acting on their attractions, and she has no problem with one being non-monogamous, one has to suppose that she would therefore be fine if her husband decided to act on his attractions, by have sexual relations with other women.

5:12, you are the one who’s either full of it or out of touch. The preachers had “listening” sessions in which they made their case for staying. I attended the ones on all three topics. They were never discussions. BTW, I was an active member serving and chairing committees over the years and even have spaces in the columbarium. I recently asked to have my name taken off of the rolls.

haters gonna hate

A lot of the churches are leaving because Mississippi has an outspoken black woman who is the new Methodist Bishop. She is actually a Christian unlike many of those voting to leave.

The (now-former) Methodists in my circle of friends-from-college, were of a strain of Methodism which was nearly-identical to Reform Judaism. "Biblical teachings" were dissected in Sunday School - placed within historical context. One never forgot, that those gathered were studying people who lived at least two thousand years ago (and the various corruptions and mistranslations ongoing since that time). Going to church, was like going to an historical society meeting (but with great organ music). Methodism (at least in the Delta) was NOT a sect for ignorant Rednecks.

But then, the church hierarchy started sending them ignorant Redneck preachers. And things started getting "relevant". Their Upper Middle Class religious sect was getting trashy, so they LEFT.

It is said that EVERY Protestant sect, in Jackson, acts like a sect two steps down the Religion Ladder from its own. So, it doesn't surprise me, that Jackson Methodists are acting like Holyrollers, and leaving the conference for reasons of homophobia.

The Conference's awful graphic design (horrible for longer than I've been alive), the funeral services belittling the deceased, the tacky music which has replaced dignified hymns, the "relevant" sermons, the overall waning of solemnity and dignity, and the conference's pushing of immigration and integration, would seem to be much more compelling reasons to quit the Conference. But that's Jackson for you.

Or IS it something else? Is 'The Conference' shilling The Jab? Are they backing Biden? Is there a REAL reason nobody is saying?

3:35, there is no such thing.

Yep. Haters gonna hate. Amen. And nothing brings out hate more than having sex differently than the holy rollers say it should be. Where do y’all think “missionary position” originates?

They should just join the SBC. They can go extinct together.

@4:49, this is from the Christ United Discernment page on the church's website. It explains the concerns and issues in a very straightforward manner. Hopefully, the link works. If not, all the information you could want can be found under the "Resources>Discernment" sections of the website, which is www.christunitedjxn.org.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/account-media/19904/uploaded/c/0e16499936_1694797282_cumc-discernment-team-justification.pdf

For those commenting some version of "go woke go broke" its clear you haven't picked up on the fact that they have made a very calculated decision that your kind is no longer the target demographic and that the more progressive demos are more valuable to the bottom line. The UMC was just done a favor as they lost their fastest dying dead weight. Remember the Cracker Barrel pride controversy? Virtually every Fortune 500 company giving you the bird? Again, ya'll are no longer the target demo you think you are.

Cause everybody's gotta have somebody to look down on...
Prove they can be better than at any time they please....
Someone doin' somethin' dirty, decent folks can frown on.....

Yeah, and meanwhile Jesus dines with the least of these. The holy roller Pharisees gonna Pharisee.

I was raised at Christ Church and am glad they are exiting the Babylon system…the leftist woke agenda has pushed its way into the fabric of the sick and dying UM denomination. They are having their lamp stand removed before their very eyes…

8:29 PM The hatred and hypocrisy is so deep Jesus would not be welcome in most of the churches in Mississippi

“All you leave camp and haters are the reasons church attendance and membership is down among this generation.”
Most denominations are down in attendance, but the more liberal churches are down more than conservative churches. If you want to see the effect of liberalism on Christianity, visit places like the Pacific Northwest where is it hard to find people who even identify as Christian. In the UK, the majority of people no longer identify as Christian. The Church of England has been on a leftward path for years, and not surprisingly, attendance has likewise been in decline. While Jesus dined with sinners, he also told them they needed to change their ways. He didn’t go along to get along as it seems the liberal churches are wont to do. The more the church conforms to the world around it, the less attractive it becomes, and the less power it has to change the world.

Jesus was woke, helping the poor and folks that didn’t work and not judging people and shit. He’d be crucified again by modern “Christians” if he were here today.

Don’t let the door to hell hit you in the behind!

8:29 PM, dining with the least does not mean letting them “take over” the church.

The disaffiliation was about not giving control of this Methodist church to leftists, as has been the case with other churches.

9:23 PM, anytime leftists don’t get their way they start crying hatred, racism, etc. It might not be long before parents substitute “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” story with the “Everybody That Disagrees With Leftists Are Haters And Racists” story.

But don’t worry, there are plenty of churches out there for leftists to attend with leaders that hold the bible in one hand while doing another - inside of the church. Hell, most churches do this.

@ 9:23 PM

I'm pretty sure if he came back preaching about loving thy neighbor, welcoming the foreigner, healing the sick, and clothing and feeding the poor, many Mississippians would label him as a radical left-wing Marxist socialist.

@1:22pm Sigh. Newsworthy? You must be a 40 or under millennial, etc...

"That book, sir, is the rock on which our Republic rests.”
- Andrew Jackson
“The Bible is the anchor of our liberties.”
- Ulysses S. Grant
“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without the Bible.”
- George Washington

With this UMC story, you're witnessing a modern-day separation of the wheat from the chaff. An educated person knows history, and the Bible - faith or no faith.

I would like to remind the Pro-United shills that your ideology fits within the Mainline Protestant strain. And that denomination is the one rapidly shrinking.

Haters gonna hate.
Liars gonna lie.

7:30 said, "A lot of the churches are leaving because Mississippi has an outspoken black woman who is the new Methodist Bishop. She is actually a Christian unlike many of those voting to leave."

I am Methodist. I know many Methodist pastors and laity. I have heard zero comments against the Bishop due to her race.
If 7:30 wasn't such a race baiting hateful liar, 7:30 would know the current black bishop replaced retiring Bishop Swanson who is also black.

Mississippi Methodism has not had a Caucasian bishop in several years.

October 17, 2023 at 6:48 AM, what you read about Jesus the first time he came, will not be what you get the second time. He came the first time to preach His gospel.

The gospel of Jesus Christ has been preached in all the world, giving all that hear the opportunity to repent, and obey that gospel, through faith.

His return will be to gather those that have obeyed that gospel, and living under the grace that has been given, because of that obedience through faith. Make no mistake, faith brings obedience, obedience gives grace.

The third return, He is no longer a savior, but an avenger, taking vengeance on all those that have not obeyed His gospel. I suggest you repent, and obey the gospel.

5:12 - I used to be a member of Galloway. Sounds like they were basically pressured into how it was going to go. It has never been put up for a vote, like you acknowledge. Most pastors whose congregations voted to disaffiliate have either elected to stay with the UMC (and will try to plant a new UMC church) or join Global (with their current congregation), so it's not like they're actually out of a job. Nearly every congregation in Mississippi that has disaffiliated has already chosen or is in the process of choosing to join the Global Methodist Church, which follows the UMC Book of Discipline that some United Methodist churches are evidently choosing not to follow.

Churches are choosing to disaffiliate now because they don't know if they'll be required to pay fair market value for their church buildings if they wait until 2024 to participate in the process. Church buildings are owned by the UMC.

For the record, there's only one church, in the New Testament, that's the one purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. I don't know where that leaves the other, 2300 supposed church organizations.

It's a good decision on their part, but it's too bad that the ones who want to change the church are the ones who get to keep the name.

Really the people who want to leave the doctrine of the Bible as well hundreds of years of church teaching should be the ones to start their own "church."

Bad things happen when politics and religion get mixed up and churches have to pick sides rather than tend to souls, however, imperfect.

Remember the last time this happened, it was a prelude to the Civil War.

I’m baptist and I’m Buy-Sexual.
G.

Our grandkids will be mortified that there were churches who were still condemning people for sexual orientation.

9:18 exactly. I voted NO in part for that very reason. The people wanting to change the "Constitution" kept the name, and not those of us abiding by it.

10:00 In name only.

Eddie Rester just announced that he is leaving.

10:42 KEEP UP. No one is condemning anyone. Read the bible. We are following scripture and don't want those selfish people ignoring it leading our church or getting "married" there.

October 16, 2023 at 1:47 PM 1st United Methodist in Starkville missed leaving by 6 or so votes. 381 to leave, 200 to stay, or over 65% voted to leave. A 66.67 super majority to leave is hard to get. That's why more churches haven't left, but those that used to sit in the pews are, myself included. The conference has made it as difficult as they can for churches to leave. If the church will not but the people do, then the conference keeps the property. It's not about saving souls, it's about keeping the property. Greedy is all I can say.

1:51 PM, It’s more than just a 66.67% hard to get super majority, a member must be present to vote. So, if a member has donated, say as a real example, 6 figures to the UMC, but has a medical issue keeping them from voting in person, must be out of town, etc., that member cannot vote.

So, they’re not just greedy, they’re hypocrites since we all know they vote with the party that believes in vote early, vote often, vote by mail, etc. They’re pathetic!

Didn't Bellwether Church split from Christ United a few years ago? One church and two splits seems pretty indicative of a people problem there.

Hardly, 2:47.

2:47: I heard the same about Bellwether and Christ, but I'm unsure about the details.

I grew up from age 5 at CUMC. When the church was at the corner of Westbrook and Old Canton it became a short walk from my home. This was my church from my youth to college graduate. I even sang in the choir and worked the sound system for the membership.

While many outside saw CUMC being "fundamentalist," I can assure you that in my time we were somewhat progressive. We had friendships with our neighbors, Beth Israel and St. Phillips. In fact, when I was a teenager, we had a weekend where all teens in all the neighbor institutions got to learn about each other's religions.

CUMC had both African-American and Hispanic members. And I was very proud to see the church step up for relief after Hurricanes Camille and Katrina, and especial from the 1979 Easter Flood.

CUMC was and still the largest UMC in Mississippi. But as the neighborhood changed so did most of the membership. I would bet that most members now live outside Jackson. I do know that most of my classmates from that time live outside Jackson.

All of this to say that CUMC has changed in the past few years and is not like the church I grew up in. I have a bright spot for them, and I hope they find their way without the big church behind them.

Footnote: Not noted in this report is that UMC churches are owned by the conference, not the members. CUMC is going to need to pay for the property they will still inhabit.

3:52. But the MEMBERS pay the note. The conference does this to control the narrative of the "big church". The church is doing great, in spite of so many members living outside of Jackson. We walked to church at the old location, BUT the Heatherwood neighborhood, like most of Jackson, is turning blacker by the day, and black folks worship services are as different from white folks services as halftime dance teams in the SWAC and the SEC.....ie: they ain't coming to CUMC.

A true church is its people, not the brick and mortar. In time this will self-sort itself away from the larger "conference" that has been unequivocally corrupted by a younger generation's "relativity" and "feelings" movement.

Most churches that are leaving the UMC are going to the Global Methodist Church. The Global Methodist Church states the following regarding the Bible:

“The canonical books of the Old and New Testaments (as specified in the Articles of Religion) are the primary rule and authority for faith, morals, and service, against which all other authorities must be measured.”

Not exactly a wholehearted commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture in its original languages. Will the Global Methodist Church only be slightly less liberal than the UMC? I guess time will tell.

Jesus wept.

It would be funny if Jesus voted to leave all who have to vote to keep “SINNERS” out of their church. Guess that just leaves all the perfect people..

last time I checked we live in the USA. you are free to leave or join any church. don’t like where you are- move! or stay with your church that left. or go to one that stayed. free choice!

Religious civil war over faith...and land (property). Pretty much sums up history.