The Board of Trustees of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church has voted to seize the assets of Mt. Bethel UMC and will operate the church effective immediately, the latest move in an escalating crisis with the East Cobb congregation.
In a statement issued late Monday, North Georgia Conference Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson said that “exigent circumstances” prompted the move, after Mt. Bethel strongly and publicly refused to accept the appointment of a new senior pastor, and made other moves she said violated the denomination’s Book of Discipline governing document.
Other details of the “exigent crisis” were explained at this Q & A, which include claims that Mt. Bethel leaders signed a 20-year lease of property to its Mt. Bethel Christian Academy “without complying with the policies outlined in the Book of Discipline” and planned “to use credit lines, transfer interests in assets, and sell property” without getting proper approval from the Conference.
The North Georgia Conference statement said that Mt. Bethel leaders and attorneys were notified Monday by Conference attorneys that the property seizures are immediate, and that the church has 10 days to complete the transfer.
According to UMC policies, individual congregations do not own properties or assets but are held in trust for the denomination.
The Monday decision means, according to the Conference, that it holds title to real, personal, tangible and intangible property.
“Unless this crisis is resolved by that time, the annual conference in June 2022 will decide whether to formally close the local church,” the Conference said. “In the meantime, the conference Board of Trustees will control all of the assets.”
Mt. Bethel church activities and operations will continue under the management of the trustees, according to the statement. This is the first time the North Georgia Conference has undertaken such a seizure.
“The Trustees are mindful of the concerns of employees, families, and members of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church and the families connected to the Mt. Bethel Christian Academy,” according to the statement, which you can read in full here. “Employment, instruction, activities, and worship at the church and Academy will continue, but under the direction and control of the Conference Board of Trustees.”
A Mt. Bethel statement issued Tuesday accused Haupert-Johnson of “engaging attorneys to go to civil court to seize assets that the faithful people at Mt. Bethel have freely and joyfully given for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed: assets which will become property of Mt. Bethel once it completes a process for disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church, initiated in April 2021. The Bishop is purposely delaying that process.”
The Mt. Bethel statement said the bishop “continues to escalate a crisis of her own” and that the church “will do all in their power to resist the aggressive actions against their church, and they will do all they can to restore the reputational damage Haupert-Johnson is inflicting on many local United Methodist churches that simply want to do ministry without the drama of her intrusive and threatening actions.”
The Mt. Bethel statement also said that she “hastily initiated an ill-timed and an ill-considered move that not only jeopardizes great ministry and missions at Mt. Bethel but also the health and reputation of her entire annual conference.”
East Cobb News has contacted the Conference and Mt. Bethel for further comment and information on the transition process.
The Conference statement Monday said that Mt. Bethel was notified on June 18 to resolve the issues surrounding the appointment of Rev. Dr. Steven Usry as the new senior pastor, effective July 1. They included the church’s refusal to provide office space and pay him a full salary.
In addition, Mt. Bethel retained senior pastor Dr. Jody Ray, who had been reappointed by the bishop to a non-ministry role with the Conference on racial reconciliation issues.
He refused, turned in his UMC pastoral credentials and was named the Mt. Bethel CEO.
In a pastoral letter sent out in late June, Haupert-Johnson said these moves were not in accordance with the Book of Discipline.
The Conference statement on Monday said Mt. Bethel leaders did not respond to the June 18 letter.
The Mt. Bethel Q & A prepared by the North Georgia Conference said Mt. Bethel also has been notified that it is not a church in good standing.
Mt. Bethel held a press conference in April announcing its intention to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church, but that action cannot happen until after the UMC General Conference in September 2022.
UMC churches not in good standing are not eligible for disaffiliation, according to denominational policies.
The UMC, the nation’s second-largest Protestant denomination, has been roiled by theological disputes in recent years.
In 2019, it announced it would begin a process of Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation, allowing congregations to methodically leave the UMC.
That vote was to have taken place in 2020, but due to COVID-19 concerns the UMC General Conference has been delayed until next year.
Mt. Bethel, with 10,000 members, is the largest church in the 800-church North Georgia Conference and is a founding member of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, which is made up of more theologically conservative congregations.
Should Mt. Bethel disaffiliate, it is likely to join the Global Methodist Church, a theologically conservative organization that is not an official denomination but that is planning to begin operations after the Protocol is approved.
Related stories
- Appointed Mt. Bethel pastor “disappointed” with church leaders
- Mt. Bethel church members fears “that we’re being torn apart”
- Mt. Bethel Church files grievance against Methodist leaders
- Mt. Bethel announces intent to leave United Methodist Church
- Mt. Bethel UMC opposes reassignment of senior pastor
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This whole drama reinforces why so many will NEVER be a member of a church. It saddens me to see how awful these so called Christians really are.
The Bishop is a Judas who works with the Devil. She should be removed.
Dont be fooled by this Bishop’s actions. Her moves are about money, not preserving Methodist heritage and belief. Mt Bethel has historically been one of the largest contributors to the North Georgia Conference. Losing this membership via dissaffiliation would be a severe financial blow to her treasury, so a win for her is that Mt Bethel (as well asother larger contributing churches remain in the conference) At worst, she is fighting to retain the property for potential sale of assets. All smaller churches are in jeopardy of being closed/consolidated to save money, yet continue to contribute. The Methodist organization is in severe decline, both financially and spiritually. Its time to get out – period.
Correction to previous comment. “Smaller churches will be consolidated to save money, yet still be required to contribute to the conference fund. “
Progressives are never willing to let others go their own way. This should be interesting. Get your popcorn ready.
Such a horrible battle indeed. Bishop must abide by the wishes of the conference members, not her own political activism. She behaves like a dictator. This is NOT the realm in which to pick a political battle! But she believes it is, or she would not have taken this public repeatedly.
Why is she allowed to continue in this position while publicly damage this loving, long-lasting beautiful Christian denomination? This is diabolical.
Why is there a need for such oversight by one who has no history with these members? THEIR monies and faith chose to build this community for Christ!
Hard to follow all the UMC drama. I assume it boils down to some disagreement where one side says their invisible magic man in the sky hates the gays, but the other side says their invisible magic man loves everyone, even the sinful gays?
So happy I parted ways with hypocritical hatred and manipulation of organized religion over 3 decades ago.
If you go to the church website announcing the seizure, you will see that they are blocking all comments on the action. Who ever imagined that one Bishop would willfully destroy the UMC due to her personal dedication to ordaining unrepentant sinners. One can understand her behavior by reading 2 Peter 2.
Church people drama makes me LOL. This story just keep making me laugh.
So sad to see such a thriving and vibrant church torn apart by politically motivated actions implemented at the conference level. No matter the final outcome, the church will NEVER fully recover!
Obscene move by an out of control progressive liberal Bishop! She singly is destroying our church! How does that fit into the Book of Discipline?? Evil!