Discernment - Canterbury UMC

June 13, 2023

Dear Canterburian,

As you know, for the last 14 months, the Canterbury UMC Discernment Team has been working through a process of prayer, study, listening, and research, regarding whether or not Canterbury UMC should remain a United Methodist congregation or disaffiliate. As a reminder, the Discernment Team consists of 11 lay members and me. All were nominated and asked to serve in this capacity by our Church Council beginning in March 2022.

On Friday, June 9, the Discernment Team shared our recommendation with the Church Council and all church members. You can read the recommendation by clicking here. Last night – Monday, June 12 – the Church Council voted to accept the Discernment Team’s unanimous recommendation to remain a local congregation within the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church by a vote of 87 in favor of the recommendation, 21 against the recommendation and 2 abstentions.

For many, this result comes with joy and relief. For many, this result comes with sadness and disappointment. If this is the outcome you had hoped for, I pray that in your relief you will respond with humility and gentleness, recognizing that there are those in our midst who may be deeply disappointed and hurt. Let’s remember that we are first called to love God and love our neighbor, so let us show the love and tenderness of our beloved savior, Jesus Christ, to all we meet today. If this outcome is not what you had hoped for, please know that your church loves you and that there is a place for you, and everyone, within the Canterbury family. We are better because you are part of this church and hope that you come to that prayer-filled conclusion as well. When you are ready, know that your pastors’ doors are open should you wish to talk or pray together. Whether you are relieved or disappointed, please trust that our goal throughout this process was to reach a Spirit-led alignment for the good of the whole church. While our world may subscribe to an ‘us vs. them’ mentality, the people of Christ are called to a higher standard. We are called to be the body of Christ where we honor and value the many different parts that encompass the whole.

This journey has not been easy. It has tested us in ways we did not expect. But, as with any journey worth taking, our faith in God and trust in Jesus have only grown deeper. This occurred for one reason and one reason only – the Holy Spirit has been working, is working now, and will continue to do a great work through the people of Canterbury UMC. I have seen and heard this truth in the faces and prayers of my fellow Discernment Team members, and I have seen and heard this truth from many of you as well. I am grateful for the Discernment Team’s faith and integrity throughout this process, and I pray that you will extend your heartfelt gratitude as well.

It is now time for us to move forward with care and compassion for one another. It is time for us to go about the work of sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And, it is time for all of us to embrace a life of discernment, where we open ourselves to the Spirit’s work. I hope and pray that the Spirit will continue to mold us into genuine disciples of Jesus Christ.

It is gift to serve as your Senior Pastor. Know that you are loved by your pastors, your staff, me, and more importantly, by God.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Keith Thompson

May 31, 2023

The Canterbury UMC Discernment Team held an Information Session on May 17 at 6 PM in Canterbury Center and presented the information gathered at recently concluded Discernment Dinners. You may find the complete Summary by clicking here. Please make note of these upcoming dates:

• Wednesday, May 17 – Monday, June 12, 2023: Canterbury United Methodist Church will participate in a period of 26 days of prayer for the Discernment Team and their upcoming recommendation to the Church Council on Monday, June 12.

• Friday, June 9, 2023: Canterbury UMC Discernment Team will deliver a recommendation to the Church Council.

• Monday, June 12, 2023, at 6:00 pm: Canterbury UMC Church Council will vote to accept or reject the recommendation.

Please continue to check this page for important updates and other forthcoming information.

We are grateful for your continued prayers,
The Canterbury UMC Discernment Team

May 8, 2023

Dear Canterbury Member,

The Canterbury UMC Discernment Team would like to invite you to attend an Information Session on Wednesday, May 17, from 6 – 7:30 pm in Canterbury Center regarding the information gathered at the recently concluded Discernment Dinners. If you plan to attend the Information Session on May 17, please RSVP by emailing Brittany Smith at brittany.smith@canterburyumc.org. This will help us to make sure we have plenty of materials available for that evening.

You can access the summary of the data and information collected at the Discernment Dinners by clicking here.

Please note that the information shared on May 17 will come directly from the summary found through the link above. While the session on May 17 will largely be focused on reporting information, Discernment Team members will be present to respond to questions that are submitted in advance of the Information Session. While we will likely not have time to address every question, we will do our best to respond to the most commonly submitted questions.

In order to submit a question for consideration, please email the question to discernment@canterburyumc.org by Monday, May 15, at 5 pm.

We look forward to seeing you on May 17 and please continue to be in prayer for the Holy Spirit’s guidance throughout our discernment process.

The Canterbury UMC Discernment Team

March 24, 2023

Dear Canterbury Member,

As you are aware, Canterbury UMC formed a Discernment Team at the direction of the Church Council in March 2022. Over the past year, the Discernment Team has met with leaders from churches who have chosen to remain United Methodist, chosen to join other expressions of Methodism, or have chosen to become independent congregations. The team has spent time reading scripture, reading several books, meeting regularly and, most importantly, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It has been a year filled with questions, learning, listening and growth.

Most recently, Discernment Team members have been facilitating Discernment Dinners which began in January and concluded last night (Thursday, March 23, 2023). Through 23 Discernment Dinners over the past few months, more than 500 Canterburians attended and shared their concerns and hopes for the future, but most importantly, they shared their love for God and for Canterbury UMC .

These Discernment Dinners have been wonderful opportunities to hear from Canterburians and to gather extremely valuable information which will be organized and shared with the congregation soon.

The Canterbury Discernment Team continues to meet and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in this season of prayer, and we ask that you continue to offer prayers for the Discernment Team.

If you were not able to attend a Discernment Dinner and would like to send a question or feedback to the Canterbury Discernment Team, please email discernment@canterburyumc.org.

If you would like to read more about the discernment process, please visit www.canterburyumc.org/discernment.

Grace and Peace,
The Canterbury UMC Discernment Team

May 18, 2023

UPDATED Canterbury Discernment Team FAQ’s

The following questions were submitted by Canterbury UMC members in preparation for the church-wide informational session on May 17, 2023 at 6:00 PM, as requested by the Discernment Team. Some of the questions were similar in nature and spirit, so we combined them in order to be concise. We sought to answer every question posed to the best of our knowledge and ability. Thank you to all who submitted questions and for your love and care for our church.

1. Is it safe to assume we would lose all of our UMC ministers?

What is the projected staff turnover should we vote to disaffiliate – specifically age level ministries and outreach?

We have not asked and the ministers and lay staff members have not offered what they would do in the event that Canterbury disaffiliates. We believe our unawareness on this is integral to the integrity of the discernment process. United Methodist clergy are ordained by and are members of the annual conference, and they are appointed to Canterbury by the Bishop of our annual conference. Therefore, it would be up to each individual clergyperson to decide whether to surrender their credentials (certificate of membership and certificate of ordination)or remain with the United Methodist Church. Program staff and all other staff members who are not clergy would also have the choice to remain employed at Canterbury or to resign.

2. Should we have someone outside Canterbury handle the voting process, such as our auditors, or is that not necessary? Are church members not currently serving on church council permitted to be in the called council meeting?

Per the Book of Discipline, church council meetings are open to all church members. However, only church council members are authorized to vote. It is the responsibility of the church council to outline and organize the voting process and the counting of ballots. We do know that three people will count the ballots, and none of the three will be members of the Discernment Team. Additionally, the process for Discernment as outlined by the North Alabama conference recommends the DS, one or two neutral voters and an observer.

3. If I understand correctly Canterbury currently follows the Book of Discipline as part of the United Methodist Church. We are making a decision whether to stay or leave the conference before the General Conference makes a decision about whether to keep or overturn the Book of Discipline as it relates to performing/sanctioning homosexual marriages in the church and allowing/endorsing actively practicing homosexuals to be ordained ministers in the church.

If we decide to stay with the North Alabama Conference, what happens after the General Conference votes? Do we then revisit everything again and decide as a church if we agree or not? By deciding to stay with the North Alabama Conference before the General Conference meets are we going to go with their decision regardless of what they decide?

We are operating under the timeline we were given by ¶2553 and the North Alabama conference to the best of our ability and integrity.

Each pastor has the option to marry or not marry couples who request that he or she perform their ceremony. This will not change regardless of what happens in future General Conferences. The UMC may eventually permit same sex marriage and the ordination of practicing homosexuals. The future leadership of Canterbury and the North Alabama Annual Conference will continue to discern these decisions.

4. It appears that the majority of churches in the Conference are leaving. Are you dismissive of them? What are you learning from recent disaffiliations?

We as a team have and continue to commit to transparency and sharing any and all information as we receive it. We would never seek to be dismissive of any question or thought by those attending dinners, submitting e-mails, questions, or seeking more information. That being said, the North Alabama conference began with 638 churches. 333 have disaffiliated and 305 remain. Of the 333 disaffiliated churches, 159 have membership under 50; 90 have membership under 100. So, 75% of the churches that have disaffiliated have a membership of 100 or less. As many of you know, Vestavia Methodist, a church of similar size and make up disaffiliated in December. Trinity United Methodist and Asbury United Methodist, churches also of similar size and make up, both discerned to remain United Methodist churches.

5. Do most of Canterbury’s clergy share the same opinion regarding LGBTQ marriage and ordination? If so, how powerfully is this affecting the discernment team? When the Vestavia Hills UMC had their discernment process, they excluded their own clergy from this process. Why has that not been done here?

The Discernment Team does not know how each of our clergy view the myriad of facets surrounding the current issues in the United Methodist Church. Like you, we could try to guess and predict but have chosen not to do that. Each clergy has also decided to keep their choice to remain with Canterbury or with the United Methodist Church in the event of disaffiliation to themselves so as not to influence the process. So, I would say the opinions of the clergy are not affecting the team. As for Vestavia, their Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor were present in their discernment meetings. Our Senior Pastor is also present in ours as a resource for questions regarding process, procedure, and United Methodist Church rules.

6. If the process goes to a vote of the congregation, at what age are you required to be to vote?

The Book of Discipline defines the membership of a local United Methodist church as “all people who have been baptized and all people who have professed their faith (paragraph 215). Confirmation is the point when many who have been baptized as infants profess their faith for themselves. As such, anyone who has been confirmed or joined the church from another denomination by profession of faith is eligible to vote as a member of the congregation.

7. It seems to me that most of the discussions that I have had with current and former members of Canterbury have centered on what would be best for us that are here now, and not so much on what the future will look like for Canterbury irrespective of whether we disaffiliate or not. I would like to know if the Canterbury of 5, 10 or 20 years from now has been discussed or assessed by the Discernment Team and what impact, if any, that has had.

This question has been part of our discussions from the beginning and is why we included the question about hopes and dreams for Canterbury in all of our discernment dinners. From what we heard at Discernment Dinners, that answer varies but the top hopes are provided in our summary and are as follows: 1) to remain loving of all God’s children; 2) to remain part of a larger family and connectional church; 3) to find more ways to bring people together and out of their silos; 4) to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit, God, and scripture.

8. Recognizing that this is a very sensitive matter, how will the need for more education and understanding surrounding LGBTQ issues be handled? What are the issues? And when will they be addressed – adults, children, or both?

Many observations were made at various discernment dinners about the need for more education surrounding the issues facing the United Methodist Church. These educational issues range from how a more inclusive United Methodist Church might impact Canterbury to understanding these issues in relation to Scripture. Suggesting an education strategy and/or directing the education of the congregation is beyond the purview of this team. We have been tasked with making a recommendation to Church Council about who God is calling Canterbury to be and what God is calling Canterbury to do. We have, however, passed this pressing need to clergy and church council for careful consideration.

9. How can we as a church pick and choose Bible scriptures that suit OUR needs? How can we in good faith judge someone based on who they love when that love has no reflection on the church. How do we rationalize ignoring what the Bible says about divorce, adultery, women as leaders in the church, the sacrificing of children, the wearing of blended clothing only to focus on this one issue? Did Jesus ask us to judge who can come to the church or did he ask us to love God and love one another?

BP gave a testimony about his personal experience reading the Bible and wrestling with scripture.

10. Why is the entire church membership not being permitted to vote?

The steps set forth by the North Alabama Conference Board of Trustees for churches to withdraw from The United Methodist Church requires an assessment/discernment process guided by the District Superintendent. Canterbury, as a conference member chooses to follow the Discipline and to also follow the directions we are given by the North Alabama Conference. The provisions of Book of Discipline ¶2553 added by the 2019 General Conference of The United Methodist Church expire on December 31, 2023, and cannot be used after that date. ¶2553 gives a broad outline of disaffiliation requirements. Additionally, the book of discipline gives ample leeway and autonomy to each annual conference. Every United Methodist Church is part of an annual conference. The North Alabama Conference has laid out a four phase process of which a recommendation to the Church Council is a part. All United Methodist Churches are members of their overseeing annual conferences until they are not. As such, Canterbury is required to follow the process as outlined by the North Alabama Conference.

January 17, 2023

UPDATED Canterbury Discernment Team FAQs

1. What is the Discernment Team doing?

Well, a lot. The Team meets once or twice a month, usually for a minimum of three hours at a time. The team is praying together, discussing scripture, reading books together, listening to people from different perspectives, talking with leaders throughout the broader Methodist Church, discussing ramifications of various decisions, making plans about best practices and processes, and most of all, seeking to discern God’s will for Canterbury. This is a group of people who are committed to putting aside their personal opinions as they seek to be guided by the Holy Spirit in the discernment process. The Discernment Team is searching for the answer that “seems good to the Holy Spirit and us” (Acts 15:28), and holds close to Jesus’ prayer for unity among his followers, which is different than uniformity (John 17). Like most spiritual pilgrimages, this is not a quick, obvious, or easy journey.

2. Will the Discernment Team determine what Canterbury will do?

No. The Discernment Team has no decision-making authority for the congregation. They will bring a recommendation that has been prayerfully discerned to the Church Council. The Church Council is the decision-making body of the church.

3. How will the voices of Canterbury members be heard?

The week of December 12, 2022, the congregation will receive an email and mailer that outline in detail how and when Discernment Dinners will take place. Within this communication, there will be clear instructions on how to sign-up and attend one of these Discernment Dinners. Please note that we ask you to only attend one Discernment Dinner as there will be a maximum of 30 spots available at each dinner. Our goal is to hear from as many of the members of Canterbury as possible.

A general timeline for the discernment process is provided below:

January – April 2023: Discernment Dinners

May 2023: Report information/data gathered at Discernment Dinners to congregation via email and mailer.

Once the data from the Discernment Dinners is reported to the congregation in May 2023, information sessions will be scheduled as well as church-wide prayer services. Following the completion of the church-wide prayer services, a date will be scheduled for the Discernment Team to present a recommendation to the Church Council for consideration.

4. Will the congregation take a church-wide vote following the Discernment Team’s recommendation to the Church Council?

That will depend both on what the Discernment Team’s recommendation is and whether or not the Church Council approves or rejects the recommendation. Each of the following is a possible scenario once the Discernment Team’s recommendation is given to the Church Council for consideration.

a) SCENARIO 1: The Discernment Team recommends to the Church Council that Canterbury UMC should remain a local congregation of the United Methodist Church.

In the event of this scenario, should the Church Council vote to accept the Discernment Team’s recommendation for Canterbury UMC to remain a local congregation of the United Methodist Church, then a church-wide vote would not be necessary and Canterbury UMC would remain a local congregation of the United Methodist Church.

In the event of this scenario, should the Church Council vote to reject the Discernment Team’s recommendation for Canterbury UMC to remain a local congregation of the United Methodist Church, then a church-wide vote would be scheduled for a later date to determine whether or not Canterbury UMC would remain a local congregation of the United Methodist Church or disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church.

b) SCENARIO 2: The Discernment Team recommends to the Church Council that Canterbury UMC should disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church and become an independent congregation or join another expression of Methodism.

In the event of this scenario, should the Church Council vote to accept the Discernment Team’s recommendation, then a vote of the entire congregation would be scheduled for a later date to determine whether or not Canterbury UMC would disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church.

In the event of this scenario, should the Church Council vote to reject the Discernment Team’s recommendation for disaffiliation then Canterbury UMC would remain a United Methodist congregation and a church-wide vote would not be necessary.

It is important to note that church-wide votes are only required by local congregations when a church is seeking to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. If the elected leadership of the local church (Church Council) votes in favor of a recommendation to remain a United Methodist Congregation, then a church-wide vote is not necessary as no change is being made.

5. How will the Discernment Team share the information they gather from the Discernment Dinners with the congregation as a whole?

The Discernment Team will remain committed to providing the congregation with up-to-date, relevant, and clear information as it becomes available. We remain committed to this along with full transparency throughout the discernment process.

As stated above, May 2023: Report information/data gathered at Discernment Dinners to congregation via email and mailer.

6. Isn’t the division all about LGBTQ+ full inclusion?

No. While the issue of LGBTQ+ inclusion is often in the headlines, this division has been building since the creation of the United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Church was formed in 1968, and in the first General Conference in 1972, struggles over power and control quickly became evident. These struggles have continued throughout our existence.

7. What can we do to be helpful to the Discernment Team?

Several things:

a) Pray for the Discernment Team as a group, and each individual on the team.

b) Pray for Canterbury, and pray that we may have the wisdom and courage to discern and be who God is calling us to be.

c) Become informed, not just by groups that you agree with, but truly informed, recognizing that human error and sin in the form of gossip and judgment often create pain and division.

d) Pray for our LGBTQ members, because they are in a place of feeling like the church is voting on whether they are welcome in this church.

e) Listen to people who think differently than you. This is how we grow in our understanding. The ability to respect people who think differently than we do is part of what makes a person and church strong and wise. When we can only listen to people we agree with, then we are often feeling insecure in our beliefs.

f) Pray for unity, not uniformity.

g) Pray that we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

___

North Alabama Conference FAQs

1. Are many churches in the North Alabama Conference leaving the UMC?

A Called Special Session of the North Alabama Conference was set for December 10, 2022, to process requests from congregations for disaffiliation through Discipline ¶2553. During this Called Special Session of the North Alabama Conference, 198 churches chose to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church, while 440 churches currently continue as United Methodist Churches. Another Called Special Session of the North Alabama Conference has been set for May 11, 2023, to process additional requests from congregations at that time, and a third special session could be called prior to the expiration of Discipline ¶2553 on December 31, 2023.

2. Are all the churches that are leaving joining the Global Methodist Church?

No. Some are joining other expressions of Methodism and some are becoming independent churches.

3. If a church decides to leave, is there a cost?

The simple answer is, yes. Each conference appears to be handling the cost of leaving differently. In the North Alabama Conference, a church needs to go through a discernment process, fund its unfunded pension liabilities, and pay its apportionments.

4. What decisions are being made within the North Alabama Conference at this time to insure a healthy environment for all churches?

The North Alabama Conference has committed to the following leading up to the 2024 General Conference:

a) We continue to follow our polity as defined in the Book of Discipline.

b) We will not demonize one another over differing beliefs.

c) We will never seek to punish or coerce, financially or otherwise, for a spirit-led decision to disaffiliate or remain.

d) We will respect existing convictions and views, including during the appointment process.

Here is a video that you may find helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCW60ZZ8P2E

___

The United Methodist Church worldwide FAQs

What is listed below is from an article entitled, Is the United Methodist Church Really…from the UMC.org website regarding The United Methodist Church worldwide…

Is the United Methodist Church Really….

1. Splitting at this time?

No. The term “split” applies when there is a negotiated agreement within the denomination to divide assets and resources. No such agreement has been made in The United Methodist Church. The earliest point at which such an agreement could be made would be at the next General Conference to be held in 2024.

A more accurate term, as suggested by the Rev. William Lawrence, retired dean of Perkins School of Theology and former member of the Judicial Council of The United Methodist Church, is “splintering.” What is happening is that some traditionalist leaders have decided to create their own denomination (the Global Methodist Church). Leaders of that denomination and other unofficial advocacy groups, such as the Wesleyan Covenant Association, which created it, are encouraging like-minded United Methodist congregations and clergy to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church and join their denomination instead.

2. Asking traditionalists to leave the denomination?

No. The requests for disaffiliations are coming largely from traditionalists. Keith Boyette, former president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association and now leader of the Global Methodist Church, describes the reasons he and other leaders are asking traditionalists to leave beginning at 13:32 in this video.

3. About to alter its doctrine to deny the virgin birth, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, or salvation through Christ alone?

No. All of these positions are bedrock in the doctrinal standards of The United Methodist Church, more specifically in the Articles of Religion and the Confession of Faith. These cannot be altered without a two-thirds vote of the General Conference followed by a three-fourths aggregate approval of all annual conferences of The United Methodist Church worldwide. There is no basis to conclude such majorities can be achieved to alter the Articles and Confession for any reason.

Here is what the Articles and Confession say on these matters. And will continue to say.

Virgin Birth and Divinity of Jesus
Articles of Religion, Article II:

“The Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man’s nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin.”

Confession of Faith, Article II:

“We believe in Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man, in whom the divine and human natures are perfectly and inseparably united. He is the eternal Word made flesh, the only begotten Son of the Father, born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Articles of Religion, Article III:

“Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man’s nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until he returns to judge all men at the last day.

Confession of Faith, Article II:

“Jesus Christ… was buried, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to be with the Father, from whence he shall return.”

Salvation apart from faith in Jesus Christ
Articles of Religion, Article IX:

“We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith.”

Confession of Faith, Article IX:

“We believe we are never accounted righteous before God through our works or merit, but that penitent sinners are justified or accounted righteous before God only by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

4. Intending to change the Bible?

No. The United Methodist Church has no official translation of the Bible and has never sought to alter the Bible at all. United Methodists have always had a variety of views about how to interpret specific passages of Scripture and likely always will.

5. Allowing congregations that exit the denomination to continue to offer the same pension and health benefits programs to their clergy and staff?

No. The Book of Discipline does not permit non-UMC entities to be plan sponsors of the Clergy Retirement Security Program. Only a General Conference can change this. Churches that disaffiliate will face changes to the benefits they can offer their clergy. Individual congregations and clergy that join the Global Methodist Church (GMC) will be eligible to participate in a retirement plan offered by the GMC, which will be a Wespath defined-contribution retirement plan similar to a United Methodist Personal Investment Plan (UMPIP).

Elders and deacons who withdraw under Discipline ¶360 will have all assets accrued in CRSP and previous programs in which they may have participated (defined benefit and defined contribution) converted into a cash equivalent and placed into their United Methodist Personal Investment Plan (UMPIP). Future retirement plan contributions may be made to the new retirement plan described above which, like UMPIP, is a personal retirement account subject to the effects of the stock market and other investments on its value.

Nor, at this time, is it possible for individual congregations (whether in the Global Methodist Church or in the UMC) to be plan sponsors for the HealthFlex health insurance programs Wespath offers unless a congregation has more than 50 eligible employees. United Methodist annual conferences are the plan sponsors for congregations with fewer than 50 eligible employees. This means individual congregations with fewer than 50 eligible employees currently participating in these programs that exit The United Methodist Church at this time can no longer offer these benefits to their clergy and employees effective with the date of disaffiliation. Clergy currently covered by HealthFlex, whether they disaffiliate or not, are eligible to continue on the health insurance plan by paying 100% of the costs themselves for up to 18 months. At that point, the HealthFlex plan is no longer available to them. Individual congregations and clergy who join the Global Methodist Church may participate in the health benefits selected by the Global Methodist Church, which may include HealthFlex.

December 15, 2022

Dear Canterbury Member,

Grace and Peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In our last email update, we shared that we would be following up this week with information about how you can sign up to attend one of the upcoming Discernment Dinners beginning in January 2023.

The Discernment Team’s goals in offering these dinners are:

• To break bread together as a community committed to Christ and His love.
• To hear your concerns about what is happening in the United Methodist Church.
• To hear your hopes for the kind of church Canterbury will be in the future.

Most of the dinners will take place in the homes of Canterbury members while a few will be offered on Sunday afternoons at the church. Each dinner will be two hours in length. If you are in need of childcare, please note that there are dinners where childcare will be provided onsite at Canterbury UMC. Please contact Selena Pitsch at 874-1546 or email selena.pitsch@canterburyumc.org to reserve a spot for your child.

In addition, we ask that you sign up for only one dinner. Space is limited and we are trying to hear from as many individuals as possible. If spaces fill up quickly, then we will schedule a few more Discernment Dinners in the future. Finally, one week prior to the dinner you sign up for, you will receive an email with detailed information regarding what all will occur at the dinner.

• SIGN UP for a dinner by clicking here.

In the meantime, should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email those to discernment@canterburyumc.org. Also, please continue to visit this page to stay up-to-date on the latest information from the Discernment Team.

We are grateful for the prayers this congregation has offered throughout the discernment process and are confident the Holy Spirit will continue to work in powerful ways at Canterbury UMC.

We pray that you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Discernment Team

December 11, 2022

On Saturday, December 10, the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church gathered at the BJCC for a special called Annual Conference. The purpose of the special called Annual Conference was to approve the disaffiliation of those churches who have already decided to leave the United Methodist Church. For those of us who have a long history in the United Methodist Church, this was a hard, emotional day, where we worshipped together, celebrated communion together, and then said goodbye to 198 churches that were formally a part of the North Alabama conference. Afterwards, the remaining 440 churches who are still a part of the North Alabama Conference focused our energies upon how we can best fulfill our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Our prayers are with all of the churches, for while we may not all agree on everything, we all are seeking to serve God in a faithful and genuine way as disciples of Jesus Christ.

November 17, 2022

UPDATED Canterbury Discernment Team FAQs

1. What is the Discernment Team doing?

2. Will the Discernment Team determine what Canterbury will do?

3. How will the voices of Canterbury members be heard?

A general timeline for the discernment process is provided below:

January – April 2023: Discernment Dinners

May 2023: Report information/data gathered at Discernment Dinners to congregation via email and mailer.

4. Will the congregation take a church-wide vote following the Discernment Team’s recommendation to the Church Council?

a) SCENARIO 1: The Discernment Team recommends to the Church Council that Canterbury UMC should remain a local congregation of the United Methodist Church.

5. How will the Discernment Team share the information they gather from the Discernment Dinners with the congregation as a whole?

Regarding the data that we gather from the Discernment Dinners, we will be using the following categories created by a three-member team of United Methodists who represent a progressive viewpoint, a centrist viewpoint and a traditionalist viewpoint. While the statements defining the categories below do not capture the full nuance of how individuals read, understand and interpret holy scripture, they are helpful in providing United Methodists some context as to how we individually interact with holy scripture.

As we get closer to Discernment Dinners, we strongly encourage you to read the statements aligned with each category below and prayerfully consider which one of these best describes how you read, understand and interpret the Gospel story. Again, these do not capture all the nuances perfectly so please prayerfully consider which one most closely describes you and how you approach scripture.

The categories are as follows:

Progressive Non-Compatibilists: “If others do not share my progressive view of this issue/scripture, I do not know if we can be in the same church. The practices and policies of every church in the denomination should align with my interpretation of scripture.”
Progressive Compatibilists: “If others can respect different views, including my progressive view of this issue/scripture, we can be in the same church. I can be in a denomination where the practices and policies of other churches may reflect different interpretations of scripture.”
Traditional Compatibilists: “If others can respect different views, including my traditional view of this issue/scripture, we can be in the same church. I can be in a denomination where the practices and policies of other churches may reflect different interpretations of scripture.”
Traditional Non-Compatibilists: “If others do not share my traditional view of this issue/scripture, I do not know if we can be in the same church. The practices and policies of every church in the denomination should align with my interpretation of scripture.”

6. Isn’t the division all about LGBTQ+ full inclusion?

7. What can we do to be helpful to the Discernment Team?

Several things:

a) Pray for the Discernment Team as a group, and each individual on the team.

b) Pray for Canterbury, and pray that we may have the wisdom and courage to discern and be who God is calling us to be.

c) Become informed, not just by groups that you agree with, but truly informed, recognizing that human error and sin in the form of gossip and judgment often create pain and division.

d) Pray for our LGBTQ members, because they are in a place of feeling like the church is voting on whether they are welcome in this church.

f) Pray for unity, not uniformity.

g) Pray that we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

___

North Alabama Conference FAQs

1. Are many churches in the North Alabama Conference leaving the UMC?

There are many churches in the discernment process, but being in the discernment process does not mean a church is leaving the UMC. The majority of churches that have announced they are leaving are small churches, though there are some large churches that have indicated they are leaving. Two examples of churches that are similar in size to Canterbury in the Birmingham area that have concluded their discernment processes are Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood, Alabama. Vestavia Hills UMC voted on Sunday, November 13, 2022, to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church and become an independent congregation while Trinity UMC’s Church Council voted on Monday, November 14, 2022, to remain a United Methodist congregation.

A Called Special Session of the North Alabama Conference has been set for December 10, 2022, to process current requests from congregations for disaffiliation, and we expect to receive the list of congregations requesting disaffiliation per Discipline ¶2553 in early December. Another Called Special Session of the North Alabama Conference has been set for May 11, 2023, to process additional requests from congregations at that time, and a third special session could be called prior to the expiration of Discipline ¶2553 on December 31, 2023.

2. Are all the churches that are leaving joining the Global Methodist Church?

No. Some are joining other expressions of Methodism and some are becoming independent churches.

3. If a church decides to leave, is there a cost?

4. What decisions are being made within the North Alabama Conference at this time to insure a healthy environment for all churches?

The North Alabama Conference has committed to the following leading up to the 2024 General Conference:

a) We continue to follow our polity as defined in the Book of Discipline.

b) We will not demonize one another over differing beliefs.

c) We will never seek to punish or coerce, financially or otherwise, for a spirit-led decision to disaffiliate or remain.

d) We will respect existing convictions and views, including during the appointment process.

Here is a video that you may find helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCW60ZZ8P2E

___

The United Methodist Church worldwide FAQs

What is listed below is from an article entitled, Is the United Methodist Church Really…from the UMC.org website regarding The United Methodist Church worldwide…

Is the United Methodist Church Really….

1. Splitting at this time?

2. Asking traditionalists to leave the denomination?

3. About to alter its doctrine to deny the virgin birth, the divinity of Jesus?

Christ, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, or salvation through Christ alone?
No. All of these positions are bedrock in the doctrinal standards of The United Methodist Church, more specifically in the Articles of Religion and the Confession of Faith. These cannot be altered without a two-thirds vote of the General Conference followed by a three-fourths aggregate approval of all annual conferences of The United Methodist Church worldwide. There is no basis to conclude such majorities can be achieved to alter the Articles and Confession for any reason.

Here is what the Articles and Confession say on these matters. And will continue to say.

Virgin Birth and Divinity of Jesus
Articles of Religion, Article II:

“The Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man’s nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin.”

Confession of Faith, Article II:

“We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith.”

Confession of Faith, Article IX:

4. Intending to change the Bible?

5. Allowing congregations that exit the denomination to continue to offer the same pension and health benefits programs to their clergy and staff?

October 26, 2022

Dear Fellow Canterburian,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

One of our most important goals as the Canterbury Discernment Team is to communicate what we have been doing as part of the discernment process. With this in mind, we wanted to provide all Canterburians with an overview of the work of the Canterbury Discernment Team through October 18, 2022.

The Discernment Team has met a total of nine times, with a tenth meeting scheduled for October 30. Most of these meetings lasted two hours or longer, and a brief description of each meeting is listed below. It is important to note that the Team is currently in the information-gathering phase. The purpose of this communication is to keep the congregation of Canterbury UMC informed and up-to-date on the workings of the Team. Please also note that speakers were scheduled as they were available, and some have not been available to date. As always, this update and the ones to follow are intended to provide transparency for what the Discernment Team has been discussing.

In addition to the meetings below, the Team is in constant communication via email and has also read three books together. Those books are highly recommended for the entire congregation and are listed here:

Discernment by Henri Nouwen
Not in It to Win It by Andy Stanley
For the Sake of the Bride by Steve Harper

March 17, 2022 Email and letter to congregation
The first letter to the congregation was sent on March 17, 2022. To view this letter, other communications, and the FAQs, which will be updated as more information is gathered, visit www.canterburyumc.org/discernment.

April 26, 2022 Meeting
This was an introduction meeting as most of the team only knew each other through membership at the Church. During this meeting, the Team agreed to put aside personal biases and views and to focus fully on allowing the Holy Spirit to guide it through whatever process was required. The scope of the project was presented as more than a year-long commitment. The Team also agreed to begin reading Discernment, by Henri Nouwen, at this time and put a plan together to ask a group of people to pray for each member of the Discernment Team. Ideally, each member of the Discernment Team would ask 12 additional people to be in prayer for the team.

May 16, 2022 Meeting
This was another clarifying meeting to narrow down the Team’s scope and a mission statement was written and agreed upon by the entire Team. The mission statement is as follows:
“The Discernment Team is asked to discern God’s will as to who Canterbury is called to be as disciples of Jesus Christ in a rapidly changing world and to propose recommendations for the future based upon a Spirit-led alignment of the Team.”
Additionally, the Team discussed Discernment and it was suggested that we next read Not in It to Win It, by Andy Stanley. The first letter to the congregation was drafted and the FAQ for the website was submitted.

June 13, 2022 Meeting
Bishop Mike Watson spoke to the group in person during this meeting, sharing scripture from John 17:20. He shared a great deal about the framework of the UMC and how we got to where we are as a denomination today.

July 11, 2022 Meeting
This was a general discussion meeting regarding the state of the UMC and especially the North Alabama Conference. The Team discussed the reasons some churches found for disaffiliation and reasons other churches found for staying in the UMC. The called session of the North Alabama Conference on December 10, 2022, was also discussed at this time. The Team felt strongly that it wanted to communicate to Canterbury that the reasons behind disaffiliation were not about one thing and that there was no pressure for Canterbury to act on any other group’s timeline.

July 25, 2022 Meeting
Chris Montgomery, Senior Pastor at Frazer Church in Montgomery, zoomed in for this meeting. Chris has been the Pastor at Frazer since 2020 and shared their reasons for disaffiliating and affiliating with the Free Methodist Church. Chris had previous ties with the Free Methodist Church, and now he is returning to that denomination. He shared scripture from Psalm 133 and that the guidelines for their decision were to honor Christ, respect everyone, and respect the trajectory of the UMC but to bow out with a humble spirit. Their stated intent was to leave in a respectful way.

August 7, 2022 Meeting
John Tanner, Senior Pastor at Cove Church in Huntsville, met with the team in person. John has been the Pastor at Cove for more than 25 years and shared that Cove started considering leaving in 2015 as they rebranded themselves as Cove Church rather than Cove UMC. After exploring both the Global Methodist Church (“GMC”) and the Free Methodist Church, neither seemed a good fit. Cove has currently voted to be “independent.”

August 8, 2022 Meeting
The Team sent a member to the Church Council meeting for a general update and decided it would be helpful to send a member to each Church Council meeting going forward.

September 18, 2022 Meeting
Individuals from Brentwood UMC’s Discernment Team zoomed in for this meeting. Brentwood’s Team was “ahead of the curve” in both its formation of a Discernment Team and reaching a decision, which was ultimately to remain UMC. The members on the zoom went through their process step-by-step and shared positives and negatives. To learn more about Brentwood UMC’s Discernment Process, please visit this link: https://bumc.net/discernment/. A framework for Dialogue Dinners/Listening Sessions began to take shape at this meeting. In addition to this, the Discernment Team started reading the book, For the Sake of the Bride.

September 25, 2022 Meeting
Lyle Holland, Senior Pastor at Cullman First UMC, zoomed in for this meeting. He discussed the reasons for launching the GMC with the Team and his reasons for being a part of that organization. He also discussed Cullman First’s discernment process.

October 2, 2022 Meeting
Debra Wallace-Padgett, Bishop for the North Alabama Conference and the Holston Conference of the UMC, joined in person for this meeting. The Bishop discussed the NAC3 Team and the reason for its formation, as well as 12 reasons for remaining within the UMC. The Bishop was extremely open to answering all questions posed by the Team and gracious with her time. To learn more about the NAC3 Team, please visit the following link: https://www.umcna.org/postdetail/16513389.

The Discernment Team has experienced healthy conversation and positive growth as a Christian community since the regular meetings began in the Spring. As the Discernment Team has continued gathering information, it has become increasingly apparent that for some members of Canterbury UMC there is a feeling of great uncertainty about the future in a rapidly changing world. With that uncertainty comes the opportunity for fear and for decisions to be made based on that fear. We encourage everyone to remember that Canterbury is a church that was created in love, by love, and for love, and that no one can make a decision about who we are or who we are going to be except for Canterbury. If you have questions for the Canterbury Discernment Team or about the Canterbury Discernment Process, please send them to the following email address: discernment@canterburyumc.org.

Going forward, the people of this church will have many opportunities to speak and to be heard, and we will continue to operate in good faith trusting those around us and assuming the very best of those around us. The Team feels that there is no need to rush toward any decision and that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide Canterbury as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Grace and Peace,

The Discernment Team

August 18, 2022

Fellow Canterburian,

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, from the Canterbury Discernment Team. As a part of our desire to communicate clearly with the congregation, we want to address some questions that have been shared with us. These questions fall into three categories: 1) What is the Discernment Team doing?, 2) What is happening in the North Alabama Conference?, and 3) What is happening in The United Methodist Church worldwide?

Discernment Team FAQs

1. What is the Discernment Team doing? Well, a lot. The Team meets once or twice a month, usually for a minimum of three hours at a time. The team is praying together, discussing scripture, reading books together, listening to people from different perspectives, talking with leaders throughout the broader Methodist Church, discussing ramifications of various decisions, making plans about best practices and processes, and most of all, seeking to discern God’s will for Canterbury. This is a group of people who are committed to putting aside their personal opinions as they seek to be guided by the Holy Spirit in the discernment process. The Discernment Team is searching for the answer that “seems good to the Holy Spirit and us” (Acts 15:28), and holds close to Jesus’ prayer for unity among his followers, which is different than uniformity (John 17). Like most spiritual pilgrimages, this is not a quick, obvious, or easy journey.

2. Will the Discernment Team determine what Canterbury will do? No. They will bring a recommendation that has prayerfully been discerned to the Church Council. The Church Council is the decision-making body of the church.

3. How will the voices of Canterbury members be heard? The current plan is to offer Dialogue Dinners and Listening Sessions that will begin in January 2023. There are over 4,000 members at Canterbury, so it may take a few months.

4. Isn’t the division all about LGBTQ+ full inclusion? No. While the issue of LGBTQ+ inclusion is often in the headlines, this division has been building since the creation of the United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Church was formed in 1968, and in the first General Conference in 1972, struggles over power and control quickly became evident. These struggles have continued throughout our existence.

5. What can we do to be helpful to the Discernment Team? Several things: 1) Pray for the Discernment Team as a group, and each individual on the team. 2) Pray for Canterbury, and pray that we may have the wisdom and courage to discern and be who God is calling us to be. 3) Become informed, not just by groups that you agree with, but truly informed, recognizing that human error and sin in the form of gossip and judgment often create pain and division. 4) Pray for our LGBTQ members, because they are in a place of feeling like the church is voting on whether they are welcome in this church. 5) Listen to people who think differently than you. This is how we grow in our understanding. The ability to respect people who think differently than we do is part of what makes a person and church strong and wise. When we can only listen to people we agree with, then we are often feeling insecure in our beliefs. 6) Pray for unity, not uniformity. 7) Pray that we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

North Alabama Conference FAQs

1. Are many churches in the North Alabama Conference leaving the UMC? There are many churches in the discernment process, but being in the discernment process does not mean a church is leaving the UMC. The majority of churches that have announced they are leaving are small churches, though there are a couple of large churches that have indicated they are leaving.

2. Are all the churches that are leaving joining the Global Methodist Church? No. Some are joining other denominations, like Free Methodists, and some are becoming independent churches.

3. If a church decides to leave, is there a cost? The simple answer is, yes. Each conference appears to be handling the cost of leaving differently. In the North Alabama Conference, a church needs to go through a discernment process, fund its unfunded pension liabilities, and pay its apportionments.

4. What decisions are being made within the North Alabama Conference at this time to insure a healthy environment for all churches? The North Alabama Conference has committed to the following leading up to the 2024 General Conference: 1) We continue to follow our polity as defined in the Book of Discipline. 2) We will not demonize one another over differing beliefs. 3) We will never seek to punish or coerce, financially or otherwise, for a spirit-led decision to disaffiliate or remain. 4) We will respect existing convictions and views, including during the appointment process. Here is a video that you may find helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCW60ZZ8P2E.

The United Methodist Church worldwide FAQs

What is listed below is from an article entitled, Is the United Methodist Church Really…from the UMC.org website regarding The United Methodist Church worldwide…

Is the United Methodist Church Really….

1. Splitting at this time?
No. The term “split” applies when there is a negotiated agreement within the denomination to divide assets and resources. No such agreement has been made in The United Methodist Church. The earliest point at which such an agreement could be made would be at the next General Conference to be held in 2024.
A more accurate term, as suggested by the Rev. William Lawrence, retired dean of Perkins School of Theology and former member of the Judicial Council of The United Methodist Church, is “splintering.” What is happening is that some traditionalist leaders have decided to create their own denomination (the Global Methodist Church). Leaders of that denomination and other unofficial advocacy groups, such as the Wesleyan Covenant Association, which created it, are encouraging like-minded United Methodist congregations and clergy to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church and join their denomination instead.

2. Asking traditionalists to leave the denomination?
No. The requests for disaffiliations are coming largely from traditionalists. Keith Boyette, former president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association and now leader of the Global Methodist Church, describes the reasons he and other leaders are asking traditionalists to leave beginning at 13:32 in this video.

3. About to alter its doctrine to deny the virgin birth, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, or salvation through Christ alone?
No. All of these positions are bedrock in the doctrinal standards of The United Methodist Church, more specifically in the Articles of Religion and the Confession of Faith. These cannot be altered without a two-thirds vote of the General Conference followed by a three-fourths aggregate approval of all annual conferences of The United Methodist Church worldwide. There is no basis to conclude such majorities can be achieved to alter the Articles and Confession for any reason.

Here is what the Articles and Confession say on these matters. And will continue to say.

Virgin Birth and Divinity of Jesus
Articles of Religion, Article II:
“The Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man’s nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin.”

Confession of Faith, Article II:
“We believe in Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man, in whom the divine and human natures are perfectly and inseparably united. He is the eternal Word made flesh, the only begotten Son of the Father, born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Articles of Religion, Article III:
Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man’s nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until he returns to judge all men at the last day.

Confession of Faith, Article II:
“Jesus Christ… was buried, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to be with the Father, from whence he shall return.”

Salvation apart from faith in Jesus Christ
Articles of Religion, Article IX:
“We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith.”

Confession of Faith, Article IX:
“We believe we are never accounted righteous before God through our works or merit, but that penitent sinners are justified or accounted righteous before God only by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

4. Intending to change the Bible?
No. The United Methodist Church has no official translation of the Bible and has never sought to alter the Bible at all. United Methodists have always had a variety of views about how to interpret specific passages of Scripture and likely always will.

5. Allowing congregations that exit the denomination to continue to offer the same pension and health benefits programs to their clergy and staff?
No. The Book of Discipline does not permit non-UMC entities to be plan sponsors of the Clergy Retirement Security Program. Only a General Conference can change this. Churches that disaffiliate will face changes to the benefits they can offer their clergy. Individual congregations and clergy that join the Global Methodist Church (GMC) will be eligible to participate in a retirement plan offered by the GMC, which will be a Wespath defined-contribution retirement plan similar to a United Methodist Personal Investment Plan (UMPIP).

In the meantime, may all that we do for Canterbury be to the honor and glory of God.

Yours in Christ,

March 17, 2022

Canterbury Member,

Greetings in the name of Almighty God, peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ, and blessings upon you during Holy Week.

In the midst of challenging decisions, we often long for the wisdom of King Solomon. In 1 Kings 3, newly anointed King Solomon goes up to a high place and makes an offering to God, and in response, God invites Solomon to ask for whatever he wants. Imagine the temptations in such an invitation from God. Ask for whatever you want. God presents Solomon with an open invitation to search through the endless list of things he wants and choose the one he wants most. It could be immense power, unlimited wealth, endless health, wanting a major event to go our way, seeking the downfall of our enemy, or maybe world peace. Solomon asks for none of these things. What he asks for is wisdom and discernment. God is so impressed by Solomon’s request, God not only grants his request, but blesses him with much more.

Wisdom and discernment are at the top of our prayer requests at Canterbury as we seek to discern who God is calling our church to be in the future. To that end, not only are we asking God for such gifts, but we have put together a team of people who are focused on wise and faithful discernment. As I shared with you a couple of weeks ago, our Church Council approved the formation of a twelve-person Discernment Team. This team will consist of eleven Canterbury members, each of whom we believe has the gift of discernment, and me. Canterbury joins Trinity UMC, Asbury UMC, and Bluff Park UMC in following this model. Each has formed Discernment Teams, in part, to address concerns regarding the likelihood of division in the United Methodist Church. Here are the members of the Discernment Team at Canterbury (in alphabetical order):

1. Leon Ashford

2. Lisa Donnell

3. Elizabeth Dunn

4. Leigh King Forstman

5. Walter Little

6. Lee Mallette

7. Alan Martin

8. Neal NeSmith

9. Bryan Paul

10. Zac Riddle

11. Keith Thompson

12. Callie Whatley

In addition to this group, Yancey Trucks has agreed to serve as the Facilitator of the Discernment Team. The team will begin meeting soon, and often.

I am deeply grateful to each individual who is making a sacrificial commitment of time in the midst of their already busy lives due to their love for this church and their devotion to Christ. The primary question that will be before them, and the church as a whole, is “Who is God calling us to be as a church?” Our discernment regarding the answer to this question will greatly determine our answers to many of the other questions that are facing our church now and in the future. As challenging as this journey may be, I also believe that this process offers great hope for our church.

In future communications regarding the discernment process, we will share with you a number of opportunities for members of the congregation to learn, share thoughts, and join in the discernment process. For the immediate future, I ask each of you to stop and say a prayer for this team, a prayer for wisdom and discernment. Solomon teaches us that such a prayer is pleasing to God.

If you have questions about Canterbury’s discernment process, please feel free to send those to the following email address: discernment@canterburyumc.org. We will answer your questions as quickly as possible.

Thank you all for your faithful and committed life as a follower of Jesus. I look forward to seeing you throughout Holy Week.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Keith Thompson

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