Earlier this year The United Methodist Church (UMC) lost more than a million members in a single day. A large West African conference voted to leave the organization due to its acceptance of LGBT clergy and marriages. The African EMUCI said the church “deviates from the Holy Scriptures” and would rather “sacrifice its honor and integrity to honor the LGBTQ community.”
EMCUI’s decision comes in response to the U.S.-based UMC’s vote in May to repeal the decades-long ban on LGBT clergy and marriages. This sparked a mass exit of congregations around the world. The controversial decision was passed 692-51 at its general conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Korean Methodist Church is also eyeing the door.
The Korean Church has around 1.5 million members who said “Homosexuality cannot be accepted until the Lord returns. This is not an emotional issue but a matter of unchangeable truth. Homosexuality is clearly a sin,” they went on to say. “This is an issue concerning the sanctity of life that the church must teach correctly, without compromise.”
The massive decline in membership has led to financial issues. The United Methodist Church is struggling with budget cuts as thousands leave due to progressive policies. In order to right the ship, Bishops agreed to a spending plan on Dec. 11 that did not include a pay raise. The number of active bishops has decreased from 39 to 32 and most of them now lead more than one conference. The board did approve a one-time bonus for office staff.
The board approved a one-time grant of $20,000 to each of the 15 U.S. episcopal areas where the church was forced to consolidate. This will help the staff that may have been laid off. The total of these funds will be $300,000. None of this money will go to individual bishops but to their organizations to help with the transition between jobs.
Rev. Moses Kumar, top executive of the General Council on Finance and Administration, told the board, “Let us be purposeful that mission drives finance.” He commanded the board for the long hours they spent reviewing the spending plans. “May our collective efforts be blessed as we embark on this new quadrennium with hope and conviction,” he concluded.
This year’s budget has been especially difficult. Roughly a quarter of U.S. churches have disaffiliated. This spending plan was historically low. The 2025 total was between $353.6 million and $373.4 million. The four-year budget represents about a 40% reduction of the previous denominational budget that the General Conference passed in 2016.
The most painful part of the process for the UMC was been the fact that many office workers would need to be let go. “When we talk about the office allowance, I want to make sure that everyone understands that we’re talking about people,” the Rev. Sheila Ahler told the finance agency board. “Any time you have a merger, there is always a reduction somewhere in staff, and that’s difficult,” she said. “And it’s especially difficult whenever it’s the bishops’ staff and the staff has been with the bishop for years.”
