Altho not recently discussed on MN, there’s been ample reporting on both Methodist and Baptist formal splits. (Esp in the U.S.)
Formerly on MN, MCUSA division was discussed. viewtopic.php?t=4786
This report includes related facts, not just about Estonia:
Estonian churches leave United Methodist fold
https://www.umnews.org/en/news/estonian ... odist-fold
Key points:
Churches in the nation of Estonia have completed the needed steps to leave The United Methodist Church.
The churches are forming their own denomination, the Estonia Methodist Church.
United Methodists in the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference met earlier this year to approve a process allowing the churches to disaffiliate.
Already, United Methodist and Estonian Methodist leaders have signed an agreement of mutual recognition.
.. In 2019, General Conference — the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly — approved a policy that allows churches to leave with property “for reasons of conscience” related to homosexuality if they meet certain procedural and financial obligations.
Since the church law took effect, nearly 6,000 United Methodist churches in the United States, about 20% of U.S. churches, have received the required approvals to disaffiliate. But that policy — the Book of Discipline’s Paragraph 2553 — only applies in the U.S. and is set to expire at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Estonian United Methodists have expressed deep concern with the direction they see the denomination heading with regards to homosexuality. Last year, Estonian church members supported a resolution expressing their desire to separate from the denomination. ..
Loads is happening, in churches, schools, in courts. Roe vs Wade, now Affirmative Action in colleges.
Large scale lib social engineering experiments have been attempted and tried for some decades. Some poor outcomes are being addressed.
(imho) all experiments should include room for evaluation, exit strategies, and end dates. minimum.
too much is passed as law of the land prematurely, honestly, it’s common knowledge, lawmakers often “rubber stamp” law -
WITHOUT READING. What is their job description, if not to READ and THINK?! A child could rubber stamp, and have fun doing so.
“From where i sit,” an unknowing teen in the 1960’s, not knowing what on earth to think, witnessing noisy “certainty” about right+wrong, now decades later witnessing some important “mitigation of damages” attempted. In my lifetime.
So much of it boils down to:
pastors should not lead their flocks to seek after government for answers. #1 1960’s failure.
This was the root failure that opened doors to so much destruction, particularly of traditional families and churches.
(For my own sanity i have to believe) they did not know what they were doing, i.e., the consequences.