The Discernment Period has Ended
Our intentional period of discernment has come to an end, and a vote for disaffiliation has been scheduled for Sunday, November 11, 2022 immediately following the 10:30 AM worship service.
The formal resolution before the Church Conference may be accessed here.
Websites
First United Methodist Church of Wharton is currently in the midst of a 40-day period of intentional discernment regarding the future of this congregation. As part of our discernment, we each agree to study the many options available to our congregation with an open heart and an open mind. To assist with this process, we have created this page to distribute educational materials.
- The United Methodist Church
- The Global Methodist Church
- The Free Methodist Church
- The Congregational Methodist Church
- What should United Methodist congregations know about disaffiliation?, provided by the United Methodist Church
- Navigating the Waters, provided by the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
- Is the United Methodist Church Really ... ?, provided by the United Methodist Church
Governing Documents
- 2016 Book of Discipline, 2016 Book of Resolutions, & 2016 Book of Discipline Errata, provided by The United Methodist Publishing House
- Transitional Book of Doctrines & Discipline, provided by The Global Methodist Church
- 2019 Book of Discipline, provided by The Free Methodist Church
- Our Heritage, Position, Uniqueness, Mission, & Doctrine, provided by the Congregational Methodist Church
Printed Materials
- Resource Packet from That We May Be One, a group advocating for inclusion of traditionalists and progressives within the United Methodist Church.
- Why the Rush to Disaffiliate, provided by That We May Be One.
- Comparison Chart of Methodist Doctrine, provided by That We May Be One
- Who We Are, provided by The Global Methodist Church
- Our Values, provided by The Global Methodist Church
- Pathways, provided by The Global Methodist Church
- Global Diversity, provided by The Global Methodist Church
- Faith Formation, provided by The Global Methodist Church
- Missional Priorities, provided by The Global Methodist Church
- Organizational Distinctives, provided by The Global Methodist Church
- Sacred Sexuality: An Official Position Paper, provided by The Free Methodist Church
Videos
- Navigating the Waters Webinar, May 10, 2022, with Bishop Scott Jones, provided by the Texas Annual Conference
- #BeUMC, provided by the United Methodist Church
- Who is the United Methodist Church?, provided by the Future Discernment Task Force
- Who We Are, provided by the Global Methodist Church
- Who is the Global Methodist Church, provided by the Future Discernment Task Force
- The Free Methodist Way, provided by The Free Methodist Church
- What are options for affiliating other than the UMC and the GMC?, provided by the Future Discernment Task Force
Event Recordings
Recordings of live events held as part of the discernment process will be posted here.
- Future Discernment Task Force Meeting. This recording is from the District Meeting held in the Northwest District. It is the same agenda as the meeting held in Katy for the Southwest District.
- A Future with Hope, Live Event held at Chapelwood UMC on Sunday, July 31 featuring Rev. Adam Hamilton and a Clergy Panel Discussion.
Personal Perspectives
*IMPORTANT NOTE: The resources provided in this section are the personal perspectives of the individuals who have published them. It is important to note that although personal perspectives can be helpful in understanding differing viewpoints, they are written out of opinion and therefore can sometimes be unintentionally misleading if viewed as statements of fact, particularly with regard to viewpoints or institutions other than those of the author.
- Why we are staying in the UMC, provided by Church of the Resurrection
- Diverse & Still United: A Conversation with Adam Hamilton & John Stephens, provided by St. John's United Methodist Church in Lubbock, TX
- That Time Has Come!, an article by Dr. Bob Hayes, Bishop in Residence, The Woodlands United Methodist Church
- The United Methodist Church is Divided and Dividing, provided by Good News
- Our Differences Regarding the Bible, provided by Good News
- Our Differences Regarding Jesus, provided by Good News
- Our Differences Regarding Sexuality, provided by Good News
- Why It's Time for Traditionalists to Leave, provided by Good News
- Where Should We Go?, provided by Good News