Central Wesleyan Movement

03/30/2023

This was posted yesterday on the Central United Methodist Church website. Passing it on in case you haven't seen or read this communication.

March 29, 2023

Dear Church Family,

As was mentioned in the email sent out earlier this week, Bishop Laura Merrill has appointed Rev. Jennie Williams to be the Lead Pastor here at Central beginning July 1. Rev. Williams will be transitioning from her role as Lead Pastor at Elm Springs UMC where she has been serving since 2020. She and her husband, Brandon, have two children, Clarke (8) and Ellis (6). I know you’ll want to join me in welcoming Pastor Jennie to Central. If you wish to send her a word of welcome, encouragement, or congratulations you may reach her at [email protected]. Rev. Williams joins Central in the midst of a unique transition in the life of our church, and we, as a church family, certainly want to lift her and her family up in prayer during this season.

Speaking of transition, two informational meetings provided for in the Amicable Reconciliation and Separation Agreement adopted by the Charge Conference have now been scheduled. Depending on
your schedule and preferences you may wish to attend one or both sessions.

The first session will be held on Monday, April 10 at 6:00 p.m. in the Activities Center and will provide an opportunity to learn more about the formation of the new Christ Church, an independent, non-denominational church that will be launching this summer under the leadership of Central’s current pastoral team. I will be leading this session and will share the mission, vision, and core values for Christ Church, as well as the timeline for its launch and related details.

The second session will be held on Thursday, April 13 at 6:00 p.m. in the Activities Center and will provide an opportunity to learn more about the continuing Central UMC. Information shared will
include the new pastoral leadership, lay leadership, financial and staffing update, and how the interim period from May 15-June 30 will be handled. Central’s Lay Leader, Chuck Culver, will be leading this session and we anticipate hearing a word from Rev. Williams as she prepares to join Central in a few short months.

Please be in prayer for Central in the weeks to come as everyone discerns where God might be leading them. I truly believe that this Amicable Reconciliation and Separation agreement is a way for the
Kingdom to be multiplied, not divided, and I trust that God’s Holy Spirit will be at work in all three churches – Central, Christ Church, and Genesis – in the years to come. God bless, and I hope to see you here for services on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter!

Together on the Journey,

Rev. Carness Vaughan
Senior Pastor

03/09/2023

https://centraltolife.com/amicable-separation-agreement-genesis-property-conveyance/

Click on the link above and then click on the video from our Senior Pastor Carness Vaughan regarding the Amicable Separation Agreement & Genesis Property Conveyance.

Sunday9 a.m. Contemporary Service - Central's Activities Center10 a.m. Sunday School Hour11 a.m. Classic Service - Sanctuary

02/27/2023

2-23-23

Dear Central Family,

Earlier this evening a joint meeting was held between the Church Council and the Board of Trustees to discuss two important developments that have been occurring over the last couple of months. As you are aware, our discernment process has been on pause since December 29 at the behest of the NW District Superintendent (DS) until we could work through issues related to our Genesis campus. Those issues have led to an opportunity to bless and support Genesis Church’s desire to spin off from Central and become its own congregation. The Board of Trustees have recommended selling the property to Genesis for $1 so that they can continue to use their resources for the needs of the Kingdom in South Fayetteville and not be encumbered by any debt. The DS and the Annual Conference are supportive of this, as were those present tonight. It will be voted on at a called Charge Conference that has been scheduled for Sunday, March 5th, at 5:00 p.m.

In the midst of that pause, some conversations began regarding the discernment process as a whole and whether there might be a willingness to consider some sort of resolution that didn’t require a churchwide vote where one side “wins” and one side “loses.” The reality is that no one wins with the disaffiliation vote. Regardless of the outcome, many members of Central would feel disenfranchised. Even if Central reached the required 2/3 threshold required to disaffiliate at a Church Conference, the Arkansas Annual Conference would still need to ratify the disaffiliation at a special Annual Conference in May. There is great uncertainty whether that would happen, given the outcome of the previous Annual Conference in November where three of the four largest churches on the list were denied the ability to disaffiliate. If that were to occur, Central would be left with the likelihood of possibly protracted and costly litigation or, for those who desire, to leave Central and form a new church.

With these options before us, leaders of our two advocacy groups met with the Senior Pastor Rev. Carness Vaughan and the Chair of our Board of Trustees, Brock Gearhart, to attempt to come up with a solution. Over a period of weeks and multiple conversations with the leadership of the groups, the advocacy groups as a whole, as well as with our District Superintendent and Bishop, they have collectively put together an “Amicable Reconciliation and Separation Agreement.” This agreement was the other item discussed tonight at the meeting and also received wide support. It will be voted on at that same March 5 Charge Conference. In broad terms, this agreement allows for Central to remain a United Methodist congregation on Dickson Street while blessing and financially assisting the launch of a new evangelical independent Wesleyan congregation elsewhere in Fayetteville. As part of the agreement, those who plan to join the new church will be replaced on our various boards and committees by persons who plan to remain at Central. The new Staff-Parish Relations Committee would work with the Bishop and DS to provide for appropriate pastoral leadership for Central, while the current pastors would leave to be a part of the new launch.

The March 5 Charge Conference will be open for all church members to attend virtually in our overflow rooms on the first floor of the Wesley Building. Only members of the Church Council will have voice and vote at the Charge Conference. If you have any questions or need more information, feel free to reach out to Central’s Executive Director Brian Swain ([email protected]), Senior Pastor Carness Vaughan ([email protected]) or Board of Trustee Chair Brock Gearhart ([email protected]). Once the Charge Conference has completed their work, you will receive a full update from our Senior Pastor and our District Superintendent or Conference official on implications moving forward. Please continue to be in prayer for our church in the days to come.

In Christ,
Central CUMC Executive Team

02/22/2023

https://wesleyancovenant.org/2023/02/20/setting-the-record-straight-no-trust-clause-in-the-gmc/

By Rev. Jay Therrell February 21, 2023 Last month I wrote an article about how “misinformation” is the new buzzword. In the article I said the following, “[The definition of misinformation], according to Merriam-Webster, is quite simple: ‘incorrect or misleading information.’ What I’ve b...

02/14/2023

https://wesleyancovenant.org/2023/02/13/the-excitement-of-orthodoxy-the-boredom-of-progressivism/

By Rev. Jay Therrell February 14, 2023 Part of my role as president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association includes staying abreast of the ever-changing news cycle inside The United Methodist Church. I attempt to follow everything so I can continually offer the best guidance to churches and clergy nav...

01/24/2023

https://wesleyancovenant.org/2023/01/23/the-new-buzzword-misinformation

By Rev. Jay Therell January 24, 2023 On December 28, 2022, during a time when many churches, their pastors, and staffs were taking time off after a busy Christmas and Advent season, the outgoing bishop of the North Georgia Annual Conference, Sue Haupert-Johnson, announced she was “pausing” the d...

01/23/2023

https://juicyecumenism.com/2023/01/17/why-united-methodist-tolerance-of-conservatives-will-be-impossible/

The picture tells it all.

Three important reasons why United Methodist tolerance of conservatives who remain in the denomination is becoming impossible.

01/18/2023

https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgoodnewsmag.org%2Fthe-time-is-now%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cbruce%40jerhrgroup.com%7Cf753cb4d9f6d45af084808daf999ead7%7C9ad771bc846c4e8da60d9c440aade90e%7C0%7C0%7C638096736723205508%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Me3WAqIIRtHXUaBobFfXLHk%2Bkvk%2B21MDuibXn%2B4XlZY%3D&reserved=0

By Rob Renfroe --

01/16/2023

Below is an excerpt from today's Daily Article by Dr. Jim Denison and we all need to be about the below as courageous Christians!

"Praying through Open Windows"

Consequently, this day calls Christians to prophetic courage. We are to be as bold in declaring and defending biblical morality as Dr. King was in declaring and defending biblical equality.

We need more John the Baptists speaking truth to the King Herods of our day, whatever the cost to ourselves (Matthew 14:4). We need more Daniels praying through open windows whatever the threat to our future (Daniel 6:10).

We must do so in the humility that recognizes we need the same grace that we are offering to our nation. As Pope St. Clement I wrote to the Corinthians, “We are not justified by our wisdom, intelligence, piety, or by any action of ours, however holy, but by faith, the one means by which God has justified men from the beginning. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

And we can stand in bold confidence that embraces this moment as ours. We are cultural missionaries to where we are and to when we are. God has called us to the challenges and opportunities of this day. We can therefore claim this truth as ours: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

01/13/2023

Below read the most recent communication sent out by our church.

Dear Central Family,

We recognize that our church family has many questions regarding the recent pause of our Discernment Process by the District Superintendent. We want you to know that your church staff and officers are working diligently on this matter to enable our process to resume and move forward to completion. We ask for your prayers for guidance, direction, and provision for our church in this season.

In December 2022, Genesis campus pastor sent an annual update to approximately 100 families who regularly attend Genesis outlining his vision and hopes for the church in 2023 and beyond. This letter included a reference to his hopes that Genesis would become an independent non-denominational church. The District Superintendent believes this has created a conflict of interest in our Discernment Process voting for persons who regularly attend Genesis Church and are members of Central.

Recently, some of our senior staff and leadership met with the District Superintendent (DS). The DS expressed his support for Central to initiate a process to explore assisting Genesis Church to become independent allowing Genesis to realize the vision that had been in place since the new church was launched and that had continued to be part of the plans along the journey. We recognize that many within our church were unaware of these plans and were this situation happening under normal conditions it would have been rolled out in a more orderly and sensitive manner for Central. We apologize to you all that this is not the case.

For enhanced perspective on Genesis Church, in 2014, Central was asked by the Arkansas Conference to consider taking over ownership of the property of the former Wiggins Memorial UMC in south Fayetteville. After agreements were reached by both Wiggins and Central to do so, Central assumed ownership of the property and provided resources to renovate the facilities leading to the launch of a new ministry that became Genesis Church.

From the beginning, the intentions of Central’s leadership were to shepherd the new church while also working to enable it to move toward a time when it could stand on its own. Over these last eight years, many individuals and families have engaged in the ministry and life of Genesis Church without actually joining the church because membership itself has not been a point of emphasis. In fact, only three people have joined the church through the Genesis Church campus in the past few years. Persons who attend Genesis and are members, are technically members of Central UMC. Genesis Church does not have a separate membership roll but does maintain a list of regular attenders.

In 2017, Central took steps to transition Genesis Church to become more autonomous. These included establishing a separate bank account and budget for Genesis finances and creating a governance structure for Genesis that included an Advisory Council, Finance Committee, and Personnel Committee to oversee the day-to-day activities of the church.

In late 2019 and early 2020, the church’s Executive Team was working on formalizing a plan to present to the Central UMC family to allow Genesis Church to become its own entity, but those plans were paused due to the pandemic. Those discussions resumed in 2022, but again were paused due to Central’s Discernment Process.

In summary, we find ourselves in a situation in which our Conference and District Officials have directed that we must remedy this situation before being able to proceed with our discernment process. Accordingly, our Board of Trustees will be meeting next week to begin discussions about Genesis Church and its future with Central United Methodist. This may involve a variety of measures that the Board of Trustees will consider in their role as stewards of our property. There is no timeline being placed on their work, and we anticipate that the church family will have an opportunity to speak into that process in the weeks ahead. We will provide additional updates as warranted.

In closing, we would ask you to refrain from any placement of blame upon Rev. Farrell for the development of this situation. He certainly had no malicious intent in his communication to Genesis Church families in December. Our prayer is that the church will approach what is before us in a Christ-like manner.

In His Service,

Central UMC Church Council

01/06/2023

https://us4.campaign-archive.com/?e=32da881ea3&u=0a1d9b66d3ebdd467a1383ba1&id=17bf259b6a

Another great article worth reading and we need to help our young adults to hear and see God's hope for them and the value of life.

There is no more common and “sunshine” greeting at the New Year than to say to someone, “Happy New Year!” But, this is clearly more aspirational than descriptive of how Americans actually feel about the upcoming year. For example, a recent Pew Research Center Survey revealed a growing pessim...

01/05/2023

https://timothytennent.com/umc-churches-and-disaffiliation/?utm_source=Timothy+Tennent+Blog&utm_campaign=17bf259b6a-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7bbf6bd230-17bf259b6a-333687527

Great and short blog by Timothy Tennent about where we are in the United Methodist denomination.

This is a momentous time for thousands of United Methodist Churches across the world who are contemplating disaffiliating from an increasingly wayward denomination. Faithful churches have worked tirelessly for decades to prevent the demise of historic faith in the United Methodist Church. Despite th...