06/09/2026
For several years the people of Axley's Chapel have attempted to exit the UMC. This has included multiple processes that were started and stopped by the UMC. The people of Axley's Chapel have held meetings, filled out forms, made fee deposits, communicated with previous and current District Superintendents. We corresponded with the conference Trustees in an effort to purchase the property and continue as an independent church. The people of Axley's have worked to resolve this in a manner consistent with held beliefs and Christian actions. It has been made clear through legal letters citing case law from the conference that ownership of the property does not belong to those who have supported it and stewarded it for over 200 years but it belongs to the conference. This was made clear as the officials of the church were told to turn in the keys and the deed to the church.
It is not a function of appointment it is a reality that the people who are the church are not being considered in a simple transaction and will follow the directive given to them to turn over keys to the buildings as they seek to worship independently of the conference and UMC.