After split, more changes coming to Methodist community

For Deandra and Greg Chlystun of Marion, choosing to leave their church after their congregation voted to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church was not an easy decision. It took research and a deep evaluation of what religion means to their family.

After reading books on theology, talking with pastors and visiting several churches, the Chlystuns decided their faith included inclusivity. Being members of a congregation that had cemented restrictions on LGBTQ laypeople and same-sex marriage did not reflect that value.

“They say they're welcoming, but then there's that ‘but’ — ‘But, you can't express your love in the way that you need to do so,’” Deandra said. “We just didn't feel comfortable bringing somebody into that, and we wanted a church that reflected the full diversity of God's creativity.”

In May, 83 churches in Iowa voted to disaffiliate from the United Methodist denomination, citing disagreements over LGBTQ inclusivity and other matters in the church community. That constituted about 11 percent of the 750 or so United Methodist churches in the state.

There had been growing conflicts among various factions of the United Methodist Church over the past several years, and this decision was a manifestation of multiple disagreements regarding interpretation of faith.

While the topic of disaffiliation was a controversial one — and has been for years — the Chlystuns said they did not leave their previous church with any animosity. Deandra said her previous pastor invited the couple back at any time, and the process of finding a new church has been positive.

“I thought it was handled very professionally,” Greg said. “I think our pastor really prepared us well for this, and wanted it very open and respectful. He really went out of his way to try and do that, and that's the way it really came off.”

The Chlystuns ultimately decided to switch churches and become members at St. Paul’s United Methodist, which has a reputation for its inclusive community. In 2022, the Cedar Rapids church became one of the first United Methodist churches in Iowa to vote to permit same-sex marriages in their space.

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The ‘Oasis Network’

After the disaffiliation was announced, churches in Iowa remaining affiliated wanted to provide a space for those who wish to remain a part of the United Methodist Church.

Inspired and expanded upon by work done in the Texas and the Dakotas United Methodist Conferences, several churches in Iowa have joined the Oasis Network. The Oasis Network is an organization of United Methodist churches that are actively welcoming individuals who are looking for a new congregation after their previous church decided to disaffiliate. St. Paul’s United Methodist is one of two churches in Cedar Rapids to be a part of the network.

Jonathan Heifner, the recently-appointed lead pastor at St. Paul’s, said several new members have joined the church since the disaffiliation, and a number of people have come to visit the space when exploring where they want to worship.

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“We are a part of that network, which is essentially to be a place of healing and a place for reflection and conversation and hospitality,” Heifner said. “It’s for those who are looking for a place to go after they've been displaced.”

Heifner said there are more churches in the Cedar Rapids area that are looking to join the network. There are a total of 19 churches in Iowa that are currently members, with opportunities for more to join upon request if certain criteria — including church approval, online training and a willingness to designate resources for potential new members — are met.

Despite the tension associated with the topic of disaffiliation, Heifner said congressional members choosing to switch churches do not do so with negativity. Aligning with the Chlystuns experience, Heifner said that “things were done amicably.”

“I don't think that people are coming in a high state of turmoil,” Heifner said. ”That's the story that gets to me. I believe it to be true.”

The disaffiliation has impacted more than congressional members, however. Heifner said across congregations, losing connection with various church leaders who chose to disaffiliate from United Methodist has been strange.

“I don’t know exactly what I feel about it,” Heifner said. “I'm assuming that everyone's in a place they're a little more comfortable with, but our relationships have changed, and that doesn't come with an easy explanation of what that all means and how that affects all of us.”

Future disaffiliation and lingering friction

Tom Shinkle, the lead pastor at Grand View Methodist in Dubuque, expressed a similar sentiment from the perspective of a church that voted to disaffiliate. While Grand View had a fairly streamlined path to disaffiliation, Shinkle said he has heard negative experiences from other congregations.

Shinkle said there were a few restrictions set in place by the United Methodist Church regarding who could formally present on the topic of disaffiliation with the goals of curbing misinformation. Shinkle said these rules regarding who could visit churches to present limited the information available to several congregations.

“There were some decisions and some actions that were taken by the bishop and leaders that made me sad,” Shinkle said. “There's a string of broken churches across the state because there has been some heavy handed tactics.”

In November, there will be a second opportunity for additional churches to vote and disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. Shinkle estimated a minimum of 25 more churches in Iowa may disaffiliate during that session.

According to Shinkle, disaffiliation has not impacted worship or activities hosted before splitting, which was made official July 1. Shinkle said that was an intentional decision.

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While some United Methodist churches in Iowa are shifting to accept new members and taking on new roles, some of the churches that voted to disaffiliate are trying to minimize change for congressional members.

“It is not this whole ‘it's a brand-new day’ and ‘we're free, at last free at last’ — that's just not the way we looked at this,” Shinkle said. “Our name is going to change, and our connection to the denomination is going to change. We just got a tweak to our name and the organization that we're a part of.”

Comments: jami.martin-trainor@thegazette.com