re: United Methodist Church special session this week

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I live in Mississippi and 5 churches have exited the conference already. Two large churches in the northern part of the state and were allowed to leave by paying one year's apportionment. Apparently, they held some pretty large debt and the conference didn't want that burden. One in Meridian, the DS basically told the majority wanting to leave had them hand over the keys to the property to the smaller group that stayed. In Louisville, two churches are meeting in the same building. Currently, waiting on a court to decide who gets the building; the older group that left (pastor denounced his membership in the Methodist Conference) or the small group that stayed. Bellwether in Jackson left for different reasons but I have not heard how that property was handled.

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Good synopsis. Madison UMC has sizable debt on their property and they seem to be prepared to leave by offering the debt to the general conference. They are likely to get the same deal that the Orchard in Tupelo got. Pay a year of apportionment and do your own thing.