The Death of the UMC: Part 7 - Land Claws
The Source of the Problem
Forgive my play on words. This blog post is about what is referred to in United Methodist circles as the "land clause." I change it to "claws" because this is how the United Methodist Corporate Franchise prevented any church schism in the past. They did it by sinking their claws into each and every local church's deed when the denomination formed in 1968.
The Book of Discipline states in ¶ 2501:
1. All properties of United Methodist local churches and other United Methodist agencies and institutions are held, in trust, for the benefit of the entire denomination, and ownership and usage of church property is subject to the Discipline.
In other words, the buildings and the property of local churches that were bought and paid for by the local congregations no longer belong to them. They now belong to the Corporation of the United Methodist Church. While the trust clause's language states the local church owns the property, it also says that they hold it "in trust" for the entire denomination. This means any local congregation can leave the Corporation anytime they want, but they cannot go with their own property intact. Then the UMC Corporation can then do whatever they want with this property. They can even sell it and profit from it.
Modern Denominational Scribes
Sadly, people had no idea of the legalese of a land trust back in 1968. I wonder how many people even noticed it, let alone understood what it meant. The denominational scribes of the time knew exactly what it meant and what they were doing. They are of the same spirit of the scribes Jesus described in Mark 12:38-40
Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.
Whose Property Is It?
Many a widow mite bought and paid for the land most United Methodist Churches stand upon along with the blood, sweat, and tears of farmers, factory workers, business people, teachers, and so on. The denominational leaders were smart, savvy, and deceptive by including a mechanism into each church deed that would allow them to maintain an iron grip on local congregations for over fifty-two years.
The Wesley Connection
Before I place too much blame on the modern denominational UMC scribes, I need to be fair. Enter the founder of contemporary United Methodism, the pragmatist John Wesley. He was a religious utilitarian. In other words, he did what worked, whether it was right or wrong. Back in 1750, Wesley hired three lawyers to construct the "land claws" into the deeds of three Methodist preaching houses in England. He didn't want to lose control.
Wesley was an Anglican minister and had no ecclesiastical authority to ordain anyone. The rebellious Wesley defied Church authorities by ordaining Thomas Coke and sent him over as a pastor to the defiant colonies in what is now called the United Methodist Church of America. Following Wesley's lead, Coke ordained Francis Asbury.
While in America, Asbury and Coke revised Wesley's land clause back in 1750. The 1796 General Conference approved the trust "claws" that is still in effect today. If my understanding is correct, the United Methodist trust claws have never lost in court, but perhaps the "times are a-changing."
The Sinking of the UMC Titanic
I believe the coming split is a God-given lifeboat for the people to abandon the sinking of the United Methodist Titantic. I also suspect that the UMC Empire will exert a tremendous amount of spiritual, emotional, and corporate pressure to keep churches from leaving. I think the denomination is going to make leaving the denomination as difficult and as painful as possible. How will local congregations respond? That is yet to be seen.
I have pastored or served in over 11 different United Methodist Churches. I have visited dozens more. My experience is that most United Methodist Churches are made up of honest, hard-working men and women who have no taste for all these denominational conflicts. They have little time or tolerance for land trust clauses and such. They want to come to church on Sunday, see their friends, worship, have an occasional pot-luck dinner, and go home.
Part of the Solution or Part of the Problem?
These pew sitters are often indifferent about Theological Pluralism, matters of same-sex marriage or ordination of same-sex pastors, whether or not their bishop worships Sophia, or is a shaman. There is little I can offer them except Paul's exhortation in Ephesians 5:14
Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Indifferent churches like this are part of the problem. They are already dead and have contributed to the death of the United Methodist Church.
If you don’t care what your pastor believes, whether same-sex marriages take place in your church, whether your pastor is married to a same-sex partner, whether the denomination promotes theology and programs contrary to Scripture, then you should stay in the denomination.
If these things matter to you and your church, read on.
What You Can Do
Here is my advice to the faithful United Methodist Remnant:
1. “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Joshua 3:5
Too many of you have been lulled into passivity and complacency. Many churches are tired. Perhaps you have allowed sin to permeate your lives. Maybe your theology has deteriorated throughout the years. How is your relationship with Jesus Christ? If you are not ready to die for Him, do you really follow Him?
The United Methodist Church is part of the cultural revolution that is happening all around us. God is calling His people to prepare themselves for whatever may occur in our government and our churches.
To consecrate means to declare yourself and your church as sacred unto the Lord. It is time to make Jesus Christ first and foremost in every area of your lives. God demands nothing less.
2. Remember the Battle is the Lord's so you must fight His way.
God spoke to His people in 2 Chronicles 20:15:
And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.
He also reminded us in Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
There is no way to win in the physical realm if the spiritual work hasn't happened.
3. Gather for prayer with other like-minded people.
This is a follow-up of point 2. The way to do spiritual battle is to pray:
Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18
If you are not praying, both individually and with other like-minded people, there is little that you will accomplish in the spiritual realm. The future of your local church is in your folded praying hands.
4. Do your homework.
The time is over for the people in the pews to hide their heads in the sand. There is work to be done, and you have a responsibility to find out what your options are. Perhaps forming a study group will help. You have the internet at your fingertips. I suggest you start googling.
Why not be brave and share this blog post along with my whole series with your United Methodist friends and neighbors?
I advise local churches to consult attorneys who specialize in land trust clauses, such as Dalton and Tomich in Detroit, Michigan.
5. Invest your time, money, and energy.
If you are not willing to invest your time, money, and energy, the battle is already lost. May I suggest that instead of giving your tithe money to your local church, you pool that money and use it to consult or retain legal help? Even if you have pledged money to your local church, I do not see any conflict using that pledge to help your local church. It is God’s money, not yours and certainly not the bishop’s. Why let it go to a church or denomination that will use that money to work to keep your church in the denomination. But whether you use pledge tithe money or your own cash, that is between you and the Lord.
6. Speak up and oppose.
I was going to quote verse 7 of Ecclesiastes 3, "a time to keep silence, and a time to speak," but I think it is appropriate to quote verses 1-8
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
My friend, what time is it for you?
This may mean speaking out against your pastor. This is not disrespect. It is what Peter said in Acts 5:29
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
Anytime anyone asks you to do something contrary to God, you must obey God and not man. The very heart of being a Protest-ant is we believe in the God-given responsibility to challenge governmental and ecclesiastical authorities when they wrong. It’s time to make your pastor uncomfortable if he or she is going against the Bible.
7. Try to leave with your property intact.
By now, you know my bias. I think the land claws are a demonic mechanism that corporate United Methodism has used to control the local church. Those in power did NOTHING to purchase your buildings and property. It does not belong to them. It belongs to the Lord, and He has made you stewards over it. Do not let the UMC corporation steal your land through the legal system.
8. If unsuccessful, then leave.
What more can I say than what God said to the Corinthians through Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:15-18
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
"I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty."