November 6, 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Christ,
Nearly twenty seven years ago, the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church anticipated the spiritual needs of the growing south Wake County community by launching a new church to reach people with the Good News of Jesus Christ. That church was Sunrise, and throughout our history our mission has remained the same: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Earlier this summer, the Sunrise UMC Administrative Council began conversations in light of the current schism in our denomination over human sexuality and whether a vote to disaffiliate from the UMC was necessary for our congregation. Early on in these conversations, it was apparent that the consensus of Admin Council was that such a vote would be painful and cause unnecessary division within our congregation. However, it was decided that Pastor John Michael would lead a series of congregational meetings in September and October to give members an opportunity to learn a brief history of the UMC and its previous divisions, information about the current schism, and provide feedback for Admin Council to consider. In total, five information sessions were held at church and in member homes, with 62 people attending, including members of Council at each meeting. A summary of these gatherings was provided to Admin Council by John Michael and supported by the attending Council members present at those gatherings. Feedback from these gatherings was in line with what the Admin Council anticipated, that a majority of Sunrise UMC members did not want to call for a vote and that if there was a vote, it would fall short of the super majority of 66.67% needed to disaffiliate. The summary information was discussed at length by Admin Council and the following statements and decisions were made today:
- Admin Council recognizes there are differing viewpoints on the current schism facing the UMC within the membership of our congregation and that all should be respected.
- Admin Council does not believe this schism on human sexuality rises to a level that is resolved by disaffiliating from the UMC.
- Admin Council believes, based on the feedback received, that there is insufficient support for a disaffiliation vote, and therefore calling for a vote of disaffiliation will create harm and unnecessary division among the membership of our church.
- Admin Council officially votes unanimously not to call a vote to disaffiliate from the UMC.
- Admin Council commits to continue following our polity as set forth in The Book of Discipline.
We recognize the issue of human sexuality is deeply personal for many families in our congregation, and that LGBT persons are members of our church, our youth group, and are close family and friends among our congregation. It is imperative that you know there is a place for you and your family here, now and in the future. Regardless of what UMC General Conferences may decide in the future, our job is to be the church here and now. While there is much that is out of our control, some things are very much in our control – specifically, how we care for one another and welcome others into our church community. Our goal is not to resolve disagreements around human sexuality, but to offer guidance on how we live and partner together in the work of the Gospel. We are responsible for how we treat each other.
We ask each of you to respectfully abide by these tenants as we move forward:
- Remember first our duty to be servants of Christ, to love our neighbors as ourselves;
- Avoid casting judgment or engaging in gossip;
- Seek discernment and ask questions;
- Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8)
Together, we are the Body of Christ, and each of us members of it (1 Cor 12:27). We envision a future where we can remain a connected Jesus-centered community of disciples that honors our differences and deeply values each other in shared ministry together.
Yours in Christ,
The Sunrise UMC Administrative Council:
Donald Pearson, Chair
Jay Barr, Lay Leader
Paula Kaiser, SPRC Chair
Mike Whitley, Finance Chair
Cathy Greenwald, Financial Secretary
Fred Haggard, Treasurer
Scott Crawley, Trustees Chair
Karen Maness, Director of Children’s Ministries
Chris Johnson, Director of Music Ministries
Beth Hopper, Director of Communications and Operations