Theologically conservative leaders from United Methodist Church have formed a group within the denomination known as Wesleyan Covenant Association.
The organization is endorsed by around 50 ministerial and lay leaders, and theologians.
The WCA will convey its first gathering in Chicago on October 7 to promote the goals of scriptural Christianity and to welcome new members.
A group of UMC pastors and laity wrote an open letter to the church in June calling for "faithful obedience to the Bible and The Discipline of The United Methodist Church on the part of all clergy and laity."
"Clergy and laity across the nation are rightly concerned about the state of The United Methodist Church in the United States," said Rev. Jim Cowart, pastor of Harvest UM Church in Byron, Georgia. "Although blessed with sound doctrine, a history of personal and social holiness,
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"My fervent prayer is that we will be able to share our witness in ways that will impact the Bishop 's Commission on the Future of the Church positively and contribute to the advance of God 's Kingdom among the people called Methodists globally," said the Rev. Keith Boyette, pastor of Wilderness Community UM Church in Spotsylvania, Virginia. "Those who choose to participate in this great endeavor will be better positioned I believe to embrace a fruitful future regardless of what ultimately occurs within The United Methodist Church."
The WCA was formed in the backdrop of continuing divisions surfacing in UMC over the issue of same-sex marriage.
"I am not sure leaders of the church know how serious what 's going on is," Dunnam said. "This is what I 'm committed to trying to prevent. I don 't want that kind of hemorrhage."
Boyette said that WCA was not founded to break away from the UMC.
"WCA is seeking to provide a form for traditionalists to come forward and discern the best way to continue to work in UMC and global pan Methodist family to advance a historic Christianity," he was quoted as saying by