Parting Ways

by Rev. Eric Folkerth

We’re going to have a potluck after church on March 26 and discussion of our United Methodist Church situation is on the menu for that day.

That said, I am aware that the news from our church neighbors, Tyler Street, has been filtering out to you in the past few weeks. Several folks have asked me about it and so I thought I’d fill you in on what I know.

Tyler Street United Methodist Church did indeed vote to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church by a vote of 92% of their membership. Additionally, in my conversations with their pastor John Kay, they have secured funding to pay the financial piece for “disaffiliation.”

On March 4, myself, Colleen Kelley, and Pastor Kay were all present at a meeting of our North Texas Conference where the conference members officially approved these disaffiliations. To date, 14% of North Texas Conference churches have voted to disaffiliate, a number far lower than in several neighboring conferences. In City of Dallas proper, Tyler Street is the only English speaking church currently disaffiliating.

I know that many of you have had very good friends at Tyler Street United Methodist for many years. I myself have been a good friend to their pastor Rev. John Kay for a decade. And so you may have complex feelings about all of this.

For all of these reasons —and because Jesus calls us to strongly live from “The Golden Rule”— I have nothing but prayers of best wishes and Godspeed to all the folks at Tyler Street. We wish them well. We send them forth with God’s grace and peace. As I have said for months, my feeling continues to be: any church that wishes to leave should indeed be allowed to do so.

Separately, several of you have asked me about their church sign. While they changed their sign to “Tyler Street Church” a few years back, they have remained “United Methodist” into the present day. That sign-change, according to their pastor at the time, was a move acknowledging the fact that many people do not actively seek a “denomination” today, but simply look for a church they feel at home in.

This points to a truth for us all. That is that God’s realm is large, wide, and inclusive. Every church must define its vision and purpose while trusting in the teaching of Jesus to lead them as they serve their mission field.

That is what we are doing, of course, as well.
We will continue to live out our mission statement:

“We are a community of hope,
founded in faith,
fostering spiritual growth,
and meeting human needs
by reflecting God's love
in Christ's name.”

As many of you know, we are a proud member of the Reconciling Ministries Network, which challenges us to make real our welcome to people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, and economic circumstances.

And so, in the midst of whatever range of emotion you may have about the departure of our sister church, I invite you to pray for them and pray for us as well.

During our March 4th meeting we joined together in a litany of prayers, where both those who remain UMC and those who are departing for the GMC prayed for each other.

I invite you to pray our words for that day too:

“As we part, we do so with mercy, recognizing the grace entrusted to each in our Lord Jesus Christ and extend to one another the right hand of fellowship. In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, through commend to almighty God our brothers and sisters in Holy Spirit.”

Eric Folkerth