a day ago
Local church stays open despite being named on the UMC closure list
HARTFORD, Ala (WDHN) — Sardis Church in Hartford will keep its doors open despite being named by the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church as a church that will be closing.
Church leaders say there are no signs of slowing down as they are currently in the Dominican Republic doing mission work.
'We don't know exactly what came out in the news, but they may remove the name of Sardis Methodist Church off their roll, and that's fine, but I'm here to tell you that Sardis church is alive and well,' Pastor Tom Chestnut said.
Nationally, within the United Methodist Church, congregations have been disaffiliating from the conference primarily due to differing views on human sexuality, particularly regarding LGBTQ+ rights and other issues. Church leaders say there is no ill will towards the conference, though.
'We just had major theological disagreements from the way we interpret God's word,' Pastor Tom Chestnut said.
'We asked to leave and we had built our own buildings and we're surviving well as we have grown,' Charles Hales said.
For the churches that are closing, declining attendance was one of the reasons; however, Sardis leaders say that this also does not apply to them, as they believe their church is thriving.
'We average about 150 people on a Sunday, and every Wednesday we have 100 children and 20 adults we feed, and another reason is funding, well, we are tithers. We run three buses, run air for 100 people every Wednesday night, and now 11 of us are helping Dominicans with their camp,' Pastor Chestnut said.
But for churches that will be affected, despite the reasoning, church leaders are lifting them in prayer.
'A church is family, and when they are closing their doors it's like losing a lot of family It's been a haven of refuge, so I pray they have peace and god will lead them to a new place,' Chestnut said.
The church worships every Sunday at 10 a.m.
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