What are the differences between the five exit plans?

Today's post is by UM & Global blogmaster Dr. David W. Scott, Director of Mission Theology at the General Board of Global Ministries. The opinions and analysis expressed here are Dr. Scott's own and do not reflect in any way the official position of Global Ministries.


As indicated last week, one likely scenario for General Conference 2019 is that a exit plan will be passed without any other plan also being passed. But the question remains: which exit plan?

There are currently five different exit clause petitions that will come before GC2019 - Brooks (Petition 90051), Tull (Petition 90056), Ottjes (Petition 90058), Boyette (Petition 90059), and Taylor (Petition 90066). Here is how these five plans stack up on a variety of points of comparison.

Brooks (Petition 90051)
Breadth of reason for departure: Departure not limited to disagreements over sexuality
Timeframe for departure: Exits allowed during 2020
Timeline for process: Not stipulated
Local church majority needed to approve: 2/3 of church conference or church local conference
Role of District Superintendents, bishops, and annual conferences: DS presides at church local conference vote of disaffiliation
Payment of unfunded pension liabilities: Not mentioned
Local church assumes property debt: Not mentioned
Use of denominational reserve funds: Not mentioned
Payment of apportionments: Departing church pays apportionment for year of withdrawal (2020)
Other stipulations: Departing church must pay penalty of 50% average annual budget

Tull (Petition 90056)
Breadth of reason for departure: Departure not limited to disagreements over sexuality
Timeframe for departure: two years after passage
Timeline for process: Not stipulated
Local church majority needed to approve: 2/3 of church conference
Role of District Superintendents, bishops, and annual conferences: prohibited from delaying vote by local church
Payment of unfunded pension liabilities: Yes
Local church assumes property debt: Yes
Use of denominational reserve funds: Not mentioned
Payment of apportionments: Departing church pays twice yearly apportionment
Other stipulations: Departing church repays all moneys received from the annual conference in the previous two years. Departing church pays filing fees to release trust clause claims.

Ottjes (Petition 90058)
Breadth of reason for departure: Limited to disagreements about sexuality
Timeframe for departure: No limit
Timeline for process: Must include 90 days of discernment
Local church majority needed to approve: 2/3 of church conference
Role of District Superintendents, bishops, and annual conferences: Must facilitate departure
Payment of unfunded pension liabilities: Not mentioned
Local church assumes property debt: Yes
Use of denominational reserve funds: Not mentioned
Payment of apportionments: Not mentioned
Other stipulations: None

Boyette (Petition 90059)
Breadth of reason for departure: Limited to disagreements with the Book of Discipline
Timeframe for departure: No limit
Timeline for process: Must include 30 days of discernment
Local church majority needed to approve: 55% of church conference or 2/3 of charge conference
Role of District Superintendents, bishops, and annual conferences: Must facilitate departure
Payment of unfunded pension liabilities: Yes
Local church assumes property debt: Yes
Use of denominational reserve funds: Used to offset unfunded pension liabilities
Payment of apportionments: No
Other stipulations: None

Taylor (Petition 90066)
Breadth of reason for departure: Disagreement with changes to Book of Displine stance on homosexuality passed by GC2019
Timeframe for departure: Must finish by Dec. 31, 2023
Timeline for process: Not stipulated
Local church majority needed to approve: 2/3 of church conference
Role of District Superintendents, bishops, and annual conferences: DS appoints a task force on church viability after exit; bishop sets terms of departure with the cabinet
Payment of unfunded pension liabilities: Yes
Local church assumes property debt: Yes
Use of denominational reserve funds: No
Payment of apportionments: Departing church pays apportionments for the year before and the year following departure
Other stipulations: Departing church pays back last five years of annual conference grants. Departing churches can continue to sponsor benefit plans through WesPath.