Significant Transition On the Way

It probably goes without saying that the pandemic this year has thrown much into chaos or at least completely changed plans and expectations. As we struggle with the pandemic, health professionals continue to beg us to wash our hands, wear masks, and distance ourselves physically. Even in the face of spiking cases, illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths, many still simply refuse because they don’t think those actions are helpful or they believe it’s a hoax or perhaps just not that dangerous.

This year has also brought protests and rioting over racial justice and oppression. This has led to conversations about the history of our nation and what belongs or should be removed. Within that milieu there are some people only intent on causing harm, destruction, and chaos.

And if that weren’t enough, murder hornets. 2020 has already been a stressful year and we’re just over halfway done. 

In the midst of all that, we had a historic Annual Conference on July 18, the annual gathering of Iowa United Methodists. For the first time, our legislative session met online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Without meeting in-person we also completed all of our business in a single day.

Just like the news this year, however, there is a struggle happening throughout our collection of United Methodist congregations in Iowa.

Here’s what we know. Conference-wide, worship attendance, new members, and total giving all significantly declined in the last five years. Former Conference treasurers predicted this “death tsunami.” In the last five years (2014-2019) worship attendance decreased 18.5% from 51,800 to 42,100. New members decreased 27.5% from 2116 to 1534. Total giving decreased 39% from $18,626,000 to 11,289,000.

Besides the terrible loss of engagement, we have a serious financial situation. For 2021 the Conference budget will decrease 26% ($3.4 million). It was decided the Conference would stop automatically paying General Church apportionments 100% and instead pass on only what local churches pay towards them. With these (and other) reductions, Salem’s apportionment asking will likely decrease in 2021.

This decrease in giving has led to a reduction of Conference staff positions, programing, and ministry. One area of change is the number of districts in the Conference. We are moving from 8 to 5 districts. Salem will now be part of the Northeast Region and under the supervision of a new district superintendent, Rev. Dr. Moody Colorado.

Along with this, the Conference is moving forward with a plan to place all congregations in a “circuit” of about 10 churches next year. In each circuit, one of the ten pastors will serve as a “circuit superintendent,” working with and handling some of the prior duties of the district superintendent. There will be a “circuit lay leader” from one of the ten churches too.

Beyond Iowa, the General Conference, postponed because of the pandemic, will now begin at the end of August next year (2021). We certainly won’t know until it happens, but it’s hard to imagine anything other than a church split occurring next year. Salem will then likely have to make a decision about our future as a congregation. The next year looks like a time of significant transition for Salem.