United Methodists hug at the church's general conference in Charlotte, N.C. The denomination lifted its bans on the ordination of self-avowed practicing homosexuals and prohibitions on same-sex marriages.
After losing scores of its congregations following a nationwide denominational schism, the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church met in Hot Springs last week for its first post-disaffiliation annual conference.
The three-day gathering, smaller than in past years, was rancor-free with a focus on common ground and shared mission, participants said.
Rather than quarreling, participants were “smiling and loving on each other,” said Harold Hughes, a member of Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church in Little Rock and one of the lay delegates.
“There really was a good spirit and a warmth there,” said Rodney Steele, a retired minister and former district superintendent.
The number of churches in the Arkansas Conference, which totaled 634 in 2019, had fallen to 418 by the end of 2023.
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