Mt. Horeb isn’t the only Lexington County church to vote to leave the United Methodist denomination.

Pond Branch United Methodist Church located at 1913 Pond Branch Rd. in Gilbert, unanimously voted on Feb. 26 to part ways with the national organization.

“I believe this was the right decision for the long-term best interest of our church and I hope you concur with that,” Pastor Drew Martin said in a Facebook post.” A lot of work went into the process of getting us ready to take that vote.”

Andy Harmon, Lay Leader for the church, told the Chronicle that the unanimous vote was a clear indication of unity within the church.

Like Lexington’s Mt. Horeb, which was the largest United Methodist Church in the state until it voted to leave the denomination, Pond Branch had till March 1 to complete their vote.

In a Feb. 1 Facebook post, Martin said conservative leadership within the denomination “basically” conceded the future of the United Methodist Church to “liberals and announced their intention to start afresh.”

Harmon told the Chronicle that Pond Branch has been following the schism in the denomination for the past few years and has been growing weary and concerned with the lack of unity in the church.

“We fully agree with the current written and adopted polity of the UMC in the Book of Discipline, but since the early-’70s, there has been constant division and quarreling in the church to revise what we believe is scripturally affirming in that ‘The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.’

“Where society is becoming more accepting of this ‘practice,’” he added. “We at PBUMC believe it is sinful and cannot condone it or celebrate it based on our interpretations of the scriptures.”

Harmon added that the church welcomes those who engage in all sinful relationships with love and respect, wanting them to come to the knowledge and truth of God’s word and saving grace through Jesus Christ and the biblical definition for human sexuality and the family unit.

Mt. Horeb pointed to a variety of theological misalignments between it and the denomination in announcing its own departure, including disagreements when it comes to sexuality.

Martin posted to Facebook that he believes those who want to change the Book of Discipline should be those to leave the denomination, not the other way around.

“That is simply not the hand we’ve been dealt,” he wrote.

The South Carolina UMC website states that there are certain financial obligations that must be paid before the vote as well, including:

• A tithe equal to 10 percent of the appraised value of all church property and liquid assets.
• All unpaid apportionment giving for the prior year, as well as for the year of closure up to the date of the Annual Conference vote to close the church.
• An additional 12 months of apportionment giving.
• All unpaid salary and benefits due to clergy appointed to the church.
• A withdrawal liability equal to the church’s proportional share of any unfunded pension obligations.

It is also stated that other financial and legal liabilities like dispositions of debts, loans, leases, endowments, foundations and cemeteries must be satisfied or transferred to a new entity.

A Facebook post states that it will take roughly $160,000 for the church to separate from the denomination.

“So now is the time to make your very best gift to your church. We need everyone’s help to get us through this challenging process.” Martin said on Facebook. “I am confident we will be able to raise the money and thus be able to own our property and assets without worrying about denominational control.”

In an April 2 Facebook post, Martin re-emphasized his determination that leaving the denomination was the right move.

“I am troubled by the fact that some of them have chosen to drop the word ‘Methodist’ from their name,” he posted. “It seems to me that, far from dropping our Methodist identity, now is the time for us to double down on our Methodist identity.

“Now is the time to claim the proud heritage of the Methodist movement and to look to it for inspiration for the future. Now is the time to focus once more on the doctrine of holiness and live with victory over our sins. Now is the time to proclaim that the transformative grace of God is available to all people. Now is the time to approach the Christian life Methodically that we might experience the fullness of all that God has for us. That is, again, now is the time to double down on our Methodist identity.”

Dan O’Mara, director of communications for the state conference, told the Chronicle that connectionalism is an important part of what it means to be in the United Methodist denomination, with leaders often speaking of the denomination as “the Connection.”

“Today, our denomination continues to be organized in a ‘connectional’ system, in which every local church is linked to an interconnected network of organizations that join together in mission and ministry, allowing us to accomplish far more than any one local church or person could alone,” he said.

When a church leaves the denomination, the members can decide to continue their ministry as an independent church or to affiliate with another denomination.

Harmon said that the church is drafting new bylaws and currently does not plan to re-affiliate with another denomination, adding that the church's new identity as an independent church will be Pond Branch Methodist Church.

“I will no longer be a United Methodist pastor; I will simply be an ordained independent Methodist pastor.” Martin wrote in a March 1 Facebook post. “This is a major decision for me, but I believe it is the right one as I couldn’t ask for a better church family and it appears that the UMC will be getting increasingly liberal in the not-too-distant future. I look forward to a bright future together!”