The Judicial Council has officially ruled that churches wishing to leave the UMC over matters of human sexuality must use prgh 2553 for disaffiliation. The congregation’s property may not be handed or deeded over to a new denomination without General Conference having approved that new denomination. The ruling specifically cited paragraph 2553 as an available exit path, which was approved by General Conference in 2019. I think this is a very relevant ruling to the lawsuits the WCA is bringing to try to reduce their exit requirements below the standard of paragraph 2553.
