Letter to Congregation April 22, 2023
Dear Family of Faith,
Earlier today the Oklahoma Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church voted 73% to approve the disaffiliation of 55 Oklahoma churches. We are excited to announce that St. Luke’s is one of the churches approved to disaffiliate from the UM denomination. St. Luke’s will remain Methodist in theology and practice and be known as St. Luke’s Methodist Church on May 6, when the disaffiliation is finalized.
Dr. Bob Long, Senior Pastor of St. Luke’s shared, “We are very grateful for our years with the UMC denomination and look forward to shared ministries in the future.” For almost 134 years, St. Luke’s has been sharing the message of Christ’s love for the world as well as serving in mission all around the world.
Sincerely,
St. Luke’s Executive Lay Leadership Team
Darcy Schein, Chairperson of Administrative Board
Steve Ford, Vice Chair of Ad. Board
Ray Lees, Director of Transitional Ministry
Rick Johnson, Chairperson of Trustees
Don Douglas, Vice Chair of Trustees
Geoff Stallings, Chairperson of Finance Committee
Richard Forshee, Chairperson of Staff Parish Relations Committee
Richard Nix, Vice Chair of Staff Parish Relations Committee
Margaret Dixon, Chairperson of Management Council
Keith Peters, Vice Chair of Management Council
Letter to Congregation April 14, 2023
Dear Family of Faith,
As you remember, 92.1% of St. Luke’s members present at the church conference voted on March 19 to disaffiliate from the United Methodist denomination. St. Luke’s will continue to be Methodist and our new name will be “St. Luke’s Methodist Church” beginning May 6, 2023.
As part of the disaffiliation agreement written by the Oklahoma Annual Conference Board of Trustees, we were required to submit many legal documents and disaffiliation materials by March 22. Yesterday afternoon we were notified by the Oklahoma Annual Conference Director of Transitional Ministry that they believed our Membership Audit Plan was incomplete because we had not yet asked every member of St. Luke’s what they want to do with their church membership following the official church disaffiliation date. In order to fulfill their request, we need you to fill out a form as soon as possible.
We are required to report to the Oklahoma Annual Conference what each member of St. Luke’s intends to do with their church membership upon the final disaffiliation of our church. Of course, we hope that no one would want to change their membership from St. Luke’s! We have repeatedly said that even though we do not agree on all issues, we are a family of faith united in our love of God and one another.
The Annual Conference has shared the information that we are required to obtain and it is listed below. Please make your selection as soon as possible. Click here to go to the survey.
Here are the options.
- Remain member(s) of St. Luke’s
- Transfer membership(s) to another United Methodist Church providing the name of the church.
- Transfer membership to the Oklahoma Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church until I can unite with another church.
- None of the above.
That is all you have to do; while it is simple, it really is urgent that the church have each member’s choice as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us: wlambert@stlukesokc.org or (405) 609-1021.
Sincerely,
St. Luke’s Executive Lay Leadership Team
Darcy Schein, Chairperson of Administrative Board
Steve Ford, Vice Chair of Ad. Board
Ray Lees, Director of Transitional Ministry
Rick Johnson, Chairperson of Trustees
Don Douglas, Vice Chair of Trustees
Geoff Stallings, Chairperson of Finance Committee
Richard Forshee, Chairperson of Staff Parish Relations Committee
Richard Nix, Vice Chair of Staff Parish Relations Committee
Margaret Dixon, Chairperson of Management Council
Keith Peters, Vice Chair of Management Council
Letter to Congregation - March 31, 2023
Dear Family of Faith,
After the St. Luke’s disaffiliation vote on March 19, the next step in the process is a recommendation from the Oklahoma Annual Conference Board of Trustees, which met on Thursday, March 23 to consider 55 churches for disaffiliation. 15 churches were not given the initial recommendation of the Annual Conference Trustees – St. Luke’s being one of them. There will be another Annual Conference Trustees meeting on April 17 for final consideration and we fully expect to receive the recommendation of the AC Trustees at that time.
Although no reason has been given to us regarding the decision of the Trustees, we believe that it might have been tied to a request we received on Monday, March 27 for additional archive records. Those records were researched and located, then delivered to the Conference Office on Tuesday, March 28.
We believe the Conference Board of Trustees is doing their due diligence and that our work with the Conference Director of Transitional Ministry, Rev. Dr. Tish Malloy, will see that we receive the recommendation and achieve the majority of the Annual Conference vote on April 22 to disaffiliate.
Please keep all 55 churches pursuing disaffiliation in your prayers, as well as the Bishop and Annual Conference leadership. We continue to celebrate the future we have as St. Luke’s Methodist Church and will continue to follow the path that God has given us!
Sincerely,
St. Luke’s Executive Lay Leadership Team
Darcy Schein, Chairperson of Administrative Board
Steve Ford, Vice Chair of Ad. Board
Ray Lees, Director of Transitional Ministry
Rick Johnson, Chairperson of Trustees
Don Douglas, Vice Chair of Trustees
Geoff Stallings, Chairperson of Finance Committee
Richard Forshee, Chairperson of Staff Parish Relations Committee
Richard Nix, Vice Chair of Staff Parish Relations Committee
Margaret Dixon, Chairperson of Management Council
Keith Peters, Vice Chair of Management Council
St. Luke’s Congregation Votes to Disaffiliate from United Methodist Church
On Sunday, March 19, members of St. Luke’s decided by a vote of 1,211 (yes) to 96 (no) and 17 (Abstain) to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church (UMC) denomination.
The 134-year-old church followed the guidelines for disaffiliation established by the General Conference of the UMC as well as the Oklahoma Annual Conference of the UMC.
Achieving a vote of 92% surpassed the requirement necessary and St. Luke’s will be considered on March 23 by the Oklahoma Annual Conference Board of Trustees for consideration to go before the Oklahoma Annual Conference for a final vote on April 22.
Last fall all 29 churches that completed the disaffiliation guidelines were recommended by the Oklahoma Annual Conference Trustees and approved by a vote of 96% by the Oklahoma Annual Conference.
St. Luke’s will continue in the Methodist tradition. “The church that you have come to know and love is still going to be the church that you know and love,” Senior Pastor Dr. Bob Long said. “St. Luke’s will still be St. Luke’s.”
“Our name will be St. Luke’s Methodist Church. The worship services will be the same. The messages will be the same. The music will continue to be incredibly inspirational. We’ll still be involved in all of our ministries.”
Letter to Congregation - March 14, 2023
Dear Family of Faith,
This coming Sunday, March 19, will be the St. Luke’s Church Conference for the purpose of voting on disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church denomination. Two videos are included in this email and it is my hope that you will take the time to watch both.
The first video is a synopsis of the most commonly heard questions regarding the future of St. Luke’s. The second video provides information regarding the details of parking, registration, voting, and other logistics for this Sunday.
In January, the Administrative Board, the Finance Committee, the Trustees, Staff Parish Relations Committee, and the Management Council voted 108-1 to enter into the disaffiliation process. On February 20, the Administrative Board voted 73-2 to continue toward disaffiliation and put it to a church conference vote.
This Sunday, I hope you will join with me, the rest of the clergy, and the Executive Lay Leadership of St. Luke’s and vote yes for disaffiliation.
Sincerely,
Bob Long
Church Meeting and Disaffiliation Vote FAQ
Where is the meeting? St. Luke’s Downtown Campus (222 NW 15th Street).
When is the vote? March 19, 2023 during a Chuch Conference Meeting that starts at 2 p.m.
What time should I arrive? Please arrive as early as possible to register. Registration starts at 12 noon.
How long will the meeting last? We hope that the vote is taken within an hour of the start of the meeting.
Can anyone vote? Only St. Luke’s Members can vote.
Can I vote online or via absentee ballot? Only those in person at the Downtown Campus the day of the vote can participate.
Previous meetings about the Future of St. Luke's have been recorded and are available for you to view online.
Upcoming Meetings for St. Luke's Family of Faith
Below are upcoming meeting dates and times to discuss the future of St. Luke’s. You can attend in person or watch these meetings live online by going to stlukesokc.org/ChurchMeeting
Informational meetings about the future of St. Luke’s will be presented by the Executive Lay Leadership Team.
- March 15 – 6:30 p.m. Downtown Campus Sanctuary
St. Luke’s vote on Disaffiliation will take place on March 19 at the Downtown Campus. Please click here to learn all the details about the day.
Letter to Congregation - February 20, 2023
Dear Family of Faith,
Last evening, the Administrative Board of St. Luke’s met and voted 73 to 2 in favor of moving forward with the disaffiliation process. That means we will take our church vote at a Church Conference on March 19 at 2 p.m. We have requested that voting be allowed at both the Edmond and the Downtown Campuses; we will have to wait on a decision from the Annual Conference on whether that will be allowed.
We had our first All Church Meeting on Sunday, February 19. You can find a recording of that meeting online by clicking here. You will also find many informational resources on the “Future of St. Luke’s” webpage at stlukesokc.org/Future.
We will have three additional All Church Meetings where church members have the opportunity to have their questions answered:
February 28, 6:30 p.m., Edmond Campus Worship Center
March 12, 2 p.m., Edmond Campus Worship Center
March 15, 6:30 p.m., Downtown Campus Sanctuary
Each of the meetings will also be live-streamed and you can watch by going to stlukesokc.org/ChurchMeeting and then posted on our webpage.
This is a very exciting and historic time in the life of St. Luke’s. As God has led us in the past, God continues to lead us now and into the future. We hope that you will make plans to join us on March 19 to cast your vote for a new beginning as St. Luke’s Methodist Church and to renew our commitment to share God’s love and bring hope to the world!
Sincerely,
Darcy Schein, Chairperson of St. Luke’s Administrative Board
Steve Ford, Vice Chair of St. Luke’s Administrative Board
Dr. Bob Long, St. Luke’s Senior Pastor
Letter to Congregation - January 18, 2023
Date Change for Upcoming Meeting
Dear Family of Faith,
Yesterday, we received an email from our District Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Victor McCullough, requesting that the upcoming church conference set for this coming Monday, January 23, be postponed until February 13. The reason for the request comes from Bishop James Nunn, Bishop of the Oklahoma Annual Conference of the UMC; he has stated that he wants to come to address St. Luke’s personally.
Everyone is invited to this meeting to hear information from Bishop Nunn and Rev. Tish Malloy, OKUMC Director of Transitional Ministries, about the United Methodist Church denomination.
Church Conference Meeting – Monday, February 13 at 7 p.m.
Christian Life Center, Downtown Campus
For more information regarding the future of St. Luke’s, please be sure to check out our webpage: stlukesokc.org/future.
Sincerely,
Bob Long, Senior Pastor
Daily Oklahoma News Article - January 14, 2023
Read the Daily Oklahoman’s article on St. Luke’s published on January 14, 2023.
Letter to Congregation - January 10, 2023
Read the email letter sent to the congregation on January 10, 2023 simply click the link below.
Letter to Congregation - January 10, 2023
Dear Friends,
Last evening, (January 9, 2023) the Administrative Board (this board is a large diverse group made up of people from both the Edmond and Downtown campuses, from all worship services, women and men, and all ages) of St. Luke’s received the following recommendation:
For well over a year, the St. Luke’s Key Leaders, made up of the Chairs and vice-chairs of the Governance committees, have been diligently studying the ongoing situation of the United Methodist Church denomination. We are truly concerned that the UMC has had an increasing loss of people attending worship, without a concerted plan to address it.
We are saddened by the financial problems and ineffectiveness of the denomination. While many of us can remember years ago that apportionments truly made a difference, lately we have seen the administrative cost of the UMC structure grow, while cutting payments to life-changing missions like Lydia Patterson, Circle of Care, and Neighborhood Services Organization.
And perhaps most needed of all, are changes to the Book of Discipline to reflect the Methodist theology of grace and assurance of God’s love.
While the denominational structure served our church well in the past, we feel that to most effectively and efficiently live out our God-given mandate to make disciples of Jesus Christ, we should be unencumbered by the UMC structure. We remain fully Methodist in our message of grace, our commitment to bringing people closer to Christ, and our devotion in serving those in need.
On behalf of the Executive Lay Leadership Team – representing the chairpersons and vice-chairs of the Trustees Committee, the Management Council, the Staff Parish Relations Committee, the Finance Committee, and Ray Lees who has led us in Diversity and Transition – we unanimously recommend, and I (Steve Ford) provide as a motion, that St. Luke’s begin the discernment phase of the disaffiliation process.
After much discussion, the Ad. Board voted 60-0 to officially enter the discernment phase of the disaffiliation process. This is not a vote against the United Methodist Church; St. Luke’s has always been, and will continue to be Methodist. In fact, St. Luke’s has been part of three different Methodist denominational structures: The Methodist Episcopal Church South, The Methodist Church, and for the last 54 of its 133-year history, the United Methodist Church. The Methodist theology of God’s grace and assurance is at the very core of St. Luke’s identity.
As part of this discernment process, we will have a Church Conference that has been called by our District Superintendent, Dr. Victor McCullough where all are invited to attend. It will be held Monday, January 23, 7:00 pm at the Downtown Campus Christian Life Center, for a presentation by the Oklahoma Annual Conference of the UMC Director of Transitional Ministry, Rev. Tish Malloy. There will not be a vote taken that evening, it is just for the purpose of hearing information from the Oklahoma Annual Conference regarding the United Methodist Church.
There will be informational meetings led by Dr. Bob Long, Rev. Wendy Lambert, and Rev. Josh Attaway that all are welcome to attend:
February 13 – 6:30 pm Edmond Campus Worship Center
February 19 – 2:00 pm Downtown Campus Christian Life Center
March 12 – 2:00 pm Edmond Campus Worship Center
March 15 – 6:30 pm Downtown Campus Sanctuary
You can also find information on our website at: stlukesokc.org/future which has informational videos, recordings of the Fall 2022 WNA class taught by Dr. Long and Rev. Wendy Lambert, FAQ’s, and more!
For 133 years St. Luke’s has focused on following Christ, sharing a message of His grace, growing in our faith, and serving the community, all in our mission to share God’s love and bring hope to the world – and that is what we will continue to do for the next 133 years. Please be in prayer as we discern God’s path for an exciting future!
Sincerely,
Darcy Schein, Chair of Ad. Board
Bob Long, Senior Pastor
Disaffiliation Steps
- Recommendation to Administrative Board to officially begin prayer and discernment phase of disaffiliation process.
- Church Conference Presentation from Oklahoma Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church Transition Team about the UMC Denomination
- Administrative Board Vote on Officially entering the Disaffiliation Process
- Church Information Sessions
- Church Conference Vote on Disaffiliation
- Oklahoma Annual Conference Vote on ratifying the Oklahoma Annual Conference Board of Trustees Recommendations on all local churches that have fulfilled all disaffiliation requirements
- Final financial and paperwork submissions
