Welcome to Rectortown UMC

Following the last day of discernment, March 13, we will have a Straw Poll of the congregation on the issue of disaffiliation. The on line Straw Poll is now closed.

What is the Straw Poll?

The Straw Poll is the requirement next step in the disaffiliation process for our Church family.  It is simply how it sounds - a basic YES or NO poll to gauge the overall feeling and wants of our congregants on the issue. We will provide this poll regarding going forward with the next steps in the process to anyone on our email list or who attends church.  You do not have to be a professing member to participate in the straw poll.    

Can I vote on this issue?

Yes - and you should.  Anyone who attends our Church (be they professing members or not) may vote at this point in the process.  The poll will provide a spot for you to mark if you are a professing member, not a member, etc.  This will be different than the final vote which will only allow professing members on our membership rolls to vote on the final decision. 

How can I vote?

We will issue the poll in an online format.  You may only vote one time.  We will issue an electronic Survey Monkey poll on Tuesday, March 14th.  The online poll will be open from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm.  If you do not have access to the online poll you may come by the Church office from 9:30 - 12:00 noon on March 14th and cast a hard copy ballot or you may call the office during those same hours on March 14th to register your vote by phone.  All of these formats will have the same single question and same options of YES or NO. 

How do I provide my response?
If you have access to email and a computer, you will simply click the link below and vote.

If you do not have access to a computer you can call the Church office to submit a voice vote.

If you want to vote in person, you can do so from 9:30 - Noon at the Church office.

When and how will votes be counted?

Due to time sensitivity, it will be critical for us to have a vote on March 14th.  We will count all the votes on the evening of March 14th. We cannot accept votes prior to the end of the discernment period of March 13th. We need to make this a short window in order to give our Trustees enough time to complete the work needed to be done by April 6th.  

We will review the cards and ensure no one has voted more than once and we will do a simple count of the YES and NO votes

We will then determine if the requisite percentage required - 58% (a percentage set by our Administrative Council) has been reached to continue the work on disaffiliation. If we reach that percentage, then the Trustees will work through the tight deadline to reach the April 6th paperwork deadline for submission to the District for review and signature.  

As a professing member currently on the rolls of Rectortown UMC, once I vote, can I change my mind on disaffiliation?

This straw poll is simply a general vote of all attending congregants on exploring further to allow our Trustees and others to begin work on gathering information for the process.  There will be a second vote at a later date that will be the FINAL guiding vote on the issue. That vote will only be participated in by professing members on the roll of the Rectortown United Methodist Church.  That vote will be at a called Church Conference, overseen by our DS.  So voting YES at this time does not mean that your vote cannot be changed later as we proceed through the process. 

Blessings, Kris

RUMC is currently taking steps to explore the disaffiliation process. The United Methodist Church has provided guidance on the steps to take during this time. One of the steps, and a very powerful and important piece for this process, is the 30 day discernment period. 

This period is meant for each of us to take time daily to think and pray on the process at hand, the Church as a whole, the work God calls us to do, and how this work and this decision may or may not reflect the work we are called to do. Pastor Lamb prepared a prayer guide available by clicking the button below. If you would like a printed copy, please contact the church office. He and I, as the disaffiliation liaison, ask that you use this daily to guide your prayerful discernment during this period.  

The discernment period will begin on February 12th and go until March 13th. The church will also be open every Monday from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm for you to have time within the church itself and in joint prayer with others who may attend at that time.  A structured prayer service with Pastor Jonathan will occur at 7:00 pm; you will also be able to participate on Zoom (see calendar for log-in). This is an incredibly important time for us, and this period is particularly vital to moving forward.  

We ask that you lift up God's will in this situation and prayerfully seek His guidance over these next 30 days. Thank you all.  

Prayerfully yours,

Kris Hylton & Pastor Jonathan Lamb