An Illinois-based congregation has agreed to pay more than $1.4 million in order to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church following litigation over who owned its property.
The former Naperville Korean United Methodist Church agreed to a settlement last month with The UMC Northern Illinois Conference over the congregation’s effort to leave the denomination.
In keeping with the UMC’s trust clause provision, which holds all church properties and assets in trust for the use of the entire denomination, the departing church agreed to pay $1,429,457.98 and follow the official process for disaffiliation, reported UM News last week.
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“God is right, just and righteous,” said K.P. Chung, a lay leader of Woori Naperville UMC, which is made up of the church members who wanted to remain with the denomination, as quoted by UM News.
“I pray that we continue reconciliation among all the members, including the breakaway group, for the sake of the church as Christians. We will focus on mission and ministry and make good use of the building for our ministry.”
Northern Illinois Bishop Dan Schwerin said in a statement released last month that he was “grateful for the good people who remain faithful to the UMC and now worship at the site under the new name Woori United Methodist Church.”
“With the lawsuit behind us we can return to the work of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world in the greater Naperville area,” Schwerin stated.
For decades, the UMC was involved in [a] divisive internal debate over whether to change its rules to allow for the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of people in same-sex romantic relationships, which it eventually did earlier this year.
From 2019 to 2023, the UMC had a temporary provision in place that allowed congregations to disaffiliate from the denomination because of the debate on sexual ethics, with more than 7,500 churches doing so.
Naperville Korean UMC had initially done the same, but then decided to end the process and declare themselves an independent congregation in May 2023, sparking litigation.
In March, a judge ruled in favor of the Northern Illinois Conference, concluding that the regional body had control of the assets and property of Naperville UMC, not the breakaway group.
“The Northern Illinois Conference is grateful for this decision and is using this opportunity to actively work towards reconciliation with the members and leadership of the Naperville Korean Church,” explained the Rev. Victoria Rebeck, conference spokesperson, in an earlier interview with The Christian Post.
“Members of the Naperville Korean United Methodist Church who have wanted to remain with The United Methodist Church have been holding worship services in the building since Palm Sunday. All people, including new visitors as well as people who had long been part of the congregation, are welcome.”
