LUBBOCK, Texas — Over the next 18 months, roughly 200 United Methodist churches in the Northwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church will be voting on whether to stay in or leave the denomination.

Jeff Fisher is the director of transitional ministries for the Northwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. He says Methodist churches in the area have “three doors” to vote on, and there are churches for each contemplating each choice. “The first door [is] the United Methodist Church…the second door we call the Global Methodist Church and the third door would be to go independent.”

While controversy over teachings regarding the LGBTQ+ community has been widely publicized, Fisher says there’s more to be decided on.

“One [category] would be social witness. The other would be the approach to Scripture. And finally, church structure,” says Fisher.

Elder of the Northwest Conference for the United Methodist Church, Benji Van Fleet, says similarities and differences are expected to emerge between the United Methodist and Global Methodist denominations.

“Our doctrines are very similar, and our beliefs about the historic resurrection of Jesus Christ and the divinity of Jesus are very similar. And so as other things work their way out in terms of structure and administration, particularly for clergy, then you’ll start to see those differences as it becomes more firm,” Van Fleet says.

Fisher says the Northwest Texas Conference is optimistic about the outcome of the vote.

“We’re hoping that with two different denominations or even more… that we can really reach a broader base of people in the Northwest Texas area by dividing up at this time,” says Fisher.

Van Fleet says he’s choosing to remain in the United Methodist Church as he steps into the role as senior pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church.

“I’m choosing to remain United Methodist because I’m looking forward to serving in a church that does welcome all people and does make disciples of Jesus Christ and cares about the least, the lost and the lonely. And so I want to be a part of that church.”

For more information on the split you can head to their website here.