Dear Central Family,

We recognize that our church family has many questions regarding the recent pause of our Discernment Process by the District Superintendent.  We want you to know that your church staff and officers are working diligently on this matter to enable our process to resume and move forward to completion.  We ask for your prayers for guidance, direction, and provision for our church in this season.  

In December 2022, Genesis campus pastor sent an annual update to approximately 100 families who regularly attend Genesis outlining his vision and hopes for the church in 2023 and beyond.  This letter included a reference to his hopes that Genesis would become an independent non-denominational church.  The District Superintendent believes this has created a conflict of interest in our Discernment Process voting for persons who regularly attend Genesis Church and are members of Central.  
 

Recently, some of our senior staff and leadership met with the District Superintendent (DS).  The DS expressed his support for Central to initiate a process to explore assisting Genesis Church to become independent allowing Genesis to realize the vision that had been in place since the new church was launched and that had continued to be part of the plans along the journey.  We recognize that many within our church were unaware of these plans and were this situation happening under normal conditions it would have been rolled out in a more orderly and sensitive manner for Central.  We apologize to you all that this is not the case.  
 

For enhanced perspective on Genesis Church, in 2014, Central was asked by the Arkansas Conference to consider taking over ownership of the property of the former Wiggins Memorial UMC in south Fayetteville.  After agreements were reached by both Wiggins and Central to do so, Central assumed ownership of the property and provided resources to renovate the facilities leading to the launch of a new ministry that became Genesis Church.  
 

From the beginning, the intentions of Central’s leadership were to shepherd the new church while also working to enable it to move toward a time when it could stand on its own.  Over these last eight years, many individuals and families have engaged in the ministry and life of Genesis Church without actually joining the church because membership itself has not been a point of emphasis.  In fact, only three people have joined the church through the Genesis Church campus in the past few years.  Persons who attend Genesis and are members, are technically members of Central UMC.  Genesis Church does not have a separate membership roll but does maintain a list of regular attenders.  
 

In 2017, Central took steps to transition Genesis Church to become more autonomous.  These included establishing a separate bank account and budget for Genesis finances and creating a governance structure for Genesis that included an Advisory Council, Finance Committee, and Personnel Committee to oversee the day-to-day activities of the church. 
 

In late 2019 and early 2020, the church’s Executive Team was working on formalizing a plan to present to the Central UMC family to allow Genesis Church to become its own entity, but those plans were paused due to the pandemic.  Those discussions resumed in 2022, but again were paused due to Central’s Discernment Process.
 

In summary, we find ourselves in a situation in which our Conference and District Officials have directed that we must remedy this situation before being able to proceed with our discernment process. Accordingly, our Board of Trustees will be meeting next week to begin discussions about Genesis Church and its future with Central United Methodist.  This may involve a variety of measures that the Board of Trustees will consider in their role as stewards of our property.  There is no timeline being placed on their work, and we anticipate that the church family will have an opportunity to speak into that process in the weeks ahead.  We will provide additional updates as warranted.  
 

In closing, we would ask you to refrain from any placement of blame upon Rev. Farrell for the development of this situation. He certainly had no malicious intent in his communication to Genesis Church families in December.  Our prayer is that the church will approach what is before us in a Christ-like manner.
 

In His Service,

Central UMC Church Council