Something striking is happening in the aftermath of the historic United Methodist Church split.
The Global Methodist Church, the conservative denomination launched amid years of fierce theological division within the UMC, is reporting remarkable growth, expanding from approximately 4,700 congregations in 2024 to 7,250 today.
According to The Christian Post, the GMC revealed that more than 1,100 people gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa, for its 2026 General Conference. The denomination has also expanded from 36 annual conferences in 2024 to 50 regional bodies this year.
That amounts to roughly 2,550 additional congregations in only two years—a growth rate of more than 50%.
And the timing is hard to ignore.
The GMC officially launched in 2022 following years of turmoil within the United Methodist Church over biblical sexuality, same-sex relationships and the denomination’s theological direction. Thousands of congregations eventually disaffiliated from the UMC, many joining the newly formed GMC. Then, in 2024, United Methodist delegates eliminated longstanding restrictions on same-sex weddings and the ordination of openly LGBTQ clergy.
Meanwhile, the fallout from Methodism’s theological fracture has continued.
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As Charisma previously reported, Asbury Theological Seminary was removed from the UMC’s list of approved seminaries earlier this year after disagreements involving the denomination’s revised Social Principles on sexuality and marriage. Asbury President David Watson maintained the seminary’s commitment to the historic Christian teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman.
A United Methodist agency also faced backlash this year after supporting proposed federal protections that included access to gender-related medical procedures for adolescents. And in Texas, the denomination’s Horizon Texas Conference entered a legal battle with the more than 15,000-member Highland Park Methodist Church over governance and denominational authority.
Against that backdrop, the GMC isn’t merely surviving the split. It is taking shape as a global denomination of its own.
“We left Costa Rica 707 days ago a bunch of former United Methodists. Today, we are the Global Methodist Church,” the Rev. Mike Schafer, the GMC’s connectional operations officer, said in a statement provided to The Christian Post.
The Johannesburg conference marked that transition. Delegates considered more than 451 petitions and addressed the denomination’s Articles of Faith, full-time bishops, leadership and an ecumenical covenant with the Korean Methodist Church.
Earlier this year, when the GMC surpassed 7,000 congregations, it made clear that numbers were not its ultimate measure of success.
“This moment reminds us that growth isn’t just measured in numbers — it’s found in repentance, renewal, and lives being transformed by Jesus Christ,” the denomination stated.
Perhaps that is the real story emerging from this Methodist shaking.
When theological lines sharpen, choices have consequences. What began as a painful denominational fracture is increasingly revealing two very different trajectories. The shaking may have brought separation. But on the other side of that shaking, something new appears to be growing.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
