disaffiliation

Ms Graham said disaffiliation was a possibility and that she was under pressure to call an emergency rules conference - where a decision about disaffiliation could be made.

But Jefferson Knight, also a delegate from Liberia, opposes disaffiliation.

The group's former committee called the reasoning for its disaffiliation "spurious", claiming the party has found a technical reason for a "politically motivated" attack, in a document seen by the BBC.

Further votes on disaffiliation are expected in other regions through the rest of the year, with Dec. 31 being the deadline for congregations wishing to exit under the rules adopted in 2019.

That assures newcomers that it’s committed to staying United Methodist, so they won’t have to worry about another disaffiliation vote.