Some are smaller, and some are bigger, but changes have come in the 2020/2024 Book of Discipline for local churches, annual conferences, and general agencies.
Increasingly over the past four decades, United Methodist congregations with choirs have included a service of Lessons and Carols among their Advent or Christmas musical celebrations. While the music may be what draws people to the services, what actually drives the vigil form of worship historically is an extended period of listening to the Scriptures.
Two annual conferences have adopted policies to enable churches that disaffiliated from The UMC to reaffiliate. Others are in the process of developing them.
