The Rev. David Janz sits in a pew at First United Methodist Church in Butler. Butler Eagle File Photo
Justin Guido
Nearly a year after the United Methodist Church ended years of speculation and rewrote its policies on LGBTQ+ rights, the ripple effects are still being felt throughout Butler County. One of the lasting effects is the creation of a new branch of the Global Methodist Church in Butler, consisting of former members of the First United Methodist Church who broke away.
“We have love for the folks that left, and we’re praying that they step into God’s kingdom, and we’re praying the same thing for us,” said David Janz, senior pastor at the First United Methodist Church.
In the years leading up to the United Methodists’ General Conference in Charlotte, N.C., last April, 298 churches in the Western Pennsylvania region formally disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church. Many of those that left immediately joined up with the more conservative Global Methodist Church, which has a more hard-line stance on LGBTQ+ rights.
The First United Methodist Church, located on East North Street in Butler, was one of the churches that chose to stay, much to the dismay of some of its now-former congregation.
“We chose not to do that because the discipline, as it was written, was still who we are,” Janz said. “When the discipline changed in May, this group of people felt like they needed to go and start something new, while those of us that chose to stay still believe that there’s room for us to be who we are within the umbrella of the church.”
A new Global Methodist Church
Millie Pinkerton, who is part of the new Global Church’s 14-person “transition team,” said the United Methodist Church’s softened stance on LGBTQ+ rights was the key reason for the split.
“(The United Methodist Church) allowed these people to be pastors and to teach children,” Pinkerton said. “And the conservative congregations in Western Pennsylvania have not dealt with that very well, because it’s not biblical. And so that’s what the split was about.”
According to Pinkerton, the process of putting together the new Global Methodist Church was accomplished in roughly one month, starting at the beginning of January.
“We found a place, we have an interim minister, we have a checking account, and we have an EIN number,” Pinkerton said. “Everything, legally, has been taken care of in four weeks. It’s just so amazing. We are just so amazed and so happy that God is blessing us, and God is blessing Butler County.”
However, Janz said discussions regarding splitting off from the First United Methodist Church began taking place in his congregation as early as May, shortly after the General Conference.
“It kind of started in May and then we worked through all of the different challenges that was going to mean,” Janz said. “When the General Conference made its decision last May, that’s when this group of people in the First Church really began to think about exiting and starting a new Global Methodist Church.”
‘Founder’s day’
The new Global church’s transition team has been holding meetings at the American Legion since the start of 2025. The official “founders’ day” will be observed Sunday, Feb. 2, an occasion marked by a grand celebration at the church’s temporary home: the American Legion Post 778 in Butler Township.
“It’s the official founders’ day, when all the people who want to be Global Methodists will join the Global Church,” Pinkerton said. “We’re going to have a birthday cake.”
Both sides estimate First United Church will lose at least half its congregation to the split, with Pinkerton estimating the new Global church will take roughly two-thirds of the United church’s membership upon its official founding.
Mainly as a result of the split, regular services for The United church have moved from its classic downtown building on East North Street to a more modern building on Route 8, which is dubbed the “Crossfire” building. The church also owns the Connection Center building, next door to the old church on East North Street.
“We decided to relocate our ministry here (to Route 8),” Janz said. “There are still some outreach ministries happening at the downtown building. The downtown building hasn’t been shuttered. But we're just trying to center our ministry at the Route 8 building for, quite frankly, financial reasons. We’re just too scattered to be spread across three facilities now.”
Although the official grand opening of the Global Methodist Church is planned for Sunday, Feb. 2, the Butler congregation already has held services at the American Legion, including Sunday, Jan. 26.
Pinkerton said the new church is occupying the Legion temporarily and will look for a permanent home as soon as possible, but she says they are grateful to the Legion for their help.
“They’ve been really nice to us,” Pinkerton said. “They’ve just gone beyond their duty to help the church. And they’re veterans. They’ve fought for America, too.”
Finding balance
For now, the new Global Methodist Church is focused on finding a permanent pastor. Its current pastor, Chuck Hildbold, formerly of Jennerstown Community Church, was pulled out of retirement to lead the new church through its first days of existence.
“He drives from Delmont every Sunday and every Thursday to be with us,” Pinkerton said. “He’s helping us until we find a full-time pastor. He just retired and he just had a new baby grandson, and there’s so much going on in his life.”
Despite the events of the last few months, Janz rejects the idea that the First Church, or the United Methodists as a whole, are leaning to the “left.”
“This congregation is not embracing a progressive agenda,” Janz said. “It is still trying to be kind of in the middle. What we need to be about is helping people find Jesus, no matter who those people are. We’re trying to be just a group of people that focuses on helping people find Jesus, recognizing that all of us are tattered and torn in some way or another.”