United Methodists close 21 more churches in south Alabama, Panhandle

The Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church has officially closed 21 additional congregations. The decision was finalized Monday during the organization's annual meeting, held at the First United Methodist Church of Pensacola.

Bishop Jonathan Holston, who provides oversight for United Methodist churches across Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, expressed a somber sentiment regarding the closures. "We just pray that while the buildings may be closed, that the ministry will continue in some form or fashion," Holston said.

The recent closures include 14 churches in Alabama and seven in the Florida Panhandle, with four of the affected locations situated in Alabama's Conecuh County. Among the list is Perdido Bay United Methodist, which has been entangled in a prolonged legal dispute following its congregation's vote to remove its UMC affiliation.

These closures stem from a combination of factors, including declining membership and ongoing property disputes involving breakaway congregations. The region continues to navigate the aftermath of a national schism that saw roughly 7,600 congregations exit the denomination between 2020 and 2024, with 5,600 of those departures occurring in 2023 alone. In Alabama, more than half of the United Methodist congregations, approximately 555 churches, chose to disaffiliate.

Affected Churches

The following congregations have been declared closed by the conference:

• Adams Chapel UMC, Barbour County, Ala.
• Bethel UMC, Escambia County, Fla.
• Brownville UMC, Conecuh County, Ala.
• Campbelltown UMC, Jackson County, Fla.
• Castleberry UMC, Conecuh County, Ala.
• Centenary UMC, Conecuh County, Ala.
• Echo UMC, Dale County, Ala.
• Freeport UMC, Walton County, Fla.
• Gulfview UMC, Bay County, Fla.
• Lakeview UMC, Washington County, Fla.
• May Creek UMC, Escambia County, Fla.
• Mineola UMC, Monroe County, Ala.
• Springhill UMC, Conecuh County, Ala.
• Woodlawn UMC, Monroe County, Ala.
• Isabella UMC, Chilton County, Ala.
• Oak Grove UMC, Geneva County, Ala.
• Tabernacle UMC, Bibb County, Ala.
• Elmore UMC, Elmore County, Ala.
• Harmony UMC, Elmore County, Ala.
• Perdido Bay UMC, Escambia County, Fla.
• Sylvan Grove, Dale County, Ala.

Broader Context

This recent wave of closures follows significant upheaval within the denomination. Just last month, the North Alabama Conference voted to close 15 churches, including the First United Methodist Church of Center Point. Previously, the Alabama-West Florida Conference shut down 27 churches in 2025.

The denomination faced a decades-long decline in membership, which accelerated following intense debates regarding LGBTQ rights within the church. In 2024, the United Methodist Church General Conference officially repealed its ban on same-sex marriage and the ordination of openly gay and lesbian clergy.