Six churches in Hale County were among 27 across Alabama and the Florida Panhandle officially closed this week following a vote by the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church.
The closures, announced during the conference’s annual meeting in Pensacola, took effect immediately, with all church properties transferred to the conference board of trustees.
Local churches named in the resolution include Mount Herman, Mount Carmel, Ramsey’s Chapel, Liberty, Pleasant Valley, and China Grove.
The conference cited declining or minimal membership as the main reason for the closures. Some of the affected congregations have also been involved in recent disagreements with UMC leadership over property ownership and disaffiliation efforts.
Despite the resolution, several Hale County church members have already taken to social media to affirm that they are continuing to meet for Sunday School and are working to preserve records and cemetery grounds.
The closures come at a time of wider reorganization within the denomination, following debates over theological and social issues. The Alabama-West Florida Conference’s decision follows a similar move earlier this month by the UMC’s North Alabama Conference, which voted to close 20 other congregations.
