Methodist split initiates new church in Charles City

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

A new church has started up in Charles City.

Cedar Valley Community Church, a denomination of the recently formed Global Methodist Church, is building up its congregation in the wake of a split from the United Methodist Church.

The United Methodist Church is in the midst of a wide-scale schism as thousands of congregations across the country disaffiliate from the church over disagreements about church doctrine regarding the nature of its theology and its acceptance of LGBTQ people, according to reporting by The Associated Press.

In Iowa alone, 83 churches voted to disaffiliate at the United Methodists’ annual conference last May. Many of these churches would end up joining the Global Methodist Church, which launched the year prior.

In Charles City, a vote among congregants to disaffiliate was never held at Trinity United Methodist Church, an action that itself sparked an informal exodus of members who have come together to form the Cedar Valley Community Church congregation.

“This church has been formed because the church that they belonged to refused to even entertain the option to stay or go,” said Pastor Kim Ragland, who is leading the new denomination focused on a strictly literal biblical interpretation.

“We voted with our feet,” she said.

A statement from the new church says it is “a traditional orthodox version of Methodism” that believes the Bible “is the infallible and inerrant word of God.”

“CVCC refuses to add to, bend, twist, ignore, or omit the word of God, only offering the Word as it is written, in its entirety,” the church said in the statement.

Previously a professional caterer, Ragland was a church volunteer working with the Rev. Tom Barnard at her local United Methodist congregation in Virginia.

When Barnard moved to Iowa to serve at Trinity United Methodist in Waverly, and later Charles City, Ragland and her family decided to follow, with Ragland working as the church’s director of discipleship in Waverly. They moved to Waverly in 2020 and more recently bought a house in Charles City in May of 2022.

As the schism in the United Methodist Church (UMC) worked its way up and down the organization, Rev. Barnard was removed from his position at Trinity in Charles City earlier this year. He has since become a pastor at a Global Methodist Church in Pennsylvania.

At the same time Barnard left UMC, Ragland said she was in the midst of her own conflict with church leadership about its policies regarding literal vs. metaphorical interpretations of biblical text. She says she was disciplined and criticized for organizing youth trips to a creationist museum and Noah’s Ark park.

“There was a faction of people in my church in Waverly that when they found out where we were going they lost their minds,” said Ragland.

Ragland quit her job with that church in June and, at Barnard’s recommendation, was offered a position to serve as the pastor for the newly created Global Methodist Church congregation in Charles City.

“It’s been really awesome,” said Ragland. “It’s fun to be with a group of people who are excited about working with our fellowship.”

Initially meeting at the Floyd County Fairgrounds, Cedar Valley Community Church has now arranged the regular use of the American Legion Post 174 building.

Renting the building out every Wednesday and Sunday, the arrangement has been mutually beneficial. The new church has a regular place to meet and the regular use of the building helps Post 174 with the upkeep so that it’s readily available for other rentals throughout the week.

Like the Global Methodist Church itself, Cedar Valley Community Church is a work in progress. Starting with 22 members, the congregation has grown over its first several weeks and now averages between 38-43 people for its services and a youth group of 11 kids.

Building a new church from the ground up, the congregation is making do with limited resources. Ragland said they have no plans to purchase a building of their own at this point and are instead focused on serving the congregation and community.

Though not ordained herself, Ragland said her lifelong exposure to the church, from her father being a pastor to working for UMC, has left her with few surprises as she steps into her new role.

“None of the disciples went to seminary,” said Ragland, who plans on taking an online course in January to be recognized as ordained by GMC. “When you’re called by God to do something, you don’t hesitate. You do it.”

Ragland describes herself as more of a teacher than a preacher and said she has enjoyed her role in teaching about the Bible, particularly to the younger members of her church.

While the global rift within the Methodist church continues, Ragland says her attention is on growing her own new congregation and being active in the local community.

“Our focus is really on our own backyard,” said Ragland.

With a weekly service and youth group established, the church is preparing to start its Sunday school program and work on community outreach.

“That’s the next step,” said Ragland. “To let people know that we are here.”

Cedar Valley Community Church holds Sunday services at 9:30 a.m. in the American Legion building, 1108 5th St., Charles City. Sunday school will be at 10:45 a.m. starting Oct. 29th. There is also a Wednesday night youth group from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., for students in fourth to 12th grades.

For more information, go to cedarvalleycc23.my.canva.site or message cedarvalleycc23@gmail.com, or find the church on Facebook.