Dem. Candidate Adam Hamilton's Leadership Was Instrumental in Split that Saw 7,600 Congregations Depart from United Methodist Church

Democrat U.S. Senate candidate for Kansas Adam Hamilton played a major role in the split within the Methodist church, as he was a key proponent for the stance that eventually drove 7,600 churches from the United Methodist Church (UMC), mostly congregations who refused to go along with his pro-LGBTQ agenda. Hamilton is the founding and senior pastor of Church of the Resurrection, the largest Methodist church in the country with over 24,000 members. He has served in leadership within the UMC and authored a number of books, for which he received nearly $500,000 in compensation according to a Senate finance disclosure. Hamilton was even named United Methodist Person of the Year for 2012 by the United Methodist Reporter for his leadership within the United Methodist Church, according to an online biography. Pastors within the UMC fought for years to stop the organization from performing gay marriages and ordaining self-proclaimed LGBTQ clergy, saying doing so went against scripture. In 2019, UMC leadership sided with the pro-LGBTQ side, which was led by Hamilton. They then allowed churches who wished to do so to leave, which included many black congregations and ultimately a quarter of the total within the United States. The UMC unsurprisingly became more liberal by 2024. Hamilton encourages the use of gender-neutral terms — instead of references to boys and girls — to make children “feel welcome,” and called a transgender singer an “inspiration” according to a Breitbart News report. He has also said the Virgin Birth is an optional belief for Christians and in 2015 questioned how much “latitude” Christians have to push back on the Bible, including whether they can say the Apostle Paul was “wrong.” Hamilton is running against incumbent Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) in a close battle for the seat. Vice President JD Vance is appearing in the state on Monday to boost Marshall with a rally in Topeka. President Trump made a stop last Monday in the state as well in an event that “blew the roof the arena” as the administration works to keep Congress in the hands of the GOP. Follow Matt Mercer on X: @mattmercer.