The names on the signs in front of some Methodist churches aren’t the only things that are changing.

The fracture within the United Methodist Church is having impacts from worship hours to leadership.

Pastor Robert “Bay” Allen at Russell United Methodist Church has announced that he has been assigned to Russell and Sugar Grove United Methodist Churches this year, and will not be serving the Akeley congregation.

While Russell’s pastor remains, the time of the worship service there is changing. There will be one Sunday service at 9 a.m.

Pastors moving around within the United Methodist Church is not uncommon.

“As pastors in the United Methodist Church, we are appointed by the bishop,” Allen said. “Every year, we are up for new appointments.”

Allen will continue with Russell, but the rest of his appointments have changed.

“Come this week, I’m newly appointed to not just Russell, but Sugar Grove United Methodist Church and the lead pastor of the Flourishing Cooperative Ministry that includes the congregations of Youngsville, Lottsville, and Chandlers Valley,” Allen said.

The appointments were driven by a different force this year.

“This year, the Akeley United Methodist Church, who Russell was previously charged with, went through the process of disaffiliation,” he said. “They are no longer a part of the United Methodist Church.”

The same goes for the former Lander United Methodist Church.

“So, there were some things that needed to be seen to as far as pastoral support over the churches that remained,” he said. “A new charge was made for Russell and Sugar Grove. There is also a new charge being made for Youngsville, Lottsville, and Chandlers Valley.”

The Rev. Tom Harrison will be the pastor at Youngsville and Lottsville United Methodist churches.

“He’ll provide the primary pastoral care,” Allen said.

At Chandlers Valley, “Regina Heckman is a certified lay speaker,” he said. “She will be bringing the message at Chandlers Valley each week.”

Except for Russell’s, the worship times at the other churches of the Flourishing Cooperative will remain the same. “Russell is the only one that has a changed time,” Allen said.

The disaffiliation process has to be approved by a two-thirds vote.

Allen said the vote in Akeley was nearly unanimous.

Asked if there would be individual members “uprooted” from their home churches due to the disaffiliation process, Allen said he hasn’t seen much of that. “This hasn’t stirred up the congregations in that way. I haven’t seen a whole lot of disruption,” he said. “All those churches that were disaffiliating were going through that process for quite some time. Those that have remained… you’re not seeing a whole lot of division at this point because they were already on that point.”

The local disaffiliation process was finalized at the Western Pennsylvania annual conference this month in Erie, Allen said.

“It was a very difficult time,” he said. “There are some theological differences, but we are still under Christ.”