2026 AFLC Annual Conference Update

Our AFLC functions on the basis of an Annual Conference to which any member of an AFLC congregation (in good standing) may vote. The conference requests various actions from our independent ministry corporations, one of which is our Coordinating Committee. This committee has primary responsibility for coordinating denominational, congregational, and pastoral support and rostering.

For a number of years, the Coordinating Committee has been honoring a conference's request not to roster any man who has been divorced for any reason. However, the conference recently asked for a biblical study on the topic of divorce and remarriage as it relates to the pastoral office. The biblical study made a faithful case that it may be appropriate in someinstances for a previously divorced man to hold the office of pastor. As a result, further clarity on our policy was voted upon.

At this year’s conference in Moorhead, MN, in a very close vote, the conference voted for the Coordinating Committee to carefully consider the circumstances of a divorce and the man's present character who is seeking the pastoral office on a case-by-case basis (instead of automatically rejecting all men in this category). The Coordinating Committee was further instructed to create guidelines for rostering divorced pastors and inform the 2027 conference on these guidelines, as well as the protocol and method for fair and unbiased screening of possible candidates.

The resolution passed by 50.3%, a margin which indicates a diversity of opinion among both clergy and laypeople in our church body on this topic. However, I don’t think this vote indicates any sort of fault line of division. Our AFLC still strongly holds to the teachings of scripture which are that marriage is the life-long union of one man and one woman.

Discussions about clergy divorce and remarriage have been ongoing for years, and productive discussion will continue towards honoring scriptural requirements of the pastoral office while acknowledging the complications of clergy divorce. Our church body remains united as ever in the conviction that we base such decisions on Scripture alone, and that these guidelines be directed toward handling exceptional cases with biblical fidelity.

Divorce is a tragedy that wounds the witness of the gospel in congregational life, especially amongst pastors. It takes great wisdom to acknowledge that divorce is not an unpardonable sin for Jesus, and yet the character qualifications for the office of pastor (all of them) may still not be met. Pray for our Coordinating Committee and for all our congregations as we bear witness to both God’s righteous requirements (Law) and His provision of mercy and grace (Gospel).

~This report is adapted from Rev. Chris Kumpala with some changes made by myself.