Yes. There have been calls for separation for years, particularly regarding issues relating to LGBTQ marriage and ordination rites. There was hope in early 2020 of a separation that could be amicable. I believe it was the Holy Spirit who prompted Bishop John Yambasu of the Sierra Leone Annual Conference to call together leaders at different ends of the theological spectrum for the purpose of reaching a healthy separation. The Protocol for Grace and Reconciliation through Separation, known simply as The Protocol, was the result of this call and much expert mediation. Traditionalist leaders sought to continue the church’s prohibition on LGBTQ marriages and ordinations in the UMC. Progressive leaders sought to remove such prohibitions…