Full Breakdown
Attack Ads Claim Adam Hamilton Split the United Methodist Church – What the Evidence Shows
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Core Event
During the final week of the 2026 Kansas U.S. Senate race, Republican candidate Sen. Roger Marshall and former President Donald Trump aired television ads asserting that Democratic opponent Rev. Adam Hamilton “split” the United Methodist Church (UMC). The ads suggest Hamilton’s “wokeness” caused one-quarter of UMC congregations to leave the denomination.
02
Background & Context
Between 2019 and 2024 roughly a quarter of UMC churches—about 7,500 congregations—disaffiliated, driven primarily by a dispute over LGBTQ + inclusion. In 2019 the UMC adopted the “Traditional Plan,” which upheld bans on LGBTQ + clergy and same-sex marriages. A competing “One Church Plan,” favored by Hamilton and many Midwestern delegates, would have allowed regional bodies to set their own policies; it was defeated.
In 2024 the UMC voted to lift the bans, with nearly 750 delegates approving the change, and closed the “disaffiliation window” that had been open since 2019.
03
Data & Statistics
- Disaffiliation rate: Approximately 25 % of UMC churches left the denomination from 2019-2024 (? 7,500 congregations).
- Policy vote: 750 delegates voted to lift bans on LGBTQ + clergy and same-sex marriages in 2024.
- Church size: The Church of the Resurrection, founded by Hamilton, has about 25,000 members and runs a Queer-Inclusive Collective ministry.
04
Official Statements & Responses
United Methodist elder Laura Wittman said Hamilton’s influence on the disaffiliation was limited, noting his “UMC Next” gathering of more than 600 United Methodists where he rejected the Traditional Plan and sought “middle ground.”
Hamilton’s spokesperson Tyson Brody told ABC News that Marshall’s campaign was “sinking, and Washington is panicking,” framing the attacks as politically motivated.
Bishop David Wilson, leader of the UMC Great Plains Conference, called the accusations “sad” and criticized the “heated rhetoric of political campaigns.”
05
Criticism & Opposition
Vice President JD Vance, at a September rally in Olathe, attacked the Church of the Resurrection for sponsoring Kansas City PrideFest, calling the group it supported “an anti-Christian hate group.”
06
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Causal attribution: Marshall’s ads claim Hamilton caused the split, yet UMC officials and scholars point to the broader theological dispute over LGBTQ + inclusion as the primary driver. No source provides direct evidence linking Hamilton’s actions to the 7,500 disaffiliations.
- Quantitative ambiguity: The “one out of four” figure aligns with the overall disaffiliation rate, but it is unclear how many departures were directly related to Hamilton’s congregations or statements.
07
Verbatim Quotes
- “He’s the reason that the Methodist church split. One out of four left his denomination because of Adam Hamilton’s wokeness,” — Sen. Roger Marshall
- “There have been some spaces (Hamilton has) opened for conversations that I think ultimately may have been more progressive leaning conversations, but he’s spoken many times at general conferences and he’s always been pretty centrist,” — Laura Wittman
- “This is an anti-Christian hate group,” — JD Vance
08
What’s Next
The Kansas Senate election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. Both campaigns are expected to continue highlighting cultural issues, including transgender policies, as part of their final outreach. No further official statements on the UMC split have been announced.