Magazine Articles

Unheralded faithfulness
I am encouraged when I hear about churches such as Frazier Memorial, Church of the Resurrection or Granger, but I was troubled by the letters to the editor in the September/October 2007 issue of Good News. There seems to be a dismissal, even latent criticism, of small churches that are not dramatically growing (to quote: "a church of less than 70 in worship, in a building that is over 30 years old, reaching fewer and fewer people").

I am concerned about faithful, hardworking pastors and laity in small churches who feel marginalized. In the face of constant references to a church that started with 4 families and now has 4,000 in attendance they can begin to feel that the life and work of their small congregation is not valued or meaningful.

Hebrews 11 honors equally those who met with great success and those who suffered "defeat." Paul had to defend his position as an apostle in the face of "super apostles" in Corinth who were much more polished and "successful" than he. In Revelation 7:8, the church at Philadelphia is told "I know you have little power, yet you have kept my word." And let's not forget the story of the widow's mite.

Spectacular growth and dynamic ministries honor God, but so does quiet, unheralded faithfulness. The Bible's witness is that faithfulness sometimes results in dramatic results and sometimes in a frustrating lack of results. We must guard against the sin of pride when we are successful, and the sin of despair when we are not. In summary, let us be careful lest we equate faithfulness and success. They are not always the same.

Larry R. Harvey
Via email

Feast of reason
Something in each issue of Good News usually gags me and I have to put it down or be ill. The September/October 2007 issue was a balanced feast of reason. Thank you for the improvement.

Carolyn L. R. Bittner
New Hartford UM Church

Grassroots United Methodism
As a local pastor, allow me to tell you what I hear from United Methodists almost daily.

1. We are watching our membership decline year after year. People tell us that they are leaving because this bishop denies the deity of Christ, or that some UM group is promoting the homosexual agenda, abortion, or radical environmentalism.

2. We go to annual conference and vote for motions and resolutions that support our Discipline and Scripture. And then these groups ignore those votes and our Discipline and make public statements against what God's Word teaches. Because they claim to speak for United Methodists, we are all painted with that same brush.

3. Because we support these agencies with our money, we believe that we are complicit in their activities. This thought is more worrisome than you can imagine. I find many of our parishioners are concerned at how they will answer for taking part in this before God.

4. Each year, the leadership comes up with some new formula for "fixing" our churches. The problem, as many in the pew see it, is the viewpoint that they (our leaders) know more than we do, and all we need to do is listen to them and our churches will thrive.

5. It is not the specific issues like acceptance of homosexuality or liberal humanism-these are only symptoms of the larger problem. Top-down management is the problem. The people in the pew more and more see the money they send to Conference as a tax. This is not because the Conference asks for a percentage. It is because the Conference, like our government, has ceased to be responsive to the people.

6. The church in Africa is growing by the thousands and we believe that it has to be at least in part to an adherence to biblical principles. While our American UM church declines and continues to move away from a traditional view of Scripture.

Those who want to undermine our doctrine are using the idea of Christ-likeness to discourage disagreement. Jesus did not mince words when it came to sin. He did not "go along to get along." Jesus said he did not come to bring peace, but a sword. The word of God divides by its very nature. If we believe God's word, we stand on one side and if we do not believe God's word, we stand on the other. Jesus caused division everywhere He went. His views were narrow and unbending. He told us the road to following him was narrow and difficult. He told us that the wide easy road leads to destruction.

I love the United Methodist Church and fast and pray for her repentance. We are quickly losing members, churches, and pastors. Our inflated membership numbers don't nearly reflect how many we have lost. Many of our churches still have two or three hundred (or more) on the rolls and less than forty in the church on Sunday morning.

Our huge church is like an ocean liner moving through the water. These great vessels cannot turn quickly. I am convinced that we are headed for the iceberg. If we don't begin to turn soon, it will be too late for us. Many have already abandoned ship. Some are in lifeboats and some are now on other vessels. Sadly many have been lost at sea, and may be lost forever.

Doug Stutz
Local pastor
Bethelridge, Kentucky

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Letters Cheers and Jeers

Letters
Cheers and Jeers