Archive: Charismatics Focus on Worship

By Steve Beard

There were no political pronouncements—no resolutions to bring before General Conference. And the seats in the front were the first to be filled. This was not your everyday, ordinary United Methodist meeting.

Instead, the more than 1,700 charismatic United Methodists at the Aldersgate’91 conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee, enthusiastically worshipped God with uplifted hands and spirited singing, while some even danced in the aisles. Although guitars, drums, and praise choruses are often associated with a younger generation, the primarily middle-aged to older audience seemed to enjoy the contemporary worship as they clapped and shouted “Amen.”

The Aldersgate conference was led in worship by a variety of musical praise groups, including the choir and orchestra from Pine Castle UM Church in Orlando, Florida, and the Made to Praise expressive dance team from the First UM Church in Bedford, Texas.

“The most important contribution that our charismatic renewal has brought to the mainline church is the joyful worship of God, simply for God’s sake,” said keynote speaker the Rev. Dr. Robert Stamps of Park Avenue UM Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “We worship God in this way,” continued Stamps, “because God desires it, deserves it, and delights in it.”

Stamps also credited the charismatic renewal for encouraging a “healthy anticipation for the miraculous in our midst,” and a “restoration of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially the gift of healing.”

The mid-August national conference on the Holy Spirit, sponsored by the United Methodist Renewal Services Fellowship (UMRSF), also attempted to educate the church on the work of the Holy Spirit in the world today, provide an encouraging environment for the use of spiritual gifts, and promote spiritual renewal in the denomination.

“Renewal can never come to the people called Methodist unless we are serious about prayer,” said Gary L. Moore, executive director of the UMRSF, as he led the conference in prayer over a distributed list of United Methodist bishops.

The participants from 40 states not only prayed for the leadership and direction of the church, but also for one another. Pastors in attendance were asked to stand at the Saturday evening service, as those nearby laid hands upon them and joined in prayer.

At the conclusion of each service, specially trained counselors ministered to the sick by praying and anointing them with oil. Afterward, Moore reported that “there were many testimonies of people accepting Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit; and healings—spirit, soul, and body—were plentiful.”

Aldersgate offered 27 different workshops dealing with subjects such as evangelism, Transforming Congregations, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, emotional healing, and spiritual warfare. Speakers included well-known United Methodists such as evangelists Cecil Williamson and Wesley Putnam, as well as professors Robert Tuttle of Garrett-Evangelical Seminary and Seth Asare of Boston Theological Seminary.

Attendance at this year’s Aldersgate conference was a first of its kind for many evangelicals. In his seminar on “Wesleyan Theology and the Charismatic Experience,” UM evangelist Ed Robb, Sr. said that he was taught that “the gifts were only for the apostolic age.” To the audience’s delight he responded, “This is the apostolic age.”

While Aldersgate offered an encouraging environment for the use of the spiritual gifts outlined in the New Testament, participants were also asked to use discernment. Since there are often misunderstandings about some of the gifts—particularly speaking in tongues and healing—Bible teacher Joe Harding cautioned the charismatics “not to divide the body of Christ in the name of the Spirit.” Instead, Harding, the director of Vision 2000 for the Board of Discipleship, encouraged them to study the spiritual gifts, pray for their pastors, and faithfully serve their churches.

Steve Beard is the editor of Good News magazine.