Archive: Good News and Charismatics[1]

By Charles W. Keysor, Editor, Good News Magazine

Late last year a separate organization was formed by some United Methodists who are charismatic. It is known as UM Renewal Services Fellowship. Its headquarters are in Nashville and its founding president is Dr. William P. Wilson, a psychiatrist, who belongs to the Good News Board of Directors and is scheduled as a major speaker at both Good News convocations this summer.

Formation of UMRSF illustrates a point Good News has been stressing since 1966: Lots of people have spiritual needs which our church is not meeting. One proof of this has been the steady growth of Good News for a decade. In 1977 came still another proof: the organization of these charismatics.

We seem to hold two things in common: both Good News and UMRSF want more spiritual vitality in our church. Also, both began outside of the institutional church womb.

However, unlike Good News, the new organization has quickly sought official approval and sanction. It has applied for, and secured, semi-official status with the UM Board of Discipleship. Its first Executive Director, Rev. Ross Whetstone, is a former staff member of the Board of Discipleship.

Good News, on the other hand, has always been completely independent of any denominational board or agency. We have cared more about upholding Biblical truth and reforming the church than about winning the approval and sanction of church leaders. God has provided this independence so we can be free to speak prophetically to the church-and act prophetically as the Holy Spirit directs.

Obviously, our concerns will overlap those of UMRSF in certain ways. We welcome their renewal efforts—the job of church reform is big enough for many groups, each working in its own style.

It remains to be seen how the charismatic brethren will fare in their quest for denominational blessing. The fact is, they stand conspicuously outside the liberal theological tradition which prevails in the UM hierarchy. Nevertheless, we hope they will be made warmly welcome at the institutional table. We urge church officials to cooperate with them fully. Failure to do after these charismatic leaders have so eagerly sought official acceptance, would be a serious failure in ministry … a breach of Christian brotherhood … and perhaps a violation of the new charismatic policy adopted by the last General Conference.

There is an interesting theological point in all of this. Good News, and now the UMRSF, have come into being because our church has long been theologically lopsided. Under the liberal dominance of the past 75 years, it has failed to give sufficient prominence to the great foundation truths of Holy Scripture. That is why Good News exists. Now UMRSF has formed because of United Methodist failure to place equal and adequate emphasis upon all three Persons of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Our church will remain unhealthy as long as it remains theologically unbalanced. Good News and others will continue working to correct this imbalance. Toward this goal, the prayers, energies, and dollars of many United Methodists are needed urgently. As we have for the past 10 years, Good News will continue working with United Methodists who love Jesus Christ and want the Bible as first authority in their lives. We stand ready to join hands with all others who will work for Scriptural Christianity within our United Methodist Church.

[1] *The first editorial appeared on page 38 of the issue for Sept/Oct 1977.

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