by Steve | Nov 4, 2022 | In the News, Nov-Dec 2022
By B.J. Funk —
In the past few years, I have had a sweet, calming, and beautiful surprise happening in my life. I have smelled heaven.
I first recognized this indescribable occurrence when I sat in the lounge chair in my living room. Suddenly, from out of nowhere came the most beautiful fragrance. I looked around, startled by the compelling, comforting wonder. No one else was in my home; no candles were lit. I had not earlier sprayed perfume that might have lingered in my bedroom and now wafted into my living room. Besides, I had never smelled this scent before.
Within a few minutes it was gone, as if compelled to take flight back to its origin. The delicate fragrance left completely. I sat pondering what had just happened.
Months passed. I was in the same lounge chair when suddenly, without any notice, another beautiful smell passed over my face. This was the second time, and this smell was different. I put my head back and allowed the sensation to completely permeate my nose. In a few minutes, the delightful smell left.
Months later, a new, soft fragrance surrounded me in that same lounge chair. I sat as if suspended in time, not sure of what was occurring, filled with questions, and hoping the lovely smell would stay longer. It did not.
In all three of these situations, I was alone in my home. No candles burning, no perfumes, no room spray, no hair spray, nothing had been released into the air. This happened several more times. Perhaps I might have ignored this intriguing occurrence except for what happened next.
One night, I was in bed and about to go to sleep, I was suddenly surrounded by another delightful smell reaching my nostrils. I was puzzled. How was this happening? Where were these beautiful smells coming from?
In my bed, lying next to my husband’s place, something clicked in my soul. All of the pleasant smells were connected to Roy. After thinking in solitude, I believe I interpreted, with the Holy Spirit’s help, exactly what was happening.
My lounge chair sits in the exact spot where a hospital bed cradled Roy as Jesus took his hand and carried him to heaven thirteen years ago. As I sit there, my head is in the direct vicinity where Roy’s head was as eternity embraced him into another realm. I had never realized this before.
It is with this new understanding – that heaven is reaching down to me at the spot where Roy lay – that I drew the revelation that for some unknown reason, heaven’s smells were making a connection with me, always at the place where he had last been at rest. There is no clarity about why this happens to me.
You may ask if I feel God is getting me ready to leave this earth. Not really. I have no clue about that. I don’t ask him to explain. I feel that if I did, he would say, “You can’t figure this out. Just enjoy.”
It’s the same understanding I feel daily with God. I could never describe the moment in time when I knew, for the first time, that I was loved deeply by a loving God who yearns that I accept his offer of a relationship. Nor could I explain to anyone how salvation has changed my heart forever. These mysteries belong only to God. I accept the joy of knowing him and never doubt that this supernatural occurrence has happened, never attempting to figure it out. I love God’s “Surprise moments,” when heaven invades earth at His command.
My immediate family is with the Lord. My mother, my daddy, my one sibling, and my husband. I miss them. But, when I smell heaven, I rejoice that they have that beautiful smell always. I dance inside just for that momentarily uncomplicated piece of earth-time when I get to know a bit of what they always know in marvelous amazing quantity in that beautiful, sweet-smelling land called heaven.
B.J. Funk is Good News’ long-time devotional columnist and author of It’s A Good Day for Grace, available on Amazon.
by Steve | Nov 4, 2022 | In the News, Nov-Dec 2022
By Elizabeth Fink —
Would you believe me if I told you that from the age of 18 to the present, I have had at least 13 different addresses and attended eight different churches? I think it is safe to say that I had good reason to refer to myself as a nomad during my early adult years. Each place I lived offered its own unique experiences and has helped develop me into the person I am today.
However, there is one challenge that presented itself everywhere I went, and that was the lack of a peer group or community of young adults that shared similar foundational beliefs. Many young adults find it difficult to cultivate that kind of formational community in or around the Church.
From my perspective, United Methodism does not offer a strong young adult ministry. United Methodism’s “Young People’s Ministries” mainly focuses on children and youth. Young adults are often tacked onto that group because they don’t know where else to put them. In most churches, no one really knows what to do with young adults, so they either get ignored or attached to another group. There is a wide gap between youth ministry, college ministry, and young adult ministry, and yet churches often think of them in the same category.
What made it more difficult for me to find community was that even if I did find a young adult group, it either leaned theologically more progressive or functioned solely as a social club, with too much virtue signaling and not enough Jesus. I remember thinking to myself on a fairly regular basis, “Am I really the only traditional Methodist young adult around?” On occasion I did find another traditional young adult in United Methodist circles, and it was the Holy Spirit that led us to find one another. We were drawn to each other like bees to honey.
It wasn’t until I joined the Wesleyan Covenant Association and got more involved that I truly began to feel like I wasn’t alone. I met more and more young adults who were seeking the same kind of community and foundation of faith I was. Many of these are spread out across the United States and even around the world, so when the idea of starting a young adult group was brought up in the WCA, I thought, “This is brilliant!”
We have created a group called the Young Adult Methodist Connection. The Wesleyan Covenant Association sees and acknowledges the struggle for young adults to find and connect with one another and wants to help link those clergy and laity who are under the age of 40 and interested in joining the Global Methodist Church. By leaving young adults without a deep faith resource to turn to, the UM Church has inadvertently stirred up a holy discontented generation of young adults who crave a deep relationship with the living Christ and are motivated to spread scriptural holiness throughout the land.
Our hope is that no one will feel alone or isolated, and that young adults won’t struggle to find others in the GMC like them who are strong in their foundation of biblical faith. This is especially important now because many of us are feeling the effects of being caught up in the toxic environment that is found throughout the UM Church as it struggles with splitting.
When it comes to what a young adult group needs to look like, some words that are familiar to a lot of us come to mind: “prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.” More than ever, young adults need a space where they are encouraged and can serve as an encouragement through prayer, testimony, and having a safe space to ask questions and to discern.
There will be opportunities for general group gatherings with the potential for events specifically geared towards young adult clergy, seminary students, and lay leaders. We will keep you informed on new developments and upcoming events.
One of the exciting parts of developing this fellowship from the ground up is that we have a chance to shape it from the beginning. It will be a global community of young adults formed and led by young adults.
I’m looking forward to meeting and connecting with more young adults like me spread out over the connection. We are a generation of leaders ready to enter a new denomination with excitement about the future.
Elizabeth Fink is a student at Asbury Theological Seminary and the secretary of the WCA’s Global Council. If you are interested in being a part of this group or have any questions, please contact me at youngadults@wesleyancovenant.org. There is also a Facebook group. Photo: Shutterstock.
by Steve | Nov 2, 2022 | In the News
PRESS RELEASE 11/01/22
Africa Initiative Calls for Election of New Bishops in the Central Conferences of Africa
The Judicial Council, in its Decision 1445 (May 2022), gave permission for the Council of Bishops to call jurisdictional conferences this year to elect new bishops. Referencing Par. 45 of the Constitution of The United Methodist Church, the council ruled that “electing and assigning new bishops is essential to the establishment of a unified superintendency and episcopacy and the continuance of an episcopacy in The United Methodist Church.” They acknowledged that failure to elect new leaders would cause a strain upon existing bishops that threatened the health of the church. New bishops are also being elected in November 2022 for the Philippines, and Europe where no special ruling was required.
Africa is the only sphere of United Methodism where new bishops are not being elected. The three African central conferences are where the needs for additional episcopal supervision are most severe. Only 13 episcopal leaders provide leadership for such a vast Continent with the fastest growing population of the UMC. In fact, these 13 bishops provide leadership for as many members as are served by 46 bishops in the United States.
In light of this need, the 2016 General Conference in Portland, Oregon, approved the election of five additional bishops to strengthen the leadership capacity of the current bishops in Africa. Six years later, these new bishops have yet to be elected. The Council of Bishops been recently silent about the need for additional bishops in Africa. Some of our bishops who were due for mandatory retirement since 2020 to present are endorsed by the Council of Bishops to stay on until 2024. While episcopal elections take place in the U.S., Philippines, and Europe, we have only this word from the Council of Bishops: “Episcopal leaders in Africa announced that no new bishops would be elected on the continent until after General Conference, now scheduled in 2024”.
What are the disciplinary justifications for this decision? Whom did they consult prior to making this decision? Are there no qualified clergy to replace episcopal leaders due for retirement, including those who have long passed mandatory retirement age? Why did nominations take place in the Sierra Leone Annual Conference in anticipation of election to replace the late Bishop John K. Yambasu who died in a tragic motor accident about two years ago?
Why should an American retired bishop continue to lead the Sierra Leone Annual Conference when that conference has conducted nominations and is awaiting the West Africa Central Conference to elect its bishop to lead the conference? Why has the Council of Bishops endorsed such a decision by the Africa College of Bishops in contravention to the 2016 Book of Discipline, and against the wishes and aspirations of the membership of the central conferences of Africa? Why dash the hopes of the Sierra Leone Annual Conference and that of other annual conferences who are looking forward to electing new bishops to replace bishops due for retirement? Why treat the central conferences of Africa in such a demeaning manner as if we do not matter? We consider this action on the part of African College of Bishops, with the acquiescence of the Council of Bishops, as a violation of our rights to elect our own bishops when they are duly scheduled to be elected. This is a gross injustice to the growing membership of the three central conferences. The decision is therefore unacceptable.
Hence, we call for the election of new bishops in the three central conferences of Africa where elections are due.
Please consider the following:
- It is public knowledge that the election of new bishops is overdue in all three African central conferences due to mandatory retirement rules that govern our church.
- There is no justification for treating Africa differently than the rest of the UMC.
- Even if all current episcopal areas were filled, there would still be a shortage of episcopal leadership in Africa.
- It is disturbing to say the least that the Council of Bishops would agree to a plan that treats the African central conferences as second-class citizens of the United Methodist Church. While committed to confronting injustice, they have participated in a great injustice.
- The Council of Bishops has not acted consistently with its own past actions in enforcing the retirement rules of the Book of Discipline. This action on the part of the Council of Bishops violates the rights of the membership of the annual conferences of the UMC in Africa.
- It is not healthy for leaders to seek to hold on to power past their tenure. The church should model good governance for the rest of society.
- The committees on episcopacy in the central conferences seem not to have been consulted in the decision to postpone elections. This is certainly true in the West Africa Central Conference and seems to be the case elsewhere.
- There is an abundance of trained and qualified African clergypersons available to replace our bishops who have reached mandatory retirement.
The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, in Paragraph 542.1, empowers the executive committee of each central conference to set a time and place for central conferences to meet. We call upon these executive committees to do so at the earliest possible opportunity. Alternatively, we call upon our African bishops to reconsider the decision to elect no new bishops before the next General Conference. This action would demonstrate their honest stewardship of the shepherding responsibility of God’s church entrusted to their care. By making such a decision, which is in the best interest of the three central conferences of Africa, they would finish well in ministry, and leave behind a positive legacy upon which current and future generations shall build toward the advancement of God’s Kingdom here in Africa until Christ returns. Thank you.
Rev. Dr. Jerry P. Kulah
General Coordinator, UMC Africa Initiative
by Steve | Oct 24, 2022 | In the News
By Thomas Lambrecht
“As of today, I am responsible for 18,617 abortions.”
Those were the words on a note handed to my friend, the Rev. Dr. Carolyn Moore, pastor of Mosaic Church in Evans, Georgia. It was from a young woman who was desperately seeking counsel. “For three years, she’d been working in an abortion clinic, rising in the ranks to the place of managing several clinics in Georgia for an owner in Tennessee,” wrote Moore. “The day she came to see me, she’d decided she was done and wanted help getting out.”
Carolyn’s congregation was able to help the young woman get in touch with a group that helped her begin a new life. “That job, by her account, nearly destroyed her soul,” observed Moore in a series of articles on her blog.
Abortion continues to divide our national life.
Ever since the Supreme Court Dobbs decision last June determined that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to abortion, the U.S. has seen a political frenzy aimed at either preserving abortion rights or capitalizing on the new ability to restrict abortions. Political conflicts based on sound bites and power posturing do not help us think as Christians about our approach to abortion.
Because the situation has changed, many more people are paying attention to the question of when or if abortion should be allowed. Polls show that most Americans are in favor of allowing abortion in some circumstances, but not all. At the same time, opinion is deeply divided. Undoubtedly, the same is true in the church.
These discussions are deeply emotional because they affect the lives of real people: women with unintended pregnancies, their partners, and unborn babies. Decisions around abortion are often agonizing and difficult. Conflicting values come into play. Women often feel powerless or without resources to contemplate either abortion or continuing the pregnancy.
“The world is also full of young women who have made life-changing mistakes and who found a short-term solution in a clinic,” observed Moore. “I’ve talked to dozens of those women over the years and have discovered a kind of pain that rests uniquely with someone who holds the shame of a secret.”
We can either turn abortion into a partisan political football, or we can engage in thinking more deeply and discussing abortion from a Christian perspective. Leaving aside the question of what laws should be passed, which gets mired in the political weeds of the moment, what would it mean to have a consistently pro-life ethic regarding abortion – valuing the life and wellbeing of both the mother and the unborn child? The United Methodist statement on abortion offers some important principles that help us get past slogans and address real issues from a nuanced Christian perspective. You can find this statement in our 2016 Book of Discipline, Par. 161K.
The thoughts below highlight the principles in our Social Principles statement. It is my hope that these reflections on them can help foster greater understanding and a thoughtful approach to this difficult ethical issue.
The Sacredness of Human Life
The United Methodist statement begins by enunciating an important principle. “The beginning of life and the ending of life are the God-given boundaries of human existence. … Our belief in the sanctity of unborn human life makes us reluctant to approve abortion. But we are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother and the unborn child.”
Human life itself is a gift of God, and the boundaries of human existence – the beginning and ending of life – are set by God, not determined arbitrarily by people. Because human life is a gift of God, it is sacred. That means it is set apart to serve the purposes of God, not to be used, begun, or ended at human whim. This gives us a deep respect for human life characteristic of the Christian worldview. This deep respect extends to the lives of unborn children, as it has since the beginning of the church 2,000 years ago. Scriptures that support this principle include Genesis 1-2, Jeremiah 1:4-5, Luke 2:39-45, and I Corinthians 6:19-20.
The most well-known passage is from the psalmist: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:13-16).
As Moore puts it, “Clearly, there is a war on life in our world, and it is most certainly a spiritual war. We devalue health in favor of immediate gratification. We devalue lives based on appearance, IQ, gender, or even difference of opinion (do I think someone who doesn’t vote like me or believe like me is as valuable as I am?).
“We forget that the value of every life is one. Every life. Every human body. Every soul.
“This is God’s great design. All life is sacred, and a person who engages in life-creating behavior enters into a sacred process. We are not given license to pick and choose how life happens or which children come into the world. That was never our charge. The alternative, then, is to receive life as a gift in whatever way it happens.”
Crucially, the Social Principles statement recognizes the sacredness of the life and well-being of both mother and unborn child. One should not be set against the other. Both should be cared for. Too often, the pro-life position only focuses on assuring the life of the unborn child, while the pro-choice position only focuses on assuring the well-being of the mother. To be consistently pro-life means to provide for the life of the unborn child, as well as its well-being after birth. It means to provide for the life of the mother and her well-being, both during pregnancy and throughout the childhood of her baby.
Abortion as Birth Control
The statement continues, “We cannot affirm abortion as an acceptable means of birth control, and we unconditionally reject it as a means of gender selection or eugenics.” With nearly one million abortions per year in the United States, it is often regarded as a means of birth control, like the Pill or the use of an IUD. There is a fundamental difference, however, in that abortion ends an already existing life, while other means of birth control generally prevent the conception of a new life. This is why we do not regard abortion as a legitimate means of birth control, since to do so would be to lose our sense of the sacred gift of that unborn child’s life.
Moore reports, “Ironically, today’s Planned Parenthood considers itself an advocate for women’s health. It is ironic because, while it purports to allow women a choice in giving birth, it supports and even promotes a practice that targets and endangers girls. Every day, all over the world, people hit the delete button on a life when they hear these words: ‘It’s a girl.’ … ‘In India, China, and many other parts of the world today, girls are killed, aborted, and abandoned simply because they are girls. The United Nations estimates as many as 200 million girls are missing the world today because of this so-called gendercide.’” As the Social Principles statement maintains, there is absolutely no justification for taking unborn lives for these reasons.
Some regard abortion as a “backup plan” in case of birth-control failure. That takes us into the realm of taking a human life that is already conceived and growing inside the mother because the baby is unwanted, or the mother feels she cannot adequately provide for it (more on this second point later).
In the first century, it was common practice for the Romans to abandon unwanted babies in the forest or field, where they were eaten by predators or died of exposure. Christians lived out their pro-life ethic by rescuing such abandoned children and raising them as their own. Surely, the same logic applies here to abortion. Always with outstretched arms, our role ought to be to rescue children in difficult circumstances.
The Limits of Choice
The popular slogan right now on the pro-choice side is “My Body, My Choice.” Christians should affirm the freedom and responsibility that men and women have to make decisions about what they do with their bodies. That freedom and responsibility begins with the decision to engage in a sexual relationship. Even the most effective birth control is not 100 percent effective. Any time someone engages in a sexual relationship, they should be prepared for the possibility that a child will be created. Taking responsibility for the consequences of one’s actions is a primary marker of adulthood. Both the men and the women who participate in the conception of a child have a responsibility to that child and to each other.
Our current medical understanding of neonatal science unveils a whole new way to view the dependent – and yet independent – relationship between mother and child. For example, an unborn child has a different genetic makeup from its mother and is a distinct human life. It is not the same thing as having a kidney removed.
“The pro-life message has been, for the last 40-something years, that the fetus … is a life, and it is a human life worthy of all the rights the rest of us have,” young mother Ashley McGuire told The Atlantic magazine last year. “That’s been more of an abstract concept until the last decade or so.” But, she added, “when you’re seeing a baby sucking its thumb at 18 weeks, smiling, clapping,” it becomes “harder to square the idea that that 20-week-old, that unborn baby or fetus, is discardable.”
In other words, when young couples view a sonogram for the first time and see a heartbeat, it makes placard slogans seem so woefully inadequate.
It is a short step from saying, “I don’t want a child,” to “I don’t want this child.” Some abortions take place because the baby is of the “wrong” gender or because it might have the wrong genetic characteristics. It has been reported that up to 90 percent of unborn children that have genetic markers indicating possible Down Syndrome are currently being aborted in the U.S. Whatever the reason for the child being unwanted, our posture as Christians should surely be on the side of protecting all human life.
Dealing with Exceptions
Whenever discussion of abortion comes up, people refer to the exceptional cases: children conceived by rape or incest, or situations where a continued pregnancy threatens the life or health of the mother. These instances are vitally important and deserve our attention.
According to reports from the Guttmacher Institute, these kinds of heart-rending exceptions make up less than 10 percent of all abortions. The basic principles of the sacredness of human life apply in the vast majority of situations.
The Social Principles state, “We recognize tragic conflicts of life with life that may justify abortion, and in such cases we support the legal option of abortion under proper medical procedures by certified medical providers.” Protestants historically have given priority to the life of the mother, believing that she has relationships and responsibilities (perhaps to a husband or other children) that would mean her loss would have more far-reaching ramifications. When a pregnancy threatens the mother’s life or could severely impact her health, many would agree that abortion could be justified to preserve the mother’s life and health. Of course, these kinds of decisions should never be made lightly and require the wisdom of Solomon.
The Social Principles do not take a position on the exception of children conceived by rape or incest. There are conflicting values in play. In these situations, the woman is pregnant without her consent. One value is that women should not be forced to bear a child to which they did not consent. On the other hand, there is a legitimate question whether the unborn child’s life should be terminated because of the sinful act of violence by which it was conceived. In the end these exceptional cases become a matter of personal decision by women and their families. The decision may depend upon what kind of support system the woman has and would take cognizance of the emotional and psychological effects of the violent act and the ongoing pregnancy.
Moore reminds us that we should “understand how God uses suffering and redeems mistakes. Because he does. In God’s economy, nothing is wasted. One of our families in church gave birth to a child with significant health issues. He was in critical care for months in another state and has had multiple surgeries since. After they arrived home, we visited this little one in the hospital, where he stayed for more months. As I stood on one side of the bed looking at this child – tubes everywhere – his mother said, ‘I can’t believe God trusted us enough to allow us to care for this one.’ That’s the very spirit of Romans 8:28. ‘In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’” God can use and redeem even situations where children are conceived by rape or incest.
The same is true when it comes to serious medical conditions in the unborn child. As mentioned above, abortion for the sake of eugenics is “unconditionally rejected” by the church. At the same time, the church recognizes an exception “in the case of severe fetal anomalies incompatible with life.” When the child has a fatal developmental or genetic defect, it is not a moral necessity to continue the pregnancy, but the child’s parents may decide to continue the pregnancy to see how God would use it for his glory.
The Church’s Ministry
Importantly, the Social Principles statement points out the need for the church to provide the support needed to women with crisis pregnancies. “We affirm and encourage the Church to assist the ministry of crisis pregnancy centers and pregnancy resource centers that compassionately help women find feasible alternatives to abortion.” The church can provide emotional, practical, and financial support to women who “feel that they have no choice due to financial, educational, relational, or other circumstances beyond their control.” “We particularly encourage the Church, the government, and social service agencies to support and facilitate the option of adoption.” We cannot just be issue advocates. We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus in serving these women and their families.
The church’s ministry must be extended to all. “We commit our Church to continue to provide nurturing ministries to those who terminate a pregnancy, to those in the midst of a crisis pregnancy, and to those who give birth.” Regardless of a woman’s decision concerning abortion, the church can be a source of God’s love, support, healing, and (where needed) forgiveness.
In addition, the church can be involved in efforts to prevent unintended pregnancies. “The Church shall encourage ministries to reduce unintended pregnancies, such as comprehensive, age-appropriate sexuality education, advocacy in regard to contraception, and support of initiatives that enhance the quality of life for all women and girls around the globe.” These efforts can make a difference, both in individual lives as well as in cultivating a culture of life in our society.
In the area of advocacy, we can support the enforcement of laws that hold the child’s father responsible for financially supporting the child and its mother. Many pro-life advocates have also supported benefits that make it easier for families to have children, such as paid parental leave, health insurance coverage for all mothers and their children, and support for the expenses of child-rearing through the tax system. No woman should be in the position of choosing abortion simply because she feels she cannot afford to provide for her child. If we want to encourage women not to abort their children, we must remove some of the obstacles that stand in the way of that decision. Simply passing laws forbidding abortion will not be enough.
Compassionate care and provision for women with crisis pregnancies beyond the birth of their children is an essential aspect of being “pro-life.” There can be fair disagreement over specific proposals. But in an age when extended family support systems are not available for many women who are having children, society and the church must do more to ease the burden of child-rearing.
Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). God is the God of life, promoting abundant life wherever he is present (see, for example, Revelation 22:1-4). A holistic pro-life ethic recognizes that God desires not just quantity of life, but quality of life, as well. As we apply that pro-life ethic, we seek to maximize both the number of lives that are born into this world and the ability for each of those precious children to grow into fruitful adults who live out the gifts and personalities God bequeathed to them. As Christians, we can do no less.
Thomas Lambrecht is a United Methodist clergyperson and the vice president of Good News. Photo: Shutterstock.
by Steve | Oct 7, 2022 | Front Page News, In the News
By Thomas Lambrecht
As churches are disaffiliating from The United Methodist Church over theological and ethical differences with the denomination, they are considering where to affiliate next. There is a small percentage that are choosing to remain as independent congregations, a course of action we believe to be shortsighted. (See last week’s Perspective on this issue.)
As someone who was heavily involved in helping create the Global Methodist Church, I whole-heartedly believe this is the best option for local churches looking for a Wesleyan denomination with which to affiliate. Here are a number of reasons why.
1. Formed by leaders we know and trust
The Global Methodist Church was formed by people who want to see the GM Church committed to making disciples for Jesus Christ. They have served in leadership in the same Renewal and Reform groups that have worked for decades to promote doctrinal integrity and biblical positions in The United Methodist Church. These include The Confessing Movement, Good News, and the Wesleyan Covenant Association. They are dedicated to the advancement of a Scripturally-based, historic Wesleyan understanding of the Christian faith. They are people of personal integrity and a strong life commitment to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Since these leaders have a track record of faithfulness and integrity, we can confidently follow their leadership in a new denomination.
2. Centered on maintaining Wesleyan doctrine and theology based on Scripture
The GM Church embraces a warm Wesleyan theology and a vibrant spiritual outlook. It has the same doctrinal standardsas the UM Church, with the addition of the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Definition of Chalcedon. Agreement with the doctrinal standards is required of churches aligning with the GM Church. All bishops and clergy will be expected to agree with, preach, and defend these doctrines, with robust accountability to ensure doctrinal faithfulness. The teaching of these doctrines through a new catechism will be a featured part of all GM congregations. At the same time, doctrines not considered part of the theological and ethical core are open for exploration and difference of opinion. As John Wesley said, “as to all opinions which do not strike at the root of Christianity, we think and let think.” The GM Church will have a clear vision about the “root of Christianity” and will make sure it is protected.
3. Prioritizing evangelism and church planting
GM congregations will be challenged to partner together to plant new churches and extend the evangelistic ministry of the church in their communities and in other parts of the nation and world. New churches are already being started under the auspices of the GM Church in the U.S. and in other countries. The GM Church has established a goal of planting thousands of new churches around the world during its first years of existence. We believe our congregations will have a vision for outreach and a global perspective.
4. Leaner, more effective denominational structure
The GM Church at both the general and annual conference level will rely on fewer and smaller organizational units to steer its ministry, rather than building large bureaucracies that require much spending to maintain overhead. The GM Church will partner with existing ministries with demonstrated effectiveness and commitment to Wesleyan theology to extend the church’s work, rather than building new ministries from scratch. This approach will enable much greater flexibility and adaptability to changing ministry circumstances.
5. Prioritizing the work of the local church
The local church is where disciples are made. The GM Church exists to support the ministry of the local church, not vice versa. All denominational decisions will be made within the framework of what will strengthen the ministry of the local church.
6. More resources for local ministry
The GM Church has capped the amount that a local church can be asked to contribute to the denominational structures. A maximum of 1.5 percent of local church operating income will go toward general church expenses. A maximum of 5 percent will go toward annual conference expenses. Initially, only 1 percent will go to each. More resources will stay in the local church to be used for effective ministry there.
7. No trust clause
The local church will own its own property free and clear, with no legal trust or obligation to the GM denomination. A simple, straightforward path of disaffiliation is offered for congregations that no longer find their home in the GM Church.
8. Robust accountability
Bishops, clergy, laity, and congregations will hold one another accountable to maintain Wesleyan doctrine and exhibit continued transformation and growth in discipleship. Bishops will be held accountable by a global committee of laity and clergy, not other bishops. Clergy will be held accountable through a fair and equitable judicial system. Laity will be encouraged to participate in accountable discipleship groups to support their growth in faith and Christian living. In the rare instance that a congregation welcomes teaching contrary to GM doctrinal standards or refuses to support the denomination’s work financially, it may be removed (following a collaborative dialog process).
9. Strong and clear biblical stances on marriage, sexuality, pro-life, and other bedrock issues
The GM Church’s Social Witness statements clearly define marriage as between one man and one woman, while reserving sexual relationships for marriage. Without getting into partisan politics, it states a clear pro-life stance on unborn children, while calling for greater support for women with unanticipated pregnancies. It puts forward clear, non-partisan statements on other bedrock ethical concerns, such as the value and dignity of all persons, opposition to prejudice and discrimination, concern for the poor, care for the earth, the rule of justice and law, and religious freedom. Scriptures are cited in support of each of the GM Church’s Social Witness statements. Readers are encouraged to consult the entire Social Witness section of the Doctrines and Discipline for more details.
10. A truly global church
The GM Church already has members in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Africa. It is expected that a majority of members might be located outside the U.S. Members from all parts of the globe will be equally and fairly represented at General Conference and in the general work of the church. The denomination will be multi-racial, multi-cultural, and multi-national, learning from one another and living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in many different ways.
11. Greater local church involvement in pastoral appointments
While pastoral appointments will still be fixed by the bishop, the local church will have greater input into whom the bishop appoints as pastor. Bishops will work with local churches to ensure their welcome of female and ethnic clergy on an equal basis. Pastoral appointments are intended to last longer, giving greater continuity to ministry.
12. A redefined role and process for bishops
While not included in the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline, leaders of the GM Church are committed to a term episcopacy. Bishops are proposed to only serve for a set maximum term, perhaps 12 years, and would not be elected for life. Bishops are envisioned as spiritual and missional leaders, while being relieved of the responsibility to administer the temporal affairs of the church, which can be delegated to lay or clergy staff. Bishops are proposed to be assigned at the call of the annual conference to ensure the best leadership match.
13. Missions through partnership
The GM Church aims to facilitate missions by horizontally linking churches and annual conferences with each other across national boundaries. Financial support for missions will generally travel directly to partners, rather than through a mission bureaucracy. The two-way exchange of volunteers and learning opportunities will foster a mutual equality among mission partners around the world. Local churches and annual conferences will become more invested in cross-cultural missions through increased direct contact with mission partners.
14. Shorter route to ordination for clergy
Rather than the 6-10 years it takes in the UM Church to reach ordained ministry, clergy candidates can expect to be ordained as deacons in 1-3 years. Ordination as elder would take an additional 4-6 years. Half of clergy education would take place after ordination, enabling clergy to integrate classroom learning with current job experience. Various educational routes will enable less expensive and more flexible pathways to ordained ministry. Ongoing clergy mentorship will be an essential part of ministry in the GM Church. Denominational support for clergy education will be a keystone of the connectional financial plan.
15. Greater flexibility in ministry and structure
With unity on essential doctrines, much greater flexibility can be given for how local churches and annual conferences do ministry, based on their ministry context. The GM Church will have minimum requirements for organization of local churches and annual conferences, with maximum flexibility and adaptability for how those structural requirements are met. Best practices will be shared across the church, so that clergy, congregations, and annual conferences can continually learn from each other and implement the most effective methods of winning people to Jesus Christ and discipling them in the faith.
16. Social Witness statements will require greater consensus
To minimize divisions over denominational positions on social issues, all such statements will require a 75 percent supermajority vote to be adopted. The focus of such statements will be more on biblical principles than advocating partisan political solutions.
17. Opportunity to build a new denomination
With the GM Church, we have the opportunity to build a new denomination for the 21st century that maintains the best of our Wesleyan tradition, while adapting our methods to fit ever-evolving circumstances and correcting for the shortcomings experienced in The United Methodist Church. Joining another, pre-existing denomination means agreeing with and conforming to a church culture and manner of operating that has been developed over decades and will not easily change. The GM Church offers a much cleaner slate on which to write the principles of an effective and Christ-centered denomination that is more flexible and adaptable to today’s world.
Churches considering affiliation with the Global Methodist Church should study the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline, which outlines how the church will function initially. A convening General Conference will flesh out details, such as the election and assignment of bishops. Churches should also contact the GM Church to invite a representative to speak and answer questions, as well as offer further clarification on what to expect.
Ultimately, the Wesleyan witness for Christ will be stronger if most of the disaffiliating churches align with one denomination, rather than splintering into various independent congregations or aligning with multiple existing Wesleyan denominations. The GM Church offers the best option for keeping the best of Methodism, while having the flexibility to try new ways of organizing for ministry and reaching the world for Jesus Christ.
Thomas Lambrecht is a United Methodist clergyperson and the vice president of Good News. Photo: Matt Botsford, Unsplash.
by Steve | Oct 6, 2022 | In the News
By Thomas Lambrecht
As many United Methodist congregations are discerning their future, a small percentage who choose to disaffiliate from the denomination are choosing also to become an independent congregation. Given the dysfunction of The United Methodist Church and the denominational oppression experienced by some congregations, such a choice is understandable. It can be similar to the person who experiences a bad marriage determining never to get married again.
Becoming independent can be exhilarating. No one telling you what to do. No one demanding that you pay for this or that. No one telling you whom you must have as a pastor. You are free to structure your church as you like. You can decide as a congregation whether or not to support particular missions. It’s the same feeling one gets the first time one leaves home to live on one’s own.
Pretty soon, however, reality sets in. The responsibility of making all the decisions for a congregation without any guidance or support can become overwhelming. This is particularly true for smaller and mid-sized congregations.
That is why it is good to remember the reasons for being part of a larger denominational group.
Security in Doctrine
We are not saved from our sins and transformed into the image of Jesus by the correctness of our beliefs. But what we believe certainly influences our ability to experience salvation and informs the kind of life we live as a Christian. This is true at both the individual and the congregational level.
If we believe that everyone is going to heaven, then it is not important for us to share the good news of Jesus Christ or for individuals to surrender their lives to the lordship of Christ. If we believe the Bible is fallible, then it is all right for us to compromise the teachings of Scripture in order to be more culturally acceptable. If we believe the Bible and the Church historically are wrong about certain activities being contrary to God’s will for us, then we will be comfortable ignoring those biblical standards in the way we live our lives.
That is why it is so important for us to get our doctrinal beliefs right. Incorrect beliefs can lead us away from God and cause us to live lives that are not in keeping with God’s desire for us.
The basic tenets of the Christian faith are not up for negotiation, either by individual persons or by individual congregations. The virtue of a denomination is that it has a set of beliefs that are consistent with historic Christian doctrine and vetted by a larger body of people. This helps keep individual Christians and individual congregations from going off the rails in their beliefs and “making shipwreck of their faith.” Doctrinal accountability is essential for the Christian life.
That accountability is especially true when our theological perspective is a minority view within the overall Body of Christ in the U.S. Among evangelical circles, the predominant theology is Calvinist, whereas Methodists take a Wesleyan/Arminian perspective on theology. A colleague who is a professor at Asbury Seminary has often remarked that Wesleyan/Methodist churches that go independent tend to become Calvinist in theology within a generation of their departure from a Wesleyan denomination. Doctrinal accountability can keep our churches faithful to a doctrinal perspective that is valuable and needed in the Body of Christ today.
In Africa, many freelance independent, non-denominational churches preach a prosperity gospel. For churches there, being part of an established Wesleyan denomination can help guard against the adoption of heretical doctrines that are harmful to their members in the end.
Accountability
That leads us to the next value of denominations: a system of accountability for both doctrine and behavior. In order to be effective, accountability has to be broader than what an individual congregation or its leaders can provide. Yes, it should not have to be this way, but in our fallen, sinful condition, we have human blind spots and mixed motivations that prevent us from seeing problems or from acting on the problems we do see, especially when we are close to the situation.
Throughout my ministry, I have witnessed repeatedly a congregation victimized by pastoral leadership that transgresses the boundaries of Christian behavior. Christianity Today recently produced a podcast [https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/] series that chronicles the rise and fall of Mars Hill Church, a megachurch based in Seattle, Washington. The congregation grew from a small Bible study to a multi-site congregation with 15 locations in four states. Weekend attendance was over 12,000. Then the founding pastor and other leaders were accused of “bullying” and “patterns of persistent sinful behavior.” Within 18 months, that giant church ceased to exist. Ironically, that founding pastor became pastor of another church and allegedly continues some of the same dysfunctional patterns.
One can reel off the names of other high-profile pastors and ministry leaders who for years perpetuated a pattern of life and ministry that was deceitful and destructive. Those with oversight responsibility were too close to the situation or the person to see the problems.
In Africa and other parts of the world, the pastor is sometimes given unbridled power in the congregation. We have heard reports of some leaders who take advantage of their position for personal gain. The church becomes an environment where those in charge decide on their own what is right, rather than looking to Scripture and denominational policies and procedures. In such an atmosphere, pastors and church members alike can be harmed by arbitrary and dictatorial leadership. Denominational accountability is the only thing that can protect pastors and church members from harm.
Denominational accountability systems do not always work the way they are intended (as our own United Methodist Church’s failures in this regard testify). But at least there is a system of greater accountability that can be reformed and made more effective. I believe the system envisioned for the proposed Global Methodist Church enhances accountability and fairness in a way that addresses some of the shortfalls in our UM accountability system. Certainly, there is a much greater possibility of holding leaders and congregations accountable when that accountability comes from outside the situation. We are often much more able to see and respond to the sins and shortcomings of others than we are in ourselves or our own families.
The Power of Collective Action
The United Methodist Church is a small church denomination. Over 75 percent of the more than 30,000 congregations in the U.S. average fewer than 100 in worship attendance. Individually, small churches have limited resources to accomplish large projects. Collectively, however, churches working and contributing together can do great things for God. That is one area where The United Methodist Church has leveraged our connectional system to make a real-world difference in the lives of people all over the globe. When it comes to hunger relief, poverty alleviation, education, ministerial training, and health care to name just a few areas, the UM Church has been able to pool the resources of many small churches to achieve significant results.
It is possible for independent churches to join associations of churches or otherwise link to support missions and ministries they agree with. The value of doing so as a denomination is to have the confidence that the missions and ministries supported by the denomination are consistent with the denomination’s doctrinal and moral standards. A denomination can make a long-term commitment to a geographic area or a certain large project that can be sustained, despite the fact that individual congregations might have to drop their support for a time, as other congregations come on board to make up the shortfall. There is a greater chance of consistency and effectiveness with denominational programs that have built-in oversight and accountability from outside (as mentioned earlier).
Providing Pastoral Leadership
One of the most important tasks of a denomination is to provide pastoral leadership to its congregations. The denomination vets and approves candidates for a pastoral position in terms of doctrine, skills, and personal lives. This is work that an independent congregation would have to do for itself, often without the expertise in personnel work and theology to make informed judgments. In the case of independent congregations, finding a pastor takes a number of months and often a year or more, during which time the congregation is without a pastor. Smaller congregations will attract fewer and less qualified applicants, whereas, in a denominational system clergy express their willingness to serve where needed.
Again, the United Methodist system of clergy placement is not perfect. Many appointments are good matches between congregation and pastor. Other times, the match is not good. Part of the reason for this mismatch is the guaranteed appointment, meaning all United Methodist clergy must be assigned a place to serve. The Global Methodist Church will not have a guaranteed appointment, eliminating the situation where clergy who are theologically incompatible or deficient in skills still must receive an appointment to a church regardless. The GM Church is also committed to more extensive consultation with both potential clergy and congregations to ensure the best possible match and to enable longer-term pastorates.
The important point is that, when done well, the denominational process can supply churches with quality, committed pastoral leaders who will help the congregation realize its potential. It can help guard against clergy who are doctrinally or personally unqualified to serve in leadership. The process can do most of the heavy lifting that would otherwise fall to inexperienced volunteers in the local congregation.
Practical Resources
What is a good curriculum for your church’s Sunday school? What would be a good Bible study on stewardship? How can we get our youth more involved in the life of the congregation? What outreach strategies might be effective in our community? What type of pension, health insurance, and property insurance should our church provide? How much should we pay our pastor?
The list of questions and decisions that a local church needs to deal with is endless. A denomination can give a local church the resources to address these questions. In some cases (like the pension and insurance question), the denomination can provide a program the local church can plug into that it could not duplicate on its own.
I am excited that the GM Church has already worked through various task forces and commissions to identify and flesh out resources and ministry models that can help guide local churches into more effective ministry in many different areas. A denomination can provide those resources and guidance for local churches in a way that the local church can trust. Those resources will be theologically consistent with the denomination’s doctrine and philosophy of ministry. Those resources will be tried and proven as workable and practical. Each congregation will not have to reinvent the wheel, but can draw upon the pooled wisdom and resources that many churches being part of one denomination can provide. Having one place to turn for ideas and guidance will save time and energy at the local level that can be effectively directed into actual ministry.
Connectional DNA
Being in connection with one another is part of the Methodist/Wesleyan DNA. The very first Methodist preachers in England were those “in connexion” with John Wesley. The personal connection with Wesley, and then the broader connection within an annual conference, was one of the hallmarks of historic Methodism.
It is being connected with one another in a common understanding of doctrine and mission that enables the benefits outlined in the paragraphs above. We have experienced the value of connection in Methodism for nearly 300 years. It is when the connection breaks down, such as when individual bishops or clergy decide to act contrary to our Discipline, that the denomination suffers.
Not only does life as an independent congregation jeopardize our Wesleyan doctrinal continuity into the future. It jeopardizes the very identity of Methodists as those “in connexion” with other Methodists. To be independent contradicts what it means to be Methodist/Wesleyan.
Much more could be said about the benefits of being part of an effective denomination. Part of a brief childhood poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow speaks to our situation:
There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very good indeed,
But when she was bad she was horrid.
United Methodists have experienced some of the horrid aspects of being in a denomination that is dysfunctional and ineffective in some key ways. The temptation is to jettison the idea of a denomination entirely, believing that we can certainly do better on our own. That is a false temptation.
We are certainly better and more effective as churches and as individuals when we work together with like-minded believers. A denomination gives us the structure and the possibility of doing just that. Together, we can make our new denomination good and experience that it can be “very good indeed!”
Thomas Lambrecht is a United Methodist clergyperson and the vice president of Good News. Photo: Unsplash.
