by Steve | Feb 24, 2019 | In the News, Uncategorized
Dr. Jerry Kulah
– By Dr. Jerry Kulah –
My dear brothers and sisters of The United Methodist Church from all around the world, I humbly greet you in the strong name of Jesus Christ!
We thank God for all who have participated in observing a sacred season of fasting and prayer as we have prepared for this special General Conference session. And we praise God that there are thousands upon thousands still on bended knees interceding on our behalf as we make a defining decision regarding the future of The United Methodist Church.
I thank God for His precious Word to us, and I thank him for you, my dear sisters and brothers in Christ.
As the General Coordinator of UMC Africa InitiativeI greet you on behalf of all its members and leaders. We want to thank the Renewal and Reform Coalition within the United Methodist Churchfor the invitation to address you at this important breakfast meeting. Kindly join me in reading God’s Word as recorded in the Gospel of John 8:31-32.
As I understand it, the purpose for which we have gathered this week, and the plans before us as delegates seek to find a lasting solution to the long debate over our church’s sexual ethics, its teachings on marriage, and it ordination standards.
This debate and the numerous acts of defiance have brought the United Methodist Church to a crossroads, as it were in the days of the nation of Judah when they forsook the Lord. God challenged his people through the prophet Jeremiah to choose the ancient path and walk in it so that they might find rest for their souls (Jeremiah 6:16). Similarly, God is speaking to the People Called United Methodist to do likewise.
Why there may be several plans before us, I would like to speak to just two of them. One plan invites the people called United Methodists to take a road in opposition to the Bible and two thousand years of Christian teachings. I submit to you that, going down that road would divide the church. Those advocating for the One Church Plan would have us take that road.
But I would like to call your attention to consider this other plan, the Modified Traditional Plan. This plan invites us to reaffirm Christian teachings rooted in Scripture and the church’s rich traditions.
It says, “All persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God,” that “All persons need the ministry of the Church”, and that “We affirm that God’s grace is available to all.”
It grounds our sexual ethics in Scripture when it says, the UM Church does “not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers [it] incompatible with Christian teaching.”
While “we commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons,” we do not celebrate same-sex marriages or ordain for ministry people who self-avow as practicing homosexuals. These practices do not conform to the authentic teaching of the Holy Scriptures, our primary authority for faith and Christian living.
However, we extend grace to all people because we all know we are sinners in need of God’s redeeming. We know how critical and life changing God’s grace has been in our own lives.
We warmly welcome all people to our churches; we long to be in fellowship with them, to pray with them, to weep with them, and to experience the joy of transformation with them.
Friends, please hear me, we Africans are not afraid of our sisters and brothers who identify as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered, questioning, or queer. We love them and we hope the best for them. But we know of no compelling arguments for forsaking our church’s understanding of Scripture and the teachings of the church universal.
And then please hear me when I say as graciously as I can: we Africans are not children in need of western enlightenment when it comes to the church’s sexual ethics. We do not need to hear a progressive U.S. bishop lecture us about our need to “grow up.” No!
Let me assure you, we Africans, whether we have liked it or not, have had to engage in this debate for many years now. We stand with the global church, not a culturally liberal, church elite, in the U.S.
We stand with our Filipino friends! We stand with our sisters and brothers in Europe and Russia! And yes, we stand with our allies in America.
We stand with farmers in Zambia, tech workers in Nairobi, Sunday School teachers in Nigeria, biblical scholars in Liberia, pastors in the Congo, United Methodist Women in Cote d’Ivoire, and thousands of other United Methodists all across Africa who have heard no compelling reasons for changing our sexual ethics, our teachings on marriage, and our ordination standards! We stand together!
We are grounded in God’s word and the gracious and clear teachings of our church. On that we will not yield! We will not take a road that leads us away from the truth! We will take the road that leads to the making of disciples of Jesus Christ for transformation of the world!
I hope and pray, for your sake, that you will walk down this road with us. We would warmly welcome you as our traveling companions, but if you choose another road, we Africans cannot go with you. I am sorry, we cannot!
The vast majority of we Africans support the Modified Traditional Plan for two very important reasons.
First, we believe it is clearly rooted in Scripture and the teachings of Christians in all times and in all places. It reaffirms our church’s belief that “marriage is defined as a sacred relationship between one man and one woman,” not between any two consenting adults.
Second, passage of the Modified Traditional Plan will keep far more United Methodists unitedas one church than any of the other plans.
I want to be united with my sisters and brothers in our global connection. I hope you want that as well. Let us all walk together in a church steeped in Scripture and the life transforming teachings of our church; because all scripture is God’s breathe, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness….” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
We Support an Exit Plan
Finally, I trust you will support a gracious exit petition, because, as someone has said, “It is better to be separated on truth than to be united on error”. Some Africans have been told that if a gracious exit petition is passed our evangelical friends in the U.S. will go their own way and no longer support efforts in Africa. That is not true; because Hudson Taylor once opined, “God’s work done God’s way never lacks God’s supply”.
Many of us in Africa have developed deep and long-lasting friendships with our brothers and sisters in the U.S. Those relationships will not be severed if a gracious exit petition passes.
Unfortunately, some United Methodists in the U.S. have the very faulty assumption that all Africans are concerned about is U.S. financial support. Well, I am sure, being sinners like all of you, some Africans are fixated on money.
But with all due respect, a fixation on money seems more of an American problem than an African one. We get by on far less than most Americans do; we know how to do it. I’m not so sure you do. So, if anyone is so naïve or condescending as to think we would sell our birth right in Jesus Christ for American dollars, then they simply do not know us. Because, we know how to live on much, how to live on little, and how to live on nothing. Amen!
We are seriously joyful in following Jesus Christ and God’s holy word to us in the Bible. And in truth, we think many people in the U.S. and in parts of Europe could learn a great deal from us. The UM churches, pastors and lay people who partner with us acknowledge as much.
Please understand me when I say that the vast majority of African United Methodists will never, ever trade Jesus and the truth of the Bible for money. We will walk alone if necessary, and yet we are confident the ties of Christian fellowship we have with friends here in U.S. will not be severed even if they too must walk apart from a church that would adopt the One Church Plan.
We believe all local churches should be treated fairly and so we strongly support a gracious exit plan. Friends, not too long ago my country, Liberia was ravaged by a terrible civil war that claimed over 250,000 lives. And then we faced the outbreak of the Ebola virus that claimed thousands of lives. We are keenly familiar with hardship and sorrow, but Jesus has led us through every trial. So nothing that happens over the next few days will deter us from following Him, and Him alone.
We shall persevere in the race before us, “looking unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter” of our faith (Hebrews 2:2-3). We shall remain steadfast and faithful. And some day we shall wear the victor’s crown of glory with our King Jesus! Come walk with us!
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the blessed Holy Spirit, Amen!
Jerry P. Kulah is the dean of the Gbarnga School of Theology, United Methodist University, in Liberia. Thus address was presented at the Reform and Renewal Coalition Briefing Breakfast at the 2019 Special General Conference of the United Methodist Church Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, 23rdFebruary 2019.
by Steve | Feb 24, 2019 | In the News
By Steve Beard –
The 2019 General Conference of The United Methodist Church is being simultaneously translated for delegates in French, German, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Swahili. The skilled bank of interpreters illustrate the unique international DNA of the denomination.
The modern day global membership of 12.5 million United Methodists is shaped by the more than 5.2 million members from the African continent. In St. Louis, that new reality explains why a notable 30 percent of the 864 delegates are Africans – with 48 delegates alone coming from the North Katanga Conference in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
That number will increase exponentially as membership continues to skyrocket in Africa (41 percent of global United Methodism) and descend in North America. When the denomination meets next year for the 2020 General Conference in Minneapolis, 55.9 percent of the delegates will be from the United States, 32 percent from Africa, 6 percent from Philippines, and 4.5 percent from Europe.
Quite simply, the energy, vitality, and growth within international Methodism is flourishing in different time zones, nations, and languages beyond the dominant American name brand Methodism of yesterday. According to the most recent statistics available from the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA), the shift will define the face of Methodism in the 21st century and beyond.
• More United Methodists reside in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2.9 million) than in the Western, North Central, and Northeastern Jurisdictions combined (2.6 million).
• More United Methodists live in Nigeria (520,212) than the entire Western Jurisdiction (295,308).
• Twice as many United Methodists worship in the western African nation of Cote d’Ivoire (677,355) as in Virginia (319,822).
• More United Methodists worship in Mozambique (136,707) than in Northern Illinois, which includes metropolitan Chicago (81,999).
The axis of Methodism is shifting. The unmistakable tilt of the sociological and spiritual reality found in the newly emerging United Methodist Church is found in African cities such as Harare, Abuja, and Kinshasa. These urban epicenters may be the next Londons, Bristols, and Epworths in a tectonic shift of Wesleyan leadership.
Despite our commitment to social justice, issues of representative equity continue to hamstring United Methodism. The comparative analysis between United Methodism in the Congo Central Conference (2.9 million) and that of the Western, North Central, and Northeastern jurisdictions combined (2.6 million) is worth revisiting. These three U.S. jurisdictions currently have a total of 23 bishops, compared to only four Congolese bishops. That kind of unjust and lopsided representation within a power structure such as the Council of Bishops is in desperate need of rectifying. The 23 bishops from the three U.S. jurisdictions represent one bishop for every 113,735 members. For the Congolese, there is one bishop for every 749,811 members.
John Wesley’s declaration that the “world is my parish” has been a point of spiritual inspiration for generations in the Methodist movement. Today, it serves as a difficult challenge for a denomination living in 60 different nations. Whatever occurs in St. Louis, those who value equity in global representation will need to find a swift remedy for United Methodism’s future.
Steve Beard is the editor of Good News.
by Steve | Feb 24, 2019 | In the News
By Samuel Chadwick –
The church still has a theology of the Holy Spirit but it has no living consciousness of His presence and power. No doctrine of the Christian faith has been so neglected. The blunders and disasters of the church are largely, if not entirely, accounted for by neglect of the Spirit’s ministry and mission. The church is helpless without the power and presence of the Spirit…. Confusion and impotence are inevitable when the wisdom and resources of the world are substituted for the presence and power of the Spirit.
The church that is man-managed instead of God-governed is doomed to failure. A ministry that is college-trained but not Spirit-filled works no miracles. The church that multiplies committees and neglects prayer may be fussy, noisy, and enterprising, but it labors in vain and spends its strength for nothing. It is possible to excel in mechanics and fail in dynamic. There is a superabundance of machinery; what is lacking is power. To run an organization needs no God. Man can supply the energy, enterprise and enthusiasm for things human. The real work of a church depends upon the power of the Spirit. Certainly the energy of the flesh can run bazaars, organize amusements, and raise millions of dollars; but it is the presence of the Holy Spirit that makes a temple of the Living God. Things will get no better until we get back to the realized presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
–Samuel Chadwick (1860-1932) was the principal of Cliff College, a British Methodist school for training young evangelists. He was also a president of the Methodist conference and author of The Way of Pentecost and Pioneers of Revival.
by Steve | Feb 24, 2019 | In the News
By Elizabeth Glass Turner –
How can we move toward a common goal successfully together? That endgame may mean significantly different things to various factions in St. Louis. The problem isn’t that we can’t work together. It’s that we’re working towards different ends. To minimize those differences disrespects everyone involved.
As United Methodists of different convictions we may be willing to work together, but underneath that sentiment is the dread often felt in a dead-end relationship: where is this headed? Is it sustainable? How do we resolve our significant compatibility issue? What if we’re loathe to stop working together but we are working towards different ends?
So rather than successful outcomes – because those vary widely depending on who you ask – what are the attributes of a successful General Conference?
A successful General Conference will be one in which honesty is practiced with humility.
The constituents, organizations, and movements present need to be extremely honest about their intentions, goals, and convictions – no matter what that means for the future of how we live and worship. Fear of divorce can lead to a lack of bluntness, the inability to frankly and simply express oneself. But the honesty must live and breathe in the ecosphere of humility – humility does not mean capitulation. Humility also doesn’t mean setting aside conviction. It means the willingness to serve another with whom you disagree while you live your conviction with integrity. It means holding the door open for someone who has made your life difficult.
A successful General Conference will be one in which the worldwide nature of the church will be celebrated as central to the United Methodist identity rather than an appendix to its agenda.
Eleven years ago international delegates to General Conference faced challenges like receiving their preparatory materials months after North Americans did. They sometimes were asked to vote on oddly worded amendments in English or proposals after having the content translated twice, such as from English to French and from French to Swahili. Rather than embrace global delegates, some North Americans, seeing their presence as a hassle, promoted the idea of giving them their “own” conference – a gross failure of basic inclusion.
Finally, a successful General Conference will be one in which decisions are made.
What a simple sentence: what a complex proposal. If honesty is practiced with humility, some decisions need to be made. Sometimes the worst outcome is one in which millions of dollars and work hours are spent in order to tread water. The worst case scenario is that blood pressures will skyrocket and mud will be flung all so that nothing changes – a dysfunctional and untenable position.
A failed General Conference has little to do with whether or not The United Methodist Church chooses to continue to exist in its old form or in new iterations. A failed General Conference will be one in which honesty is swallowed by the desire to appease or to protect the status quo; in which humility is swallowed by a sense of entitlement; in which disrespect is shown in the mode in which business is done; in which the worldwide nature of the Body of Christ is resketched with North American features; and in which no clear, coherent, time-bound decisions are made in any direction.
If we’re really honest, what do we want this to look like in four years? If we’re really honest, what is it likely to look like in four years? What decisions will help those to be one and the same thing?
Elizabeth Glass Turner, a frequent contributor to Good News, is managing editor of Wesleyanaccent.com.
by Steve | Feb 24, 2019 | In the News
By Richard Allen (1760-1830) –
O, my God, in all my dangers, temporal and spiritual, I will hope in thee who art Almighty power, and therefore able to relieve me; who art infinite goodness, and therefore ready and willing to assist me.
O, precious blood of my dear Redeemer! O, gaping wounds of my crucified Saviour! Who can contemplate the sufferings of God incarnate, and not raise his hope, and not put his trust in Him? What, though my body be crumbled into dust, and that dust blown over the face of the earth, yet I undoubtedly know my Redeemer lives, and shall raise me up at the last day; whether I am comforted or left desolate; whether I enjoy peace or am afflicted with temptations; whether I am healthful or sickly, succored or abandoned by the good things of this life, I will always hope in thee, O, my chiefest, infinite good.
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; although the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields yield no meat; although the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Richard Allen (1760-1830) was a founder and first bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. From Conversations With God: Two Centuries of Prayers By African Americans (HarperCollins).
by Steve | Feb 24, 2019 | In the News
By Thomas Lambrecht
“I look upon all the world as my parish,” famously said John Wesley. As we gather in St. Louis, The United Methodist Church – one aspect of Wesley’s spiritual legacy – is in ministry in 60 different nations around the globe. Within the last 20 years, a notable shift has occurred from the UM Church being a declining North American-centric denomination (6.9 million members) to one that reflects a growing 40 percent of our membership (5.2 million) found on the continent of Africa. An additional 200,000 members are found in the Philippines, Europe, and Eurasia.
Whatever decision is made in St. Louis regarding United Methodism’s future must be made with these changing realities in mind. The majority of North American bishops have endorsed the One Church Plan. We don’t believe that the OCP will situate United Methodism for a faithful future. Instead, we support the Modified Traditional Plan as the best way to proceed.
First, the MTP is the only plan that maintains the church’s position in line with the clear teaching of Scripture and 2,000 years of church teaching. Since United Methodists claim that Scripture is our primary authority for matters of faith and practice, this is no small consideration.
Second, the Modified Traditional Plan deals with the real cause of division within the church – not different beliefs, but different practices. Proponents of this plan believe that the unity of the church is at stake, and that church unity requires common standards of sexual morality that apply in every time, place, and culture. Yet, at least ten annual conferences and two jurisdictions have voted in one way or another to disobey the Discipline. Bishops have dismissed complaints alleging clear violations of the Discipline. Boards of ordained ministry continue to recommend unqualified candidates.
The only way to restore unity of practice is to have clear accountability processes that do not allow bishops and annual conferences to flaunt the covenant they promised to uphold.
The Modified Traditional Plan puts bishops, annual conferences, and clergy in the position of having to make a clear decision: will I abide by the Discipline and hold those under my supervision accountable to it or not?
Finally, the Modified Traditional Plan (alone among all the plans) provides a gracious exit for those unable to live by our covenant. The MTP gives those who decide they cannot abide by the Discipline the freedom to depart from the UM Church and form a denomination that is more in keeping with their convictions. Annual conferences are free to withdraw. Bishops and clergy may transfer to the new denomination. Congregations can transfer to the new denomination while keeping their property and buildings. Provisions are made for securing the pension program and promises made to our retired clergy.
Why Not the One Church Plan?
Proponents of the One Church Plan claim it can also restore unity by allowing every annual conference, clergy person, and congregation to set their own moral standards when it comes to marriage and human sexuality. While this approach sounds great in theory, this attempt to accommodate all opinions will not work in the real world.
For evangelicals, the primary reason the OCP does not work is that it officially affirms the practice of homosexuality, contrary to Scripture. This action alone will cause many congregations and members to seek to depart from the church, which will in turn greatly weaken the denomination.
The OCP fosters a disconnected solution to the conflict over moral standards. By allowing each entity to make its own determination, the OCP weakens the connection and encourages a centripetal force that could spread to other areas of disagreement in the church. The end result will be a much looser connectionalism that betrays our Wesleyan DNA and heritage.
Far from ending conflict, the OCP will instead spread the conflict that currently happens mainly at the general church level down to the annual conference and local church. Annual conferences will have to decide whether to ordain practicing homosexuals, with all the conflict that decision entails.
Likewise, congregations will be engulfed in conflict. When their pastor performs a same-sex wedding, traditionalist congregants will have no recourse, other than to leave the church. And if a couple requests to be married in the church building, the congregation will have to take a vote in order to allow it. The conflict around that vote will further alienate members of the congregation, causing some to leave.
The One Church Plan ignores the reality that there are two mutually exclusive teachings being promoted in the church. The two teachings cannot coherently live in one denominational body. And the OCP makes no provision for those who by conscience must depart. The One Church Plan fundamentally changes the church’s teaching and identity, while not allowing those who disagree with this new reality to leave in a gracious way.
A healthy and sustainable covenant cannot be obtained by forcing people who disagree with it to stay in it. The Modified Traditional Plan seeks to provide a way to end the conflict with integrity, while restoring the unity that has been torn apart by recent schismatic actions.
Thomas Lambrecht is a United Methodist clergyperson, vice president of Good News, and a member of the Commission on a Way Forward.
