Archive: You Ought to Know…

News of special importance, interpreted in the light of Scriptural Christianity

 

GOODBYE TO WORLD MISSIONS

Alan Walker, prominent United Methodist from Australia, has been named Director of the World Evangelism Committee for the World Methodist Council. In an interview published in the May 27, 1977 Texas Methodist/UM Reporter, Walker said:

… We must rediscover the power of conversion and then change the way we view “world mission.” The missionary era—that glamorous business of sending someone across the world—is over. Yet world mission is just being born, in the sense that our world is everywhere: in the next house, or on the next street. Nor can there any longer be “sending” countries and “receiving” countries. There are just all of us sharing what we have. …”

Thus a prominent church leader dispenses with the idea of world m1ss1ons outreach aria boldly declares invalid the Great Commission of Jesus Christ, which begins with these words: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19a)! Such thinking, prevalent within the World Council of Churches, has greatly influenced our United Methodist world missions policy over the past decade—during which our world missionary force has declined to less than 650.

How strange for an “evangelist” to announce no more need for missionary outreach at a time when billions of people around the world have not heard the name of Jesus Christ and are therefore perishing! Many United Methodists believe that this is a time for every Christian community to be sending MORE missionaries out into the world.

HELP IN PLANNING FOR YOUR CHURCH

Ever feel like your church needs a better sense of direction? Ever think, “we ought to plan for the future?” The UM Board of Global Ministries has designed a kit to help. Materials include 68-page workbook, cassette tape, work sheets, wall charts, etc.

You begin by looking at what your church is doing now, and what it has done. Then needs of the community are examined, priorities, goals, and programs are set.

The kit does affirm the importance of Biblical goals and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. However it is theologically neutral, so UM evangelicals will find it adaptable.

Cost is $20.00. Order from: Service Center, Board of Global Ministries, Attn.: Mrs. Robert Owens, 7820 Reading Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45237.

SOCIAL ACTION MAGAZINE DIES

Later this year, the UM Board of Church and Society will suspend publication of engage/social action. “The magazine was reported to have failed in a recent effort to raise its circulation substantially above the 6,000 level,” reported UM Communications. The magazine has been ecumenical, co-sponsored by UM Church, United Church of Christ, and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) social agencies.

22 UM SCHOOLS IN DEEP TROUBLE

Without daring to list specific names, a 15-member National Commission on UM Higher Education has announced that almost one-fourth of the 107 colleges and universities related to The UM Church are “in serious financial difficulty.”

It is not known whether the commission report made reference to the disappointment expressed by many United Methodists that church-related schools often lack evident Christian distinctives, both in doctrine and lifestyle.

Recently a professor at one UM-related colleges known to be in trouble, told Good News that in 11 years the college had not had one chaplain who stressed the importance of knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

HOW RICH THOU ART!

Denominational boards and agencies have a large source of income which is not affected by fluctuations in giving from local churches. The following investments were accumulated mostly from gifts left by United Methodists in the past, wanting to perpetuate the work of the church. In an exclusive story, the Texas Methodist/UM Reporter for May 20, 1977 reported the following investments:

$520,000 – Board of Discipleship. ($50,000 unrestricted).

$410,000 – General Council on Ministries (unrestricted).

$995,000 – Board of Church and Society.

$1,860,000 – Church and Society Building Endowment Fund.

$1,145,000 – World Service Permanent Fund.

$3,625,000 – Board of Trustees Funds.

$25,000,000 – Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

$107,000,000 – Board of Global Ministries.

$500,000,000 – Board of Pensions.

“Earnings from investments are important parts of the operating budgets of most agencies,” said TM/UMR. “The Board of Church and Society, for example, depends on earnings for nearly half of its budget.”

These investments provide some UM agencies, especially Global Ministries and Church and Society, with leverage to use in protesting policies of companies in which the church holds investments. Such investments also provide bureaucrats with a hedge against accountability, for income from these sources is not affected by fluctuations in giving from local churches. Protected from protest with its secure investments, an agency can run roughshod over the feelings and wishes of annual conferences and local churches, without fearing a decline in giving resulting from abrasive advocacy of causes alien to the people.

NORTH DAKOTANS PROTEST ERA BOYCOTT

Speaking out against the pro ERA position taken by the United Methodist Women, some North Dakota United Methodists have petitioned their annual conference:

WHEREAS, The United Methodist Church adopted the theme: “Committed to Christ-Called to Change,” and

WHEREAS, The Church exists to make Christ known and bring Christ’s message of love and forgiveness, Justice and mercy to all people, and

WHEREAS, the 74 directors of the Women’s Division of The United Methodist Church did vote contrary to this at their semi-annual meeting in Atlantic City on April 22-25, to ban national meetings in states that have not ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, and urged the Board of Global Ministries to do the same, and

WHEREAS, The above directors did encourage their 1.2 million members of the United Methodist Women to avoid taking vacations in or making trips to states opposing ERA, further deciding to send word of this ban (boycott) to governors, mayors and state legislators in the offending states, (United Methodist Newscope, April 29, 1977) and

WHEREAS, a ban or boycott Is not a tool to be used by any church to force people to vote against their conscience, and WHEREAS. Some states have rescinded their prior ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment as the dire consequences of the proposed amendment have become better understood, and many other states are considering rescinding, while some State Legislatures ratified by one vote under pressure from the White House, and

WHEREAS, This action is contrary to Methodist tradition and to the Gospel and will bring untold harm to The United Methodist Church, not only in the states involved but throughout the entire church,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED That the North Dakota Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church at Grand Forks, North Dakota, May 26-29, 1977, do protest this action of the 74 directors of the Women’s Division of The United Methodist Church to boycott all states who have not ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, and are using the name of The United Methodist Church to do so.

Both the UM Boards of Church and Society and Global Ministries now advocate boycotting those states which have not approved the Equal Rights Amendment.

GOOD NEWS MAGAZINE WINS FOUR AWARDS

There were 338 editors and writers and publishers at the 29th annual convention of the Evangelical Press Association. On award night, Good News received these citations:

• First Award of Merit, general category.
• Second place photo story, “With Christ in the Rockies.”
• Fourth place editorial, “Hiding in the Church.”
• Fifth place reporting, coverage of 1976 General Conference.

The competition involved a variety of evangelical publications from many groups and denominations.

NEED A NEW MINISTER?

A church in Utah suggests a novel way to get a new minister—use a chain letter! The dissatisfied church board should send a chain letter “to six other churches also tired of their ministers. Then bundle up your minister and send him (or her) to the church at the top of the list in the chain letter. Add the name of your church at the bottom of the letter. Within a week you will receive 16,435 ministers, and one of them should be a dandy.”

THE CULTS: COMING ON STRONG

 “Churches throughout the western world are not prepared for facing the problems raised by a new wave of cults, ” said delegates at a recent conference held at the Belgian Bible Institute by Evangelical Alliance. “There are an estimated 3,000,000 Americans, mostly in their late teens, who are involved in up to 1,000 new religious cults such as the Divine Light Mission, the Children of God, Hare Krishna, or the Unification Church of Sun Myung Moon.”

A reliable resource concerning cults is: Spiritual Counterfeits Project, P.O. Box 4308, Berkeley, CA 94704. Phone (415) 548-7947. An outgrowth of the “Jesus Revolution,” SCP is countering cults, using Christians converted out of them. Their newsletter for May 1977 contains a helpful listing of books that analyze Transcendental Meditation (TM) from a Biblical perspective. They especially recommend these three: TM Wants You by David Haddon & Vail Hamilton. Baker, Grand Rapids, MI, 1976; The Case Against TM in the Public Schools by John E. Patton. Baker, 1976; The Transcendental Explosion by John Weldon and Zola Levitt. Harvest House, Irvine, CA.