With the Judicial Council’s recent decision that central elements of the Traditional Plan are constitutional, the trajectory of United Methodism has been set for the immediate future. There will be no Book of Discipline-approved ordination of homosexuals, nor will there be same-sex marriages performed without harsh penalties.
The resulting uproar in the aftermath of the fundamentalist swing at the 2019 General Conference has been amazing. As Adam Hamilton has noted, many groups have been talking and various possible scenarios are taking shape. Whatever the future holds for Methodism, it is clear that there will be an expression of some sort that will make allowances for diversity of belief and inclusion.
If a new Methodist denomination results, it will have to repair the considerable damage done thanks to the debacle of the 2019 GC. Non-believers are totally turned off by religious in-fighting. Who can blame them? When they see us spending millions of dollars in a General Conference to debate what’s a non-issue for them, it only reinforces religious stereotypes. In the eyes of the world, we’re now no different from the Franklin Grahams who denounce anyone who would label themselves gay and Christian, such as Pete Buttigieg.
Direction from Modern Secularism
If we’re going to explore a new Methodist expression, maybe it’s healthy to start by listening to what modern secularism is telling us. After all, religion isn’t required in order to be moral or ethical. Indeed, when you see people who profess no faith caring for people just as passionately as the religious are supposed to, we can take note of some things
Israeli historian Yuval Harari, in his book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, wrote about the ideals of modern secularism. He saw four key values of ethical secularists.
Truth. Reason, commonsense, experience, the sciences. These resist the bending of truth to support hidden agendas. For us religious folks, honest inquiry should inform our faith and ethics. A faithful mind is an inquiring mind. Climate change is real. What are we going to do about it? You cannot choose your sexual orientation. How does that affect how we read the Bible and understand the Gospel?
Compassion. Addressing suffering is the prime mover for moral secularists. It’s a clear imperative. It was for Jesus as well, who transgressed sacred Jewish boundaries in order to meet people in their pain. People need to see that Methodists are passionate about alleviating harm and not causing more of it. Compassion starts by affirming that judging is incompatible with a Christian lifestyle.
Equality. Perhaps the most insidious suffering people inflict is denying someone their dignity and rights. It is here that secularists have seen the church abdicate leadership. Historically, we’ve often been silent or passive in addressing discrimination based on race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. Sometimes we’ve let prejudice masquerade in pious attire. A new Methodism leads society forward and doesn’t hold it back. It eliminates “us” and “them” thinking.
Responsibility. Secularists take responsibility for making things better and don’t rely on a higher power. For religious people, that translates into praying with fervor but acting with equal fervor. Don’t ask God to do something for which you’re not willing to work and sacrifice. When we put our time where our mouth is, people will listen. Truth of creed follows dedication in service.
A New Language
These four values form some of the language people outside the church speak. We must become fluent in it. Only when we speak this language can people outside the church then hear us talk about such things as faith and grace.
In a declining religious world, it won’t be our doctrines that will attract people. People will not stream into a church because they’re anxious to hear the Nicene Creed. They will become involved if the beliefs of that fellowship encourage, and don’t discourage, truth, compassion, equality, and responsibility.
May the new Methodism be one that breaks down, and not erects, barriers. Our witness will be doing compassion and not debating doctrine. Then the Holy Spirit will bring a fresh experience of the living Christ. Isn’t that what happened with the Wesley brothers in the 1700’s?
The most joy I get in ministry is seeing people light up because the Christ they profess is the Christ they see in the faces of those they serve. There’s more of that ahead for us Methodists.
We just have to keep working on our vocabulary.
Great observations. Lately I’ve been thinking that many think that GC 2019 has basically ruined any chance of moving forward. I was very sad for quite a while. Now I think that GC 2019 may have actually been the “in your face” picture that will jettison us to a new day.
So well stated. Religion is dead without forward thinking such as Greg has described.
Thank you
“These four values form some of the language people outside the church speak. We must become fluent in it. Only when we speak this language can people outside the church then hear us talk about such things as faith and grace.”
I say Amen to this, recognizing that our commission is to bring the truth of Christ to bear on the issues of this world. If our gospel is not centered on Jesus, we are defeated before we begin.
“In a declining religious world, it won’t be our doctrines that will attract people. People will not stream into a church because they’re anxious to hear the Nicene Creed.”
Well, duh . . . our doctrines and creeds are meant to help US stay focused on our mission, which is to share Christ, and for that reason are important.
I am excited that the “new Methodism” will turn the page on the narcissistic obsession with personal issues, and move us forward to an evangelism which reaches out to a hurting, Jesus-starved world.
Greg, whether we like it or not, a stricter Traditional Plan seems to be the plan of choice for Methodists world-wide. I don’t like the idea of “re-voting” or whatever until we finally get our way. We are in the minority. We lost. I see nothing lacking in being a Reconciling Congregation. Wait – yes, I do! You could not perform same-sex marriages, and out gay clergy would be against the law. So, we could start a new faith, or we could join ELCA, Presbyterian USA, Episcopal or UCC, providing they’d accept us. 😉. Personally, I’d prefer ELCA. Just my humble thoughts.
Considering the fact that our Methodist siminaries supported the One Church plan, I feel the best path is to form a new Methodist Church. Perhaps a union with other groups similar to ours is workable in the future.
Very well written, Greg, as always. Thank you.
There is a prayer in the Methodist Hymnal that addresses the issue of responsibility that Hariri raises. It is number 409. In 60+ years of attending Methodist sunday schools and churches, Ive never heard it used. My hymnal is temporarily boxed up, but as I recall No. 409 goes something like this:
“Give us the grace, Lord, to work for the things we pray for.”
Responsibility in a nutshell, with a nod to the “tradition” part of the quadrilateral.
eric carlson
Lake Oswego, Oregon, UMC
Truth, Compassion, Equality, & Responsibility should be basic to Christianity for each child of God. This is what Christ illustrated every day he spent on earth. If we lived our lives accordingly what would the earth be like, heaven of course. But we have sin and it permeates everything. The devil, Satan, is quite real and he is death and destruction to all that is good. He uses deceit in extraordinary ways, usually embedded in the most unusual places. We must be wise and decerning. He hates Jesus. He hates us. He wants to destroy you & me, family, marriage, our fellowship in worship, everything a child of God treasures.
We stumble around trying to put words in God’s mouth. Philosophizing about God’s intent.
In your thoughts about this, you mention born that way. I believe that, totally. All you have to do is look & see. These are genetic influences. Our gay & lesbian members & others who were born knowing this about themselves start life in conflict. We see this from children on up to adults.
We have family members and friends who face this suffering in many ways. They are a part of our lives and we love them or we should. God does. We have appreciation for their talent and abilities.
But because we are sinful and imperfect our philosophy is imperfect. We try, God knows. But it is. So knowing this and how easy it is to stray with an enemy using every means to deceive us, God used men to write HIS words that were guided by the Holy Spirit. We find such beauty there and much instruction to live our lives in a way that honors God.
Spurgeon believed the church could only be a source of authority in making known the knowledge of God; human intelligence, however brilliant it’s theorizing might be, can never be an authority.
We have neglected to make known that our gay, lesbian members are loved by Christ as all others. Though it is a deep problem with our church coming to a reconciliation of God’s children, we must know the Bible is for us truth. This not about love totally, it is about marriage and sex. Two things God was explicit about. Marriage is between a man and a woman. There is to be no sex between a woman and woman and no sex between a man and a man. God prohibited this in His Word. This about action and behavior that is offensive to God. He knows what is best for us and our welfare. He loves us. We can change our lives from sin only with God’s help. We are nothing, but He is everything. This is very complex and I know not simple, but we have been told in His word what we shouldn’t do and God knows the why. We are loved.