(This is our personal
summary report. We emphasize that we are speaking only for ourselves and
not for any church, organization, or group. - D.S.)
Good (a
few key points among many good actions)
We believe God’s intervention, in
response to many prayers, turned the GC around on Tuesday, May 4. The
important Judicial Council elections were in doubt, and the homosexual
lobby’s pressure was intense. But on Tuesday the election results
strengthened the Judicial Council, and the UMC stand for Christian
Scriptural sexual morality was reaffirmed and strengthened in vote after
vote.
The United Methodist Church’s strong
formal commitment to the traditional Christian faith was not weakened or
diluted in any way. A resolution reaffirming the UMC’s commitment to
the basic doctrines of the Christian faith, and emphasizing that
upholding this faith is critical to peace and unity within the church,
was adopted.
The UMC’s commitment to Scriptural
sexual morality was maintained and strengthened, in all 5 related parts
of the UMC Book of Discipline: (1) In the Social Principles, the
church’s opposition to homosexual behavior was slightly
strengthened. (2) The requirement that “self-avowed practicing
homosexuals” cannot be ordained or serve as UMC clergy was slightly
strengthened. (3) The prohibition of same-sex unions in UMC churches or
by UMC clergy was maintained. (4) The list of chargeable offenses by UM
clergy was strengthened by adding: not being celibate in singleness, not
being faithful in a heterosexual marriage, being a self-avowed
practicing homosexual, and conducting or performing same-sex union or
“wedding” ceremonies. (5) The prohibition against using church funds to
promote acceptance of homosexuality was expanded to include Annual
Conferences and their funds.
New language was added to the Social
Principles (1) supporting civil laws defining marriage as the union of
one man and one woman (the UMC is now the first “mainline” denomination
taking this stand) and (2) affirming the importance of both fathers and
mothers for all children.
The GC rejected all efforts to condemn
or pressure the Boy Scouts because of their moral stand and refusal to
allow known homosexuals as Scout leaders.
The Judicial Council (UMC supreme
court) has become the one top-level UMC body actively and faithfully
working to enforce our Book of Discipline. Judicial Council
declaratory decisions during the GC were helpful. We believe the
Judicial Council will take even stronger action during the next 4
years. The 4 Judicial Council members whose terms continue for another
4 years have taken a strong, courageous stand for faithful
enforcement. At least 2 of the 5 new Judicial Council members are
likely to join them. We believe at least 6 (and perhaps 7) of the 9
Judicial Council members will support effective action.
Representation on General Church
Boards was changed greatly. Growing areas (which tend to be faithful
and evangelical) will have far more Board members. Declining areas
(which tend to be revisionist) will have far fewer Board seats. This
change will be gradual but will help reform Boards which often lead the
church in the wrong direction.
Overseas delegates, especially those
from our alive and growing African churches, were more
influential. They strongly supported the traditional Christian faith
and sexual morality. Their growing membership will give them even more
votes in future General Conferences.
The Ivory Coast Methodist Church, with
1 million members, was welcomed into the UMC. By 2012 this new African
branch of the UMC will elect about 10% of the GC delegates!
The UMC at last is openly talking about
the irreconcilable faith differences within the UMC and the need to plan
for fair and amicable separation. See Challenges below.
Bad (a
few key points among many harmful actions and inactions)
The GC did not adopt any major new
enforcement action to stop the defiance of our Book of Discipline by
some revisionists. A proposal to allow more appeals to the Judicial
Council was defeated. The recent jury nullification in the Pacific
Northwest Conference, where a church jury found that a UM clergy person
was a self-avowed practicing homosexual but refused to convict her of
church law violation, still stands. However, we believe the new
Judicial Council majority will find a way to stop this anarchy.
The Council of Bishops continues its
failure to “guard the faith, order, liturgy, doctrine, and discipline of
the Church” (Discipline, ¶ 404.1). Bishops were not held
accountable.
No effective action was taken to
protect faithful churches and clergy in rebellious areas, including most
of the Western Jurisdiction (which now has only 4% of UM members,
because so many of the faithful have departed in sadness). Many are
suffering oppression.
A far-left political faction still
controls the General Board of Church and Society and uses the church as
its political party. Many extremist resolutions were adopted – mostly
on issues where there is no clear Scriptural position, and Christians
honestly disagree. Most resolutions are hastily adopted with no debate;
we wonder whether GC delegates read them. Many UM pastors won’t tell
their members about the UMC Book of Resolutions, fearing that if they
read it they would leave the church. The UMC needs a responsible,
Scriptural social witness. The UMC must choose whether to be a
political party or a church.
The UMC continues to be distracted and
diverted from its mission – “to make disciples of Jesus Christ” – by the
onslaught of the homosexual lobby. The pressure, false accusations, and
name-calling were intense. The Bishops unwisely let a pro-homosexual
demonstration take over the GC for 30 minutes, and some Bishops stood in
support.
Schizophrenic voting by GC delegates
was puzzling. (1) Most of the key votes on sexual morality issues were
by 2-to-1 or 3-to-1 majorities, but a few of these votes were by narrow
margins. (2) The same GC delegates who strengthened the UMC sexual
morality stand adopted a “sexual orientation non-discrimination”
resolution calling for laws to prohibit any discrimination by any
employer or property owner based on “sexual orientation.” This would
compel a church to hire as a youth leader a person openly involved in
homosexual, adulterous, promiscuous, or other harmful sexual
behavior. It is hypocrisy for our church, which wisely refuses to
employ practicing homosexuals as clergy, to advocate laws compelling
their employment in all other positions. (3) The GC rejected a
resolution to provide a UMC transformation ministry for persons
struggling with homosexuality (but even without official support, the
great work of the Transforming Congregations ministry continues).
Big spending increase. The GC
approved a $612,500,000 apportionments budget for the 4 years 2005-2008
– for the General Church funds that are apportioned (taxed) through the
Annual Conferences to the local churches. This budget is 12%
higher than for the current
4-year period (2001-2004), and includes
a 27% increase for the Episcopal Fund that supports the Bishops. This
budget is 35% higher than actual collections of apportionments during
the most recent 4 years (2000-2003). This increase is imposed on the US
UMC that is still declining in total members and churches (while the
more faithful overseas UMC is growing).
Challenges
and opportunities:
Time for amicable separation. Our good
friend, Bill Hinson, retired pastor of the UMC’s largest church, made a
powerful statement at a breakfast meeting sponsored by the UM renewal
and reform coalition. Bill said he spoke only for himself, but we
welcomed his statement as a breath of fresh air. He said the
differences between the culture-conforming revisionists (who want to
rewrite the Bible, the traditional Christian faith, and Scriptural
sexual morality) and the faithful (who believe and uphold the authority
of Scripture and the faith handed down to us from Jesus and the
apostles) are irreconcilable. “We cannot bridge the gap separating
us. Our covenant is in shreds.” Everyone is hurt by the constant
fighting over these un-bridgeable differences. It is time to plan for
an “amicable and just separation.” Let each group keep its church
property and clergy pension rights. This separation will allow each of
these two different faiths to work for their own beliefs. Those who
still believe in the Bible and the unchanging Jesus Christ can then
focus on evangelism and making disciples, and be freed from the internal
battle to defend Scriptural authority and sexual morality.
The reaction from the UMC establishment
was horror and dismay. The UMC is still in deep denial and pretense. A
unity resolution was hastily passed: “As United Methodists we remain in
covenant with one another, even in the midst of disagreement
...” Nearly all delegates voted for it. But many of those delegates
had already broken covenant by rejecting basic Christian beliefs or by
defending violations of the UMC stand on sexual morality.
Irony and disgrace: While this “unity”
resolution was adopted, the presiding officer was apostate Bishop Joseph
Sprague, who has made public statements rejecting the eternal deity and
bodily resurrection of Christ, denying that Christ is the only Savior,
and rejecting the entire Gospel of John. The Council of Bishops has
made no effective response to Sprague’s apostasy. He has a right to
advocate these beliefs, but not as a Bishop of a Christian church.
The revisionists should have the
decency to withdraw, stop dividing a Christian church, and exercise
their Constitutional rights to have their own church and worship whoever
or whatever they choose. But most of their leaders say they won’t
leave. Their local churches are dying. They need the money given by
faithful Methodists. They hold, and want to keep, many UMC levers of
power. We have heard the question, “Will the horsefly leave the
horse?”
Challenge: How can we help our church
and its officials to see the need for amicable separation? How stop the
denial and pretense? How face the facts that Methodists are not
“United,” we are two different faiths within the shell of one
denomination, our differences are irreconcilable because they are deep
theological issues, and both sides would benefit by ending the battle
and separating peacefully? And if this cannot be done, how can the UMC
restore order and peace by requiring the revisionists to depart?
More rebellion and anarchy coming
soon? Many revisionist and pro-homosexual activists have openly said
they will violate anything in the Book of Discipline that stands
in their way. One California UM pastor recently performed a same-sex
“wedding.” We hear concern that the Western Jurisdiction might elect an
openly homosexual Bishop in July. We believe the new majority of the
Judicial Council will faithfully and earnestly seek ways to enforce the
Book of Discipline. But we must find ways to get these issues
brought to the Judicial Council.
We believe any further disruption and
anarchy will build support for amicable separation.
Withholding funds? Many thoughtful
observers have said the UMC won’t reform until faithful Methodists cut
off the money. Our guess is that because this GC was positive on
balance, there is not yet enough support for a church-wide withholding
of money.
But we believe many members and local
churches have already decided, or will soon choose, to withhold all or
part of the money that now pays apportionments for the General Church –
and either redirect that money to faithful Christian ministries or hold
it in escrow until the UMC restores order and faithfulness. If more
rebellion occurs this summer, and if the Council of Bishops continues
its failure to act, support for withholding and redirecting will
probably grow.
There is an urgent need to develop
helpful guidelines for those who choose to consider withholding and
redirecting funds. Laity must take the lead and make the decision. A
recent Judicial Council decision warns that the pastor must not
encourage withholding.
Election of Bishops. The 5
Jurisdictional Conferences in July will elect many new Bishops. These
elections are vitally important. If enough reform-minded Bishops can be
elected, they (together with some current Bishops who are increasingly
alarmed) could become a critical mass for action by the Council of
Bishops to stop the anarchy.
Conclusion: We believe God has not yet
given up on the UMC and He still appears to have a purpose for this
great but troubled church. We need His direction on what the renewal
and reform movement should do next. We need a lot of continuing prayer
and discernment. The UMC belongs to our Lord and is in His hand.
(David Stanley is a layman of the United Methodist Church, and serves
on both the IRD Board of Directors and the UMAction
steering committee.)
