Institute on Religion and Democracy Media Advisory
July 21, 2015
Contact: Jeff Walton Office: 202-682-4131, Cell: 202-413-5639, E-Mail: [email protected]
Washington, DC—Delegates from the second-largest Protestant Church in the United States will gather for their once-every-four-years governing assembly, General Conference, in Portland, Oregon this coming May. The diverse, global United Methodist Church has been undergoing tension and disagreement over policies related to human sexuality and clergy discipline.
Journalists seeking to help their audiences understand the nearly 13 million-member denomination provide helpful context to readers when they note that:
- The once-in-four years General Conference is the only body that can change any official denomination-wide UMC position or policy. The last two General Conferences faced an identical decision between the denomination’s present human sexuality statement, which teaches that sex is only for “monogamous, heterosexual marriage,” or a liberal alternative. Between the last two General Conferences, the votes of the traditionalist majority increased significantly. At the 2012 General Conference, liberal activists gave up on repealing denominational prohibitions on clergy being sexually active outside of marriage or conducting same-sex unions, after it was clear they would not have the votes.
- At their recently-concluded annual conferences, the Alabama-West Florida region of the UMC adopted a statement calling for the continuance of the denomination’s biblical sexuality standards, Mississippi called for strengthening enforcement of church sexual-morality standards, and Eastern Pennsylvania invited ministers who will not honor the UMC clergy covenant, which includes prohibitions of same-sex unions, to leave the denomination. Since last year, the Western Pennsylvania, East Ohio, Illinois-Great Rivers, (eastern) Texas, (eastern) Tennessee, Western North Carolina, (eastern) North Carolina, South Carolina, North Georgia, and South Georgia regions all rejected, often by overwhelming margins, petitions to liberalize the denomination’s stance on homosexuality. These areas are home to 2.6 million United Methodists.
- The United Methodist Church is an increasingly global denomination. Over 40 percent of its membership (5.5 million) and General Conference delegates reside overseas, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the church is more theologically traditionalist and is growing rapidly.
IRD UM Action Director and elected General Conference Delegate John Lomperis commented:
“Focusing primarily on a vocal but relatively small minority who reject our denomination’s historic, biblical doctrinal and moral teachings misses the big picture of what United Methodists believe and practice.
“It is inaccurate to portray smaller groups or regions of United Methodists as representative of ‘the United Methodists’ or of where the whole denomination ‘is moving.’
“From the South to the Midwest to the Northeast, American United Methodists are following a Higher Authority than the U.S. Supreme Court on marriage values.”
www.TheIRD.org
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Comment by Pudentiana on July 21, 2015 at 2:33 pm
I lend a hearty AMEN to Mr. Lomperis remarks. Faithful UMC members are tired of the lame stream media attempts at portraying our denomination by references only to the liberal and extremely vocal members of groups like Reconciling and Church and Society. The truth doesn’t meet with their agenda, so they report lies and misinformation to help their fellow postmodern progressive proponents.
Comment by John D Copenhaver Jr on July 21, 2015 at 3:57 pm
This report is misleading in two ways: 1) it ignores the many resolutions from conferences all over the connection, including the usually conservative Southeast Jurisdiction, that call for dropping the “incompatibility” language, and 2) suggesting that those calling for change are a small minority–that is easily refuted by polls.
Comment by John S. on July 27, 2015 at 6:32 am
Are these polls of the UMC or the UMC in the USA?
Comment by John D Copenhaver Jr on July 27, 2015 at 11:15 am
Yes, the poll I saw was of UMC in the USA. 46% agree with the current language and 38% disagree with it. Even if you add the global church it is inaccurate to characterize it as “vocal but relatively small minority.” It is nearly half of the UMs is in the USA.http://www.umc.org/news-and-media/bishops-offer-advice-after-gay-marriage-ruling
Comment by John S. on July 28, 2015 at 7:54 am
Based on your numbers that is about 22% who disagree with the language. What constitutes a small minority? No one will deny the vocal part.
PS: you can make a poll say almost anything by proper phrasing and selection of questions.
PPS Should doctrine be set by polls?
Comment by John D Copenhaver Jr on July 28, 2015 at 1:04 pm
These are not my numbers but the numbers of a reliable polling source. You asked me for the source of my numbers and I’ve supplied it. You must have an equally reliable source for the attitudes of UMs outside the U,S. to state with such authority the figure of 22%. Can you provide your source as I have?
I wasn’t the one suggesting we look at polls–that was Mr. Lomperis.
Comment by John S. on July 29, 2015 at 6:29 am
My number of 22% is math. based of of your numbers at a worldwide membership of 12.5 mil and US membership of 7.4 mill. Since the numbers are 3 years old and US membership has declined the entire time while worldwide membership has increased the percentage I used is probably generous.
I misread, then Mr. Lomperis is incorrect. If we widen the poll what percentage think Methodists and Christians are just plain wacky?
Comment by John D Copenhaver Jr on July 29, 2015 at 8:09 am
Math based on what? Where is the poll data for the attitudes of UMs living outside the U.S.? Without that, I think you are making assumptions.
Comment by The other Wesley on July 21, 2015 at 4:51 pm
My fear is that even if conservatives win in Portland, we lose. The progressives have shown they have no intention of obeying what the Book of Discipline says. So, we hold the line in 2016. What does it really matter when they will not obey. What’s more, in the more progressive conferences it is a badge of honor to be celebrated when they rebel. The Talbert case is just one example.
If, on the other hand, conservatives lose in Portland, it will result in an exodus of conservative churches in chaos and confusion. Lawsuits will abound. The liberal leadership will come down with a hammer on those who will not tow the new line.
So, how do you see us walking through these landmines unharmed??
Comment by John S. on July 27, 2015 at 6:32 am
Only if the UMC makes the money follow the BOD will anything change. As long as Bishops, Seminaries and Churches continue to be subsidized while flouting the BOD their behavior will be unchanged. The LGBTQ lobby will never leave the UMC because they like the platform and need the money from those who uphold the BOD, to include paying apportionments.
Comment by Inaldo Francisco Barreto Barre on July 21, 2015 at 7:27 pm
About get marriage
Every confession can be particular or universal. However we have a universal confession given by Jesus in Mark 10.7-8 This is changeless
Comment by John Lomperis on July 22, 2015 at 12:38 am
As clearly alluded to above, smaller conferences and groups passing liberal statements, as well as the “disobedience movement” clergy who stage their publicity stunts of bizarrely bragging about not keeping their word to God and His church, get PLENTY of press coverage, including on this website. But this disproportionate and often exclusive focus on the covenant-breaking minority paints a very distorted picture of my denomination, and while the bigger picture facts noted in this release are far too often ignored.
Comment by brookspj on July 23, 2015 at 11:09 am
You neglected to mention that while Tennessee did not vote in favor of changing the current language, it passed a resolution committing itself to continued dialogue on the issue for the second consecutive year, a resolution which passed overwhelmingly (I ought to know, I was there). I’ve not seen any coverage of these resolutions on your website.
Comment by Mike Ward on July 23, 2015 at 2:42 pm
I’m no Methodist, but aren’t the progressives guaranteed to win in the end? The trend favors them. If the conservatives can’t get the upper hand now, how do they ever get it?
Comment by John D Copenhaver Jr on July 28, 2015 at 3:35 pm
The whole church will win when we embody the love of God for all people without regard to race, class, age, sexual orientation, nationality, and gender.