A previous Juicy Ecumenism article of mine examined the continued decline of the progressive United Methodist Women (UMW) in the wake of an evangelical shift currently unfolding in the United Methodist Church (UMC). Most notably, the UMW has lost 64 percent of its total membership since 1974, when the women’s mission group boasted 1.6 million members. Over the weekend, multiple United Methodist women responded to my article asking if an orthodox alternative exists. Indeed, one does.
RENEW Network is a group of evangelical UM women across the denomination whose mission is to provide biblically-based devotions, Bible studies, prayer support and encouragement for ladies in the church serving their community and whose values go unrepresented by UMW.
Renew’s origins date back to the mid-1970s when a small group of evangelical women grew concerned over the direction of the Women’s Division programs and policies. At the time, the group united under the name of the Women’s Task Force of Good News and began publishing a periodic newsletter which quickly grew in circulation. The Institute on Religion and Democracy’s (IRD) former President Diane Knippers served as Managing Editor and current IRD Board Member Helen Rhea Stumbo served as Editor.
In 1989, the Women’s Task Force of Good News expanded into the Evangelical Coalition for United Methodist Women (ECUMW) and then later evolved into the Renew Network and continues to work as affiliate of the Good News organization. Kathryn (Katy) Kiser serves as Team leader of RENEW and has worked within the renewal movement of the UMC for nearly 30 years.
On Friday, I reached out to Katy for a statement and brief history on Renew. Over e-mail, Katy graciously shared with me her disappointment with the UMW and how she ultimately became involved in the Renew Network as a faithful alternative. Here is Katy’s explanation:
At the time the United Methodist Church was formed in 1968, various women’s groups of the uniting churches became combined under the umbrella of United Methodist Women and became organized by the Women’s Division of the General Board of Global Ministries. These predecessor groups had a rich history of raising money to promote the sharing of the gospel as well as hands on mission in their own churches, communities and foreign countries.
In the early 1970’s my pastor came to our United Methodist Women’s group to share what the Women’s Division was advocating in the name of the women of the church. I remember him saying, “You need to be aware what is being said in your name.” I was shocked to learn of the thinly veiled political agendas that were presented as mission.
It would be some years later that I would come in contact with the work of Renew Network. I found that the Renew Network shared many of my concerns for the social justice positions being taken by the Women’s Division and other agencies of the UMC. I found that other women beyond my circle were asking, “Is it just me, or is something amiss here?”
As spiritually aware women realized something was wrong and began to ask questions, under the leadership of Faye Short, the Renew Network was organized. God brought together some amazing women. These women shared the commitment to the “least of these” and were not opposed to engaging with the social and political issues of their day. But their concerns went deeper that mere social justice.
They were concerned that the mission of the church was being compromised and moving away from a biblical position. They knew that mere liberation, empowerment, and the secular agendas were no substitute for the life changing power of the person and work of Jesus Christ. And obtaining rights was no substitute for the pursuit of righteousness as provided by Christ and Christ alone. These gospel truths were weak if not altogether missing in much of the ministry that was being offered through UMW.
Renew became a life line to women in the UMC who questioned the left leaning partisan political understanding of mission. Particularly troubling to many evangelical women was the role the Women’s Division played in the formation of the Religious Coalition of Abortion Rights which became the Religious Coalition of Reproductive Rights who continues to lobby against any restrictions on abortion.
At the very least, much of the official teaching and mission projects were a distraction from the mission of the church rooted in the Christ’s Great Commission and Wesley’s admonition to, “Offer Them Christ.” In other cases, the official positions taken by UMW were mere secular agendas that often conflicted with the very message of Christian teaching.
The very name Renew implies return, renewal, and revival. Whether it is in our own personal lives or in the life of our church, there are times when we need to refocus and be held accountable to that which is eternal and unchanging. Renew Network continues to provide analysis, accountability and voice to the evangelical women of the church.
The Renew Network is a point of contact for women who not only have concerns, but also want women’s ministry that deepens their relationship with Jesus Christ, that real transformation occurs beginning in their own lives and reaching far beyond. We have found that vital transformative ministry outside of the official UMW is growing in the majority of our churches. Some churches have looked to Renew to help them develop these ministries. Many of them have developed alternative women’s ministries on their own. Action taken at the 2016 General conference in Portland both recognizes and encourages women’s ministry beyond old models that still cling to the empty promises of the late 20th century liberalism.
More and more in our local churches, the United Methodist Women are becoming irrelevant. Statistics bear this out. It was hoped becoming an independent organization would stem the tide of decline of United Methodist Women. This simply has not happened.
Women today are looking for ministry that is real. Ministry that meets their needs to grow spiritually and meet the challenges of this century. Old campaigns for rights and social justice have not achieved their promises. Women have found that rights have not gained them freedom from sin or the righteousness their souls long for.
Still United Methodist Women remain influential in this denomination. The staff partners with other boards and agencies. The General Secretary sits on the Task Force on Human Rights Investment Ethics, has special consultative status at the UN, and with the World Council of Churches. But given the UMW real membership decline and diminishing influence in the local church, future General Conferences will have to decide if influence at the denominational level is still warranted.
Comment by halehawk on June 8, 2016 at 10:58 am
I oppose segregation in the church, and I will not be part of any women’s only organization.
Comment by The Dove on June 8, 2016 at 11:31 am
Seriously? Why? That’s like saying that 3rd graders ought to be lumped in with the senior high Sunday school class. Nothing wrong with men’s Bible studies, women’s Bible studies, youth groups, etc.
Comment by halehawk on June 8, 2016 at 12:22 pm
Yes. I am serious. I honestly believe that more spiritual growth occurs in a diverse community. I honestly dislike segregating people by age, or gender. Teens should be associating with Christians of all ages. We should be learning and teaching one another. Our communities would be stronger without these segregated groups.
Comment by Joan Watson on June 8, 2016 at 1:45 pm
I agree with your assessment re inter-generational interaction. But when it comes to groups based on gender, I disagree. After 33 years of marriage I heartily agree that men are from “Mars” and women are from “Venus”–there is a distinct difference. Truth is, I have benefitted from a Sunday School class that contained men and women but I have also been blessed by being part of a group that was only women.
Comment by halehawk on June 8, 2016 at 3:07 pm
I suspect much of the decline in UMW is due to women who are like me–women who prefer to associate with Christians in non-segregated settings. I frankly get disturbed by the “good ol’ boy” quality of men’s groups and tea party like quality of women’s groups. I feel much more comfortable in mixed groups that are focused on a particular mission, task, or purpose.
Comment by The Dove on June 8, 2016 at 5:54 pm
That’s hogwash. It has nothing to do with “segregation,” it has to do with women becoming more aware (thanks to blogs like this one) of how left-leaning the UMW is at the national level. If you think single-sex groups can’t focus on missions, you don’t much about the history of Christianity.
Comment by halehawk on June 8, 2016 at 7:09 pm
I do know that women’s groups (missionary societies) were initially formed partly because women had little voice or power in the church. Men made all the decisions. Fortunately, that is no longer true in most United Methodist Churches. Women are in every decision making position there is. Women’s groups are an anachronism and I believe they actually hold women back.
Comment by The Dove on June 8, 2016 at 7:21 pm
Someone who was such a total flop in ministry that she shut down a church is not really someone whose opinions carry any weight. Failures do not give good advice. The woman pastor at First United shut down her church. Pretty embarrassing. You want to blame the men for that?
Comment by halehawk on June 8, 2016 at 9:35 pm
It’s always the women, of course. Eve started it.
Comment by The Dove on June 8, 2016 at 9:52 pm
You shut down a church.
Scapegoat the men.
If it’s any consolation, the denominations with the highest percentage of women clergy are also the biggest losers in numbers.
Lovely thing about feminism – when a woman fails, it’s the men’s fault. Great having an alibi for every situation.
Candler ought to hand out awards to its alumni who drive the most parishioners away. Call them the Clean Pew Brigade. They brainwashed their students into Political Correctness, might as well honor the ones who put it into practice.
Comment by halehawk on June 9, 2016 at 1:01 am
Yes. I was the last pastor of a church that died. I was a hospice chaplain for it’s death. I was the pastor there for one year as the church closed. Neither the church members or my supervisors in the church blamed me for the church’s death. In fact my bishop commended the way I cared for the congregation as it closed. It was the right thing to do in that circumstance. A law suit killed that church–a law suit that was initiated by a woman against the church and the previous pastor. Before I arrived on the scene many members had departed primarily over this legal action that remained unresolved. As I helped that church die with dignity, I was blessed and honored to baptize several adult converts—two members of the AA group and our church custodian–who accepted Christ as their savior through my ministry. I was also privileged to baptize the baby of a man who was dying from AIDS–one week before the father passed away. Despite these signs of God’s grace, the law suit would not disappear despite the best efforts of the conference’s risk management team. So, with this in mind, I spoke to the pastor of a nearby, thriving United Methodist Church and invited him to consider ways his church might be able to use our church for ministry. Our church closed, the people moved on to new congregations with my assistance and blessing. Then, after a year of sitting dormant the church building again became a site of United Methodist ministry.
I do not appreciate your finger-pointing and accusations that I am a failure. I did my best to serve God and the United Methodist Church in a difficult situation. I went where the bishop assigned me to go, and people came to know the Lord in the process.
Blame me if you need to find evidence for the evils of feminism, and Candler educated clergy but the Lord knows the truth.
Comment by The Dove on June 9, 2016 at 5:54 pm
Blah blah blah
Adults accept responsibility for their failures, kids blame others.
Who knows, maybe you can shut down several more before you retire on your clergy pension. Maybe they’ll give you a reality show, call it The Closer.
Not hard to see why the UM is melting away, look at what comes out of their seminaries: church-closers.
Comment by halehawk on June 9, 2016 at 6:00 pm
I retired early–13 years ago. I didn’t go into the ministry to close churches, and I decided that I did not want to be put into such a position again.
Comment by The Dove on June 9, 2016 at 7:30 pm
So you’re a coward and a quitter. Obviously it wasn’t God who called you into the ministry.
They brainwashed you with feminism at Candler, but they can’t teach you to be a strong woman. Feminism claims to honor toughminded women, but in practice they prefer victims to heroes.
It was just the patriarchy that held you back.
Comment by halehawk on June 9, 2016 at 8:59 pm
John Wesley left the walls of the church to do ministry. The world is my parish now.
Comment by gizmo23 on June 9, 2016 at 7:39 am
Christianity has always been countercultural, and at times has been forced to be counterdenominational. Christ is more important than institutions.
Comment by Melanie on August 14, 2019 at 8:52 pm
I have done some research on the historical history of the Women’s Home Mission Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church (1880-1930). One of the precursors to the UMW. Reviewing their yearly publication of missions, it proved to me how influential, prolific these women were in providing a variety of mission assistance to many disadvantage groups. There motto: “For the love of Christ and in his name” “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them”. It seems we have lost our vision and moved to politics. But what I want to know from your group is what are your missions and how prolific are you helping our disadvantaged? We seemed to have gone “safe” and only working to serve our disadvantaged in our home churches and forgot to share Christ’s love to others who do not believe like us outside of our church walls. I think the UMW has lost their mission which is why it is failing. The way to be a disciple of Christ is invest in the people who need our help, so our love will open their hearts to God’s calling. Politics never brings anyone to Christ but draws the line of war. I like your article and hope you have prolific list of missions which serve all. God bless you and peace be with you.