(Note: Beyond the historical background below, if you are seeking documentation for major issues other than gay weddings on which the United Methodist Church is becoming increasingly different from both the Global Methodist Church and the UMC as we have previously known it, you can find such documentation at www.umchoices.org)
Why is the United Methodist Church splitting? The following is an adapted and slightly abridged version of remarks I shared on January 13 giving a bird’s-eye-view of the long history that has led the United Methodist Church to its present point of division. I delivered this speech for the Missouri chapter of the Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA) as part of their monthly Speaker Series.
A video of my remarks and PowerPoint presentation can be found here.
Hopefully, by now, you’ve all heard that our denomination is headed for a major division, and that the need for this is widely agreed upon by the leaders of all major factions.
Why is the United Methodist Church splitting?
You may have heard that our division is because of homosexuality. There is some truth to that, but that is really a misleading way to view things.
The reality is that our division has been a long time coming. The impending split is the result of an extensive history which dates back long before the present debates over sexual morality.
We have a history, going back about two centuries now, of breakdown in our discipline, and breakdown in our doctrine. And these two things really get to the heart of what this schism is all about.
By the way, if you hear any United Methodist claim they are absolutely against EVER splitting the church, that is NOT a serious idea. Unless the person saying it is in the process of becoming Roman Catholic. When you think about it, any Protestant, by definition, believes that there are some issues worth splitting the church over.
Breakdown in Discipline
Many of us have seen that famous picture of the hard-working, circuit-riding preacher of early Methodism. It dramatically highlights how when Methodism first began, we were a really high-commitment movement, that really demanded a lot of sacrifice and forsaking of worldly comforts for the sake of the Gospel.
What really set us apart was the degree to which we practiced sometimes rather demanding levels of church discipline, for not just our leaders and clergy but also our lay members. There are all kinds of examples of lay people facing temporary but serious consequences for sins ranging from getting drunk to wife beating.
But over the course of the 19th century, we saw a decline in really expecting too much of our laypeople, and then our ministers.
We saw some early moral decline in Methodism with the sins of slavery and racism, and NOT just in the South.
We had a strong early commitment against the great evil of American slavery. John Wesley spoke strongly against it, defended the equality of black people, and was a personal inspiration to the great British anti-slavery activist, William Wilberforce. The 1784 Christmas Conference that established American Methodism as our own denomination declared that one of the key goals of this new church was to “extirpate the abomination of slavery.” Our early rules were clear that Methodists were forbidden from buying, selling, or owning slaves.
But this strong, principled Christian stand conflicted with the culture. If we insisted too much on this moral stand there were fears that we would offend people. That we would drive people away. That we would especially offend some upper-class people and lose a lot of money for our ministries. Any of this sound familiar?
So we started compromising on our rules against slave-owning. We started looking the other way for Methodists involved in this sin. This sin became increasingly accepted in some regions of our denomination. Then in 1844 we had a newly elected bishop openly involved in this inherently sinful lifestyle. That finally sparked a total crisis that split our denomination apart for several decades.
Later in the nineteenth century and into the early twentieth century you had the Holiness Movement in America. This was largely a movement of believers who took some aspects of John Wesley’s teachings about Christians avoiding all sin and really ran with it. And over time, Methodists involved in the holiness movement were increasingly marginalized within much of our denomination, or much of which would become our denomination. And eventually some of these holiness Methodist pastors became exiles in new denominations, like the Church of the Nazarene. And when they left, our denomination lost a lot of positive influences for disciplined, holy Christian living.
Breakdown in Doctrine
So our decline in discipline has a long history. What about our decline in doctrine?
By 1913, Evangelist and veteran General Conference delegate Leander Munhall of Philadelphia was sounding the alarm about how the Methodist Episcopal Church was infected by liberal theologies, Methodists were becoming more worldly, and powerful elites in our denominational bureaucracy were especially pushing Methodism away from our own biblical doctrines on core issues like the authority of Scripture and original sin. At that time, the relatively new theological movement of modernism was widely attacking these and other core Christian teachings, particularly supernatural parts of Christianity.
Now Munhall could be a bit strident, un-nuanced, and frustratingly vague. But in reading Munhall’s 1913 book, Breakers! Methodism Adrift, it’s really striking to see the similarities between his complaints and those of many traditionalist United Methodists today.
Here’s what Brother Munhall lamented about our denomination back then:
- “the great spiritual dearth throughout Methodism” (12)
- “anti-biblical and unmethodistic teaching” heavily promoted in seminaries, by leading denominational officials, and our own publishing house (13; Cf. 67-72, 84)
- “the Christian pulpit has become silent about human depravity and the judgment to come” (44-5)
- Overall, “Our congregations are growing smaller, and many of the outsiders are having less and less respect for us” (201)
- Bishops appoint liberal pastors to “many of the big wealthy churches” while many other pastors “of acknowledged ability, who are loyal to the Bible and the doctrines and usages of Methodism, never get such churches, but are usually sent to second, third and even fourth rate appointments” (199)
As my friend, Riley Case put it in his Evangelical and Methodist book, “By 1920, [theological] modernism basically controlled Methodism, at least institutional Methodism, in both the north and the south. The colleges, the seminaries, the pastors’ schools, the Courses of Study, the Church press, the Sunday school material, the Church agencies, and finally even the Council of Bishops were, or would soon be, in the hands of modernists” (81).
Such trends continued for decades.
Fast-forward to 1966: Rev. Charles Keysor of Illinois published an op-ed that sparked the Good News movement. He wrote about a group within our Methodist churches who had little to no representation in our denominational bureaucracy. He said: “I speak of those Methodists who are variously called ‘evangelicals’ or ‘conservatives’ or ‘fundamentalists.’ A more accurate description is ‘orthodox,’ for these brethren hold a traditional understanding of the Christian faith.”
Keysor outlined five defining beliefs of this group, which were really five of the most prominent doctrines that the modernists had been attacking since the early 20th century:
- The inspiration and authority of Scripture
- That Jesus really was miraculously born of a Virgin
- “that somehow Christ on the cross paid the price of transgression which a righteous and holy God properly requires”
- That Jesus actually, physically rose from the dead
- And that whatever the details of the End Times may turn out to be, Jesus really will physically return to Earth again
None of this should be remarkable for a Methodist to believe. It’s all right there in the Methodist Articles of Religion, which officially remains the central doctrine of the United Methodist Church, now along with the EUB Confession of Faith.
But what’s really striking was Keysor’s title: “Methodism’s silent minority.” Keysor explicitly described folk who believed in these most basic, biblical, Methodist doctrines as being a marginalized “minority” within what’s now our denomination.
This is quite a shift from how in 1913, Munhall had declared that the majority of our members and ministers were loyal to biblical, Methodist doctrine. Over 50 years of modernist dominance had taken a toll.
Then later Good News was joined by several other renewal groups.
Today’s Controversies
Meanwhile, the doctrinal division continued.
In the early 2000s, we had an active bishop of our denomination, Joseph Sprague of Chicago, publicly deny such core Christian doctrines as the accuracy of the Gospel of John, as well as the virgin birth, substitutionary atonement, and physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was abusing the office of bishop to teach that people should NOT believe in some of the most core Christian doctrines. There was a formal complaint filed against him. But basically what happened in 2003 is that he was let off with a slap on the wrist.
Then some of you may have heard of this activist minister out West named Karen Oliveto. In 2016, the Western Jurisdiction, which is basically the Western third of the USA, elected her bishop, knowing that her being an openly partnered lesbian was in open defiance of our longstanding church law saying that clergy cannot be “self-avowed practicing homosexuals.” That’s the main thing she is known for.
But there are deeper doctrinal concerns. In 2005, I was in the room where she was speaking at a major national gathering of liberal United Methodists. Among other things, she urged addressing both “the benefits and flaws” of Scripture. What do you mean “flaws” of Scripture? Well, she made clear that one flaw she saw in the Bible was the “theology of election and chosen-ness” she rightly recognized is taught in the Bible. It got really bizarre when Oliveto started teaching about the account in Acts 16 of Paul casting a demon out of a slave girl. According to Oliveto, getting to be free of the demon did nothing to make the girl’s life better and “probably made it worse.”
So now we have a top leader of our denomination who is on record as teaching about the flaws of Scripture and the benefits of demon possession!
About a year after she was elected bishop, she used the office of bishop in Denver to publicly teach that we should not “create an idol out of” Jesus Christ. How can you possibly create an idol out of someone who already IS God? Well, according to Oliveto, Jesus actually had such sins as “his bigotries and prejudices” and that as an adult, he needed to experience “conversion.”
There are multiple reasons why, according to our denomination’s own official rules and standards, Oliveto should be removed from being a bishop. But the denominational leaders who have that responsibility have made clear that they are unwilling to do so, because they support her.
Fundamentally, our breakdown of doctrine has led to a breakdown of discipline. And this has now reached the breaking point.
The older model of liberal clergy, bishops, and leaders who kept their word by following the rules even when they personally disagreed with them is being increasingly replaced by a more militant, rule-breaking sort of liberalism.
This is not sustainable.
We could keep fighting at the next General Conference, and the next, and the next, with lots of costly complaints and church trials and bad press in between, until one side finally wins. But by that point there may not be much of a denomination left to win.
Comment by Gary Bebop on January 21, 2021 at 12:08 pm
A separation makes sense to end the cognitive dissonance (cognitive impairment?) of United Methodism. I’m grateful for it, but wonder if a Traditional Methodism can be “restarted” in the United States, given the prevailing antichristian Narrative.
Comment by Loren J Golden on January 21, 2021 at 12:39 pm
When I separated from the United Methodist Church, it was for a very simple reason: The senior pastor at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Wichita, Kansas, which I visited for the first time on May 5, 1991, was preaching in a manner that clearly indicated that he believed the inspiration and authority of Holy Scripture, whereas the senior pastor at College Hill United Methodist Church (also in Wichita), of which I had been a member for nearly three years (and in which my parents and maternal grandparents had been married, and in which my mother and her siblings, my brother, and I had been baptized as infants), was not.
Comment by Brent Grafton on January 21, 2021 at 1:34 pm
By last count there are some 80 plus worldwide denominations that trace their lineage to the Wesley brothers. Historically, we have multiplied better through separating than through consolidating. Wesley knew that to have a church based on an emotive response to God, there had to be an absolute fixed authority, Scripture. The minute our leaders started to undermine the authority of scripture, they put us on a crash course with reality. We can no longer be the Church Militant if we are all wandering off in our own directions. I am anxiously awaiting a revival of the disciplined Methodist Societies my great grandfathers knew.
Comment by David on January 21, 2021 at 1:59 pm
Methodism has changed considerably over the years. In the 19th century, it was noted for its strict behavioral norms for members that included the rejection of “amusements.” Spending one’s free time on other than religious matters was considered a useless activity. Indeed, one divine equated such occupations of our limited lives to be a form of suicide. On the proscribed list were attending the theater, circus, and merely watching a horse race. Card playing was deemed a fast track to gambling addiction and financial ruin. Even chess was considered bad. Dancing was stated to lead men to brothels and women to an early grave due to overexertion. Church members engaging in such activity were subject to censure or expulsion.
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/ajk2698.0001.001/1?q1=Amusements&view=image&size=100
With the dawn of the 20th century, these rules caused Methodism to be viewed in a bad light by the public. There followed moves to make the church more “mainline.” The amusement prohibition was abolished in 1924 and the matter left to the conscience of members. Also at this time, Methodist architecture abandoned the tradition squarish pulpit-centered meetinghouse with galleries so all could see and hear well. The new style would follow the Anglican with altars and long naves. Crosses made their appearances on the old communion tables and the new altars. Previously, these were considered rank popery. In the 1930s and 1940s, Methodist clergy adopted the wearing of gowns then found in more “respectable” denominations.
In a move that likely contributed in part to the current unrest, the M. E. Church South reunited with the northern church in 1939 after having left over slavery. The segregated Central Jurisdiction came with this merger. With declining birth rates among liberals, their influence in the church waned. It may shock some people to know that the Methodists and Southern Baptists favored abortion rights prior to Roe v. Wade. With the conservative dominance of these denominations, this position has now been reversed.
The authority of Scripture has always been an arbitrary thing. Inconvenient passages are ignored. The drinking of wine was condemned by 19th century Methodists despite passages to the contrary (1 Tim. 5:23 and Eccl. 9:7). This historical accuracy of the Bible has been challenged due to scientific findings in geology and biology. With higher levels of education, fewer and fewer people accept the supernatural. The generation of those in their 20s and 30s, by a slight majority, considered themselves non Christian. Some have attributed this to the support of denominations for conservative politics.
Comment by Stephen Burkhart on January 21, 2021 at 7:59 pm
Praise God I left the UMC December 14, completed set up/start up of a non profit Construction Mission and joined The Association of Independent Methodists. After a year of defending the discipline against a Bishop’s abuse of power after the churches I served were denied disaffiliation, I was removed under the Bishop’s false complaint, One church I served walked out in my defense and the church closed and 2/3 of the other church left when the bishop appointed her liberal buddy. I was personally “ winning” getting ready for trial, when , I realized “ Winning What? I have no intention of staying in this corruption any longer. This is a waste of valuable ministry time. “ I found the doctrinally sound AIM.2020.com. Alleluia!
Comment by td on January 21, 2021 at 8:02 pm
David, what exactly is your point?
Yes, some non essential items change.
However, it is clear that the UMC hierarchy, by and large, does not adhere to the Nicene Creed or at the very least they tolerate a clergy that teaches against the creed. You aren’t adhering to essential christianity if you aren’t adhering to the nicene creed.
Comment by Tim on January 22, 2021 at 6:54 pm
If one of the highest ranking leaders of your demonization denies the perfection of Christ and isn’t removed for so believing what’s left worth fighting for?
Leave that God-forsaken denomination and don’t turn back lest you turn to salt!
Comment by John Sweeney on January 22, 2021 at 7:07 pm
It all comes from the laity choosing leadership. Catholics don’t have that problem. Their leaders are tightly — but not always successfully — screened and trained. Once the laity start electing culture-conscious leadership, the denomination is doomed.
Comment by Josh on January 23, 2021 at 5:37 pm
@John Sweeney
No. Catholics don’t have any problems with leadership. There are never any sexual scandals with leaders in the RCC . . . rolls eyes
UMC leadership is carefully screened. I’ve went through it. There is this thing about being a human and starting out well and finishing bad.
Comment by John Smith on January 25, 2021 at 8:48 am
So having identified the problem what solutions are proposed? Simply splitting is a nothing answer. What steps will be taken to ensure adherence to orthodoxy and orthopraxy by bishops, elders and members in the follow-on denomination? Or is it another “trust your leadership” deal?
Comment by Brandon M on January 26, 2021 at 2:47 pm
the church I attended when my wife and I were Methodist is still closed (since march 2019). We’ve found a Bible believing church that affirms the Word and Jesus as our Lord and savior to attend since then (not methodist). Its a fact that for some of us, this pandemic has accelerated our exit from the UMC and as the leadership drives the remaining church membership off a cliff, we pray for our remaining brothers and sisters to remain strong and persevere in their faith.
Comment by Lee Cary on January 26, 2021 at 7:05 pm
The only living thing in the history of Western Civilization that has taken longer to die than the UMC was Spain’s Generalissimo Francisco Franco – who is still dead.
Comment by td on January 26, 2021 at 8:15 pm
Addressing john sweeney and josh. You are both right.
Yes, josh, the catholic church has problems with sexual abuse.
And yes, john, priests in the catholic church are expected and required to teach the faith whether they agree or disagree with it- just like a soldier must fight in a war.
The UMC, however, seems to have this notion that each and every clergyperson can and should only teach things that their personal conscience doesn’t object to. They seem encouraged to develop their own theology and then to spread it. It is an unsustainable position for an christian institution.
Comment by John R Owens on January 27, 2021 at 4:14 pm
I understand that we may never agree as a group what our doctrine/discipline should be. But I’m concerned about the split. If we have to choose as members between being a traditional Methodist and this new liberal Methodist. What happens to church assets? Who decides which of those assets will be part of the traditional Methodists and which ones will go to the liberals. Within 20 minutes of my home we have 4 Methodist Churches. I’m a traditionalist, which ones will become traditional and which ones will be the new liberal Methodist? What about other assets that belong to the church how will they be divided? If the Methodist congregation voted to uphold the traditional discipline, why don’t we just fire the clergy that are not following the rules? If we won’t fire these people now what happens when the new traditional Methodist group is formed and some of the clergy start breaking those rules?? Splitting seems like the easy way out until you start trying to divide everything up or figure out the new rules.. I have been a Methodist for 68 years and I’m appalled at what our leadership has let happen. But I would prefer kicking out the rule breakers to splitting. Keep our assets and get rid of these WOKE clergy that only pretend to be Methodists. It shouldn’t be that hard to do. They all took an oath to follow the Doctrine/Discipline of the Methodist church if they won’t honor it they need to GO!!!!
Comment by John Smith on January 28, 2021 at 12:37 pm
John Owen: The assets are exactly why it has taken so long for the split to happen. Disagreements about doctrine can be papered over but money and property? Never join a denomination with a trust clause (since it means they don’t trust the local churches).
The rule breakers aren’t going to be kicked out. Even when they were a small minority denying the deity of Christ, the sufficiency of Scripture, etc they were never disciplined even at the beginning of the UMC. The lack of accountability goes from the Bishops, to the Elders, to Boards and Societies and finally the laity (although the latter are by this time dizzy and disoriented trying to figure out what the UMC approves or doesn’t). It would violate the spirit of christian love, Methodist holy conferencing or whatever cliche you care to use to hold people accountable. (although based on similar examples one the liberals have control they will rule with an iron rod). Once it was made obvious that orthodoxy and orthopraxy were optional in the UMC the rest was inevitable.
Many congregations are going to end up in court, a lot of small churches will disappear-if they survive the lockdown. In VA many churches still meet and worship together-as long as they are not UMC.
Comment by td on January 28, 2021 at 5:44 pm
John Owen- you are stating the obvious. However, UMC leadership has chosen that they will not follow our UMC rules. Unfortunately, they can only be held accountable by themselves, and they refuse to enforce the rules that they don’t like. And they are the only ones who have the authority to actually enforce the rules.
So here we are. They are offering to let annual conferences or local churches leave with their property by jumping over a number of high hurdles. Then they will officially change the rules once enough churches and annual conferences leave.
Sadly, there is no home now for traditionalists or moderates in the US UMC political establishment. There is no effective way to bring about adherence to the nicene creed and other apostolic teachings. And the way methodists have dealt with these issues in the past is to split- so that is what is going to happen.
Don’t hold your breath on a lot of local churches going traditional. Unless your annual conference chooses to go traditional, there is little chance that many of their local churches will actually put up a successful effort to leave the official UMC.
Comment by Lee Cary on January 30, 2021 at 8:35 am
“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” (Winston Churchill)
When the church building becomes the crux of the separation issue, something is desperately wrong.
The physical structure of the church began its long ascendency toward primacy of importance in roughly the 4th Century A.D. when Christians decided that the Kingdom of God promised by Jesus may not imminently arrive. Along with the buildings that were called “churches” came the articulated hierarchical bureaucracies.
So, here we are where the relevance and vitality of Church is measured by buildings. (Likewise, it happened in U.S. public education, for different reasons.)
Comment by Madeleine Birchfield on January 31, 2021 at 5:44 am
I don’t think any split in the United Methodist Church will actually happen, because the non-American delegates, especially those from Africa, but also those from Eastern Europe and the Philippines, are generally opposed to schism of the United Methodist Church. Coupled with the existing American institutionists who want to preserve the current system and a few other centrists there might be a majority to defeat the Protocol and maintain the status quo with the Traditionalist Plan adopted as voted on in 2019. This will now doupt frustrate both the American liberals and the American traditionalists, but both sides would most likely have to get used to being minority factions of an increasingly majority non-American global United Methodist Church. .
Comment by Bob on February 28, 2021 at 8:42 pm
I was a believer, local pastor and Methodist… a little over 5 years ago I walked away from the church (not just Methodist) I’m done with all of it. I could convey stories of going to Licensing school and Duke Divinity for course of study that would make you shake your head. When I raised my voice that a pro-homosexual agenda was being pushed, the non-deity of Christ was promoted I was warned just to get through it or risk not being appointed (I left a full-time highly paid career to serve so the “threat” to me was laughable).
Then if that wasn’t bad, as a pastor of a small church in an area that was exploding with growth had the congregation of little old ladies and few men cling to their clique club and fight reach out to others I broke… I had enough.
I attended several conferences and seldom did I see Scripture or God consulted. I listened to the veiled (and not so veiled) “threats” if one spoke out on any issue that was contrary to Scripture. I watch as the “Rules” were upheld over Scripture and then only those Rules that pushed forward the liberal and ungodly agenda.
I had enough. I came to faith in a Methodist church… then to enter the “inside” only to find out that it was a lie. I doubt what I thought was “faith” was that…. I got caught up in an idea that had no visible signs of being true.
So if you are in this or any other church … run… it is a scam… it is just a bunch of power hungry people wanting to force their views and agendas on others…. they come for the club and stay out of some poorly define loyalty. Most of the so called clergy are highly educated, lazy freeloaders looking for an easy way to gain respect from others…
Liberals are great at taking over institutions that were built with integrity to rape and pillage them into non-existences. Few if any liberals can actually build anything of worth — they only tear down. And the weak minded “Christians” allowed it.
At times I still miss Jesus but the church not so much…
Comment by Gordon Neil on March 6, 2021 at 1:03 pm
Jesus asked, “Do you love me?” And again, “Do you love me?’ And a third time, ” Do you (really) love me?”
Judgement comes on God’s people first! So, any that is the service of Satan, those that choose, agree, have joined forces or have fallen away are simply Stupid and Fools ….. deceived and used to deceive others in the sinking sands of religious grandiosity!
There is only ‘OneWaySober’ and that is by obeying God by the Holy Spirit following Jesus Christ and Christ alone. “Jesus Is Lord” and there is no other Teacher! So, yes many may sat ‘Jesus Is Lord’ but following after Satan who bows to ‘Jesus Is Lord’. Satan is evil and he has no other choice. The games people play in Christian Churches in America today fall short; no power to be disciplined for they are liars …..just actors for the show as disciplined pros of evil, all dressed up but no where to go ….not in Truth; No Kingdom Living; not Life.
Christian leaders and the following religious can not negotiate their will, their way with God. Stupid and Fools! The Few remain on Guard, the Watchman, the Bride looking Forward, not to the left nor the right. The anointed, those Baptized by God and remain steadfast in Faith that God gave them, learn not trust anyone accept Jesus they are engaged with along the Way. The fake lights are so good at deception.
So, remain in love and pray for others and follow Him for Jesus does nothing on His own
Comment by Edward on March 14, 2021 at 1:32 pm
Great article. Being raised in the United Methodist Church and United Presbyterian now (PCUSA) I find both of them have somewhat strayed away, but mostly in the United Methodist Churches that I have seen.
Regarding the Western Bishop and professing lesbian Karen Oliveto. Just by what she has stated as mentioned here, and her stand on Jesus she should be ousted as a heretic!! That is absolute garbage what she has said about Jesus..and he was God!! Is that woman really a believer? I mean obvious thru her comments and her lifestyle as a Bishop that she should be in a denomination like the UCC or the Metropolitan Church that will accept her total blasphemous statements against Jesus and the word of God. Her calling him a sinner, an idol and he was a bigot and prejudice, this is mind blowing! She does not even sound like a Christian, and she is a Bishop? What?! That woman is a cancer and threat to the validity and future of UMC. Wake up Church!!
Comment by Charles S. Oaxpatu on April 9, 2021 at 7:47 am
I am a member of The United Methodist Church (UMC). Based on my reading of the above comments, I have no real problem with a split in the UMC. Let the ultra-conservative types break away—–and good riddance. I have one question though. Why split off when it is obvious—–and I do mean obvious—–that most ultra-conservative United Methodists would be perfectly happy in the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) Churches? Why not just leave your much-hated UMC churches and join one of the IFB churches? It is obvious to me that you ultra-conservatives are just as crazy as they are. You were made for each other because you have so very much in common with the IFB preachers and their cultic churches. However, if you remain Methodist and split off to form your own Methodist churches, I think it would be more than appropriate to officially call your new church “The Christian Fundamentalist Methodist Church—–because that is precisely what you will be.
Once again. I will say it, and I truly do mean it. Split off—–please—–do it quickly—–and good riddance. I am tired of having my beloved church filled with any amount of so-called Christians who voted for Donald J. Trump and think of him as “The Anointed One of the Lord.” Be gone with all of you, and I will praise Jesus for your departure.
Comment by James Ray on April 16, 2021 at 9:56 am
The other day a retired UMC minister told me that the term Marriage, had changed and was no longer a Sacrament of the Church. Really? That is why I will not Ever attend a UMC service.
Comment by William Durham on April 25, 2021 at 12:05 pm
I had to break from the UMC for the second time in my life. First in the 1980’s following the scandal of the World Council of Churches, which my then minister and bishop turned a blind eye towards. I then found my way back, still a beloved adherent to Jesus Christ and the Wesleyan teachings, thanks to the lady I was dating in the 1990’s. But last year, my own local church began preaching Critical Race Theory directly from post modern pop-culture books, both in regular sermons AND Sunday school classes, multiple times. I asked the lead pastor about this via an email conversation, asking whether the church was planning on taking other activist stances against sins other than Racism — such as Abortion — but he only deflected from them and made excuses. My family has not been back since.
What I would like to know is this: Why did the traditionalist decide on the name “*Global* Methodist Church”? Why “Global”? It is too easily identified with the Globalist (read: Leftist) socio-political movement seeking world domination by elites. Are they inadvertently inviting confusion? The very name makes me leery.
Comment by Lee D. Cary on June 18, 2021 at 9:29 am
This is, by far, the very best article I’ve read on this site.
Lomperis’ explanation is historically accurate and thorough. I witnessed the evolution (devolution) from 1972-1997. And what I sensed and saw was as exactly as Lomperis chronicles.
Comment by Boonie K. White on August 23, 2021 at 4:29 am
Charles S Oaxpatu,
Please tell us what you stand for. You have listed what you are against. Do you believe in the supernatural? The Holy Spirit? The Scriptures? Do you know that Satan uses human flesh and human utterances to spread his agenda? You may learn something from the so called “ultra-conservatives.”
“Our struggle (warfare) is not with flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Time to put on “The Whole Armor of God!” I would read all of Ephesians 6 and start over with reading the New Testament, esp John’s gospel.
Comment by Palamas on October 1, 2021 at 7:19 pm
Charles S. Oaxpatu: So you despise those who disagree with you, and answer them with nothing but name-calling. Very inclusive and tolerant of you.
Comment by Kay Behr on November 10, 2021 at 3:23 pm
It is my opinion that the moniker, United Methodist Church, remain with the conservative Wesleyan believers who follow the Bible and the Discipline . Those who are progressive, liberal, homosexual, and abortion supporters should break away and select another name.
Comment by Rev. Ozie L. Hall, Jr. on May 1, 2022 at 9:06 pm
The conservative believes that his interpretation of the Bible is the correct one. Liberals also believe they correctly interpret the Bible. As the division widens over the correct interpretation, the group finds it necessary to split. Thus the Church continues to evolve. A close examination of early Methodism shows that today’s conservatives would be viewed as liberal by the earliest adherents to the Methodist doctrine. Ultimately, the Church follows men and woman leaders and the leaders’ interpretation of the Bible. It’s not a perfect Matrix, but it does provide some order to the lives of the followers that place their confidence in the leaders.
Comment by Paul Weiss on May 27, 2022 at 9:04 pm
WE WRESTLE NOT WOTH FLESH AND BLOOD. THIS IS TRULY A SATANIC BATTLE.
GOD TOLD US IN END TIMES THERE WILL BE A FALLING AWAY. This is exactly whT is happening in the Methodist church
SAD people are gambling with hell fire.
Comment by Jim Hugly on July 10, 2022 at 1:08 pm
The bible is pretty clear. In the end days you will be led by women….right will be cast as wrong and vice versa. I haven’t seen Jesus return and make changes to the bible. Obviously “doctrinal” changes mean, like so many instances in ancient times, members of the faith seek to justify tbeir degeneracy and in pride will defy God until the cycle repeats. God will punish the depraved and as a nation we will need to repent and turn back or be vanquished by our enemies as God lifts his hedge of protection. The church name and history is as unimportant as the many in history that defied God and turned toward Satan as their God. Avoid any churches that seek to appease the wicked and do biblical gymnastics to make evil good and good evil as it is written.
Comment by Roy Hollingsworth on July 11, 2022 at 3:04 pm
When “…for the transformation of the world.” was tacked on to the mission statement, that was the signal that the social creed had supplanted all other considerations.
Comment by Rev. Dr. Lee D Cary (ret. UM clergy) on October 16, 2022 at 4:36 pm
Well written article.
“The older model of liberal clergy, bishops, and leaders who kept their word by following the rules even when they personally disagreed with them is being increasingly replaced by a more militant, rule-breaking sort of liberalism. This is not sustainable.”
Is not the same pattern of the “rule-breaking of liberalism” also happening in the American legal venue?
That aspect of the American culture is not sustainable either. And the ultimate consequences of lawlessness are already surfacing widely in the big blue cities where murder abounds.
The evolving dissolution of the UMC is merely a microcosm of the destruction of American jurisprudence. The big difference is that America can live without the former UMC, but not without law & order.
Comment by Robert Grant on November 10, 2022 at 9:48 am
Who holds the original copies of the signed agreement between the “churches” and the Denomination
Comment by W Naumann on November 15, 2022 at 1:07 am
It is quite apparent even to just a simple Methodist, like myself. There is a force of evil that has been allowed to grow and manifest itself in much of our Methodist hierarchy as well as our federal government. I believe in God, and that Jesus is his son. Therefore, I also believe in the devil. Living my very normal average family life, I have assumed that my church leaders, were more knowledgeable in the discipline, and the sanctity of their leadership positions. I was minimally involved in politics, I fed babies, carpooled, missions, etc. My husband kept me informed. We both watched how power corrupted people, once elected in our government. It took us longer, to understand the growth of corruption, in our church denomination. We were comforted in our southern conservatism. Evil infiltrated. Splitting our church is not the issue. Dividing the assets is simply, the age old adage, “follow the money”. Money equals power, evil craves power. I have seen mighty evidence of God’s supernatural power, many times. The only evidence I have of satan’s power is thru the people he and his demons possess. The battle for this world, this country, this Methodist organization, is biblical. It is good vs evil. The devil would like us to fear the final days are coming, on his terms. Our creator decides when that day will come. Ask yourself, if the bible is irrelevant, what book will replace it? God isn’t what we say he is, he is, who HE says HE is. It isn’t acceptable that those who sow nothing but division, retain the United title. It isn’t acceptable that the assets be torn from the smaller and more rural areas. It isn’t acceptable that the older members who have worshipped faithfully, get pushed out of their cherished community churches. There isn’t anything Methodist or Christian about the forces seeking to split and destroy this United Methodist group. I don’t need a church building to worship my Lord. The devil does not understand this. I’m proud, no perhaps honored, is better choice, to be a simple methodist, praying, reading the bible, worshipping, trying to live a more Christlike life each day.
Dear Heavenly Father, creator of all the true joys of life, giver of all things, give us the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Goliath, the faith of Daniel, the endurance of Job, the ability to discern the evils we are confronting, and the righteous anger of Jesus in the temple, to demand an accounting here on earth, yet knowing that only you will be the one to make the final judgement. Amen
Comment by john mezger on January 15, 2023 at 5:08 pm
As I see it we must stay in The word of GOD AND UMC IS NOT. but we must keep our doors open. to everyone we must do that, but we cannot let those who chose a different lifestyle have any position in the church God makes that clear. Nor marry those folks but we must always show them the love of Christ.
Comment by Scott Bouldrey on September 15, 2023 at 1:40 pm
Your representation of the issues in the early 20th century (you cite 1913) are either incorrect or misleading on several points. The primary issue was the advent of historical critical Bible criticism that was just finding its way into scholarly research in the 1890s. Denominations everywhere were excommunicating clergy, seminary professors, laity, etc. for teaching or using this Bible study technique (that I suspect you are using often enough yourself). In 1904, the Methodist Episcopal Church, via the New York Conference, asked Borden Parker Bowne (ME clergy and professor of philosophy at Boston University) to stand trial for heresy for his defense of that method of Biblical criticism. He did, was unanimously acquitted, and the denomination’s support of historical-critical Bible study was supported. THIS TOPIC was the “‘anti-biblical and unmethodistic teaching’ heavily promoted in seminaries, by leading denominational officials, and our own publishing house (13; Cf. 67-72, 84)” Munhall was complaining about.
Second, your assertion that original sin is/was a “core issue” in religion denies the sordid history of that theological position’s past. Augustine failed multiple times to defend it against his opponents in front of the pope until his fiend became pope and set a trial date Augustine *knew* his opponent (then in Asia Minor) would never be able to make in time. Even with that nepotistic trickery, original sin was never official Catholic doctrine until more than a thousand years later at the Council of Trent (still less than 500 years ago from today). A doctrine that has only been around for one quarter of the time Christianity has existed, and only exists due to political trickery, does not count as a “core issue” to the Christian faith.
“Orthodoxy” shifts. The power of scripture and faith to change people does not. That’s why Wesley, on numerous occasions and more than once in his letter Advice to a People Called Methodist, said the following: “And perhaps there is no other set
of people, (at least, not visibly united together,) who lay so much and yet no more stress than you do on rectitude of opinions, on outward modes of worship, and the use of those ordinances which you acknowledge to be of God. So much stress you lay even on right opinions, as to profess, that you earnestly desire to have a right judgment in all things, and are glad to use every means which you know or believe may be conducive thereto; **and yet not so much as to condemn any man upon earth, merely for thinking otherwise than you do; much less, to imagine that God condemns him for this, if he be upright and sincere of heart**” (emphasis mine).
The actual “unmethodist” behavior is the ignorance (root word = ignore) of that last line. And so, through the years, we ignore actual Wesleyan thinking and teaching and strive to do the exact opposite; condemning *every* wo/man upon earth “merely for thinking otherwise than you do.” Methodism is not about orthodoxy. It’s about orthopraxy.