Across 42 years IRD has been the target of lots of critiques. One of the more amusing recently came from the self-identified “Picklin’ Parson,” a United Methodist minister in Dallas who last year publicly shared his dream that I would choke to death on a baloney sandwich. In his recent video, the Picklin’ Parson appears with his crocks for brining pickles. His talk’s title is “It’s A Crock–For the IRD to Work to Ruin God’s Church, No Matter the Brand.” Clever! You can watch it for yourself.
Another recent critique comes from William Lawrence, former dean of Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. “The IRD, which began in 1981, is a political organization and not a religious one,” he writes. “Yet it devotes a lot of attention to religion-related topics and the practices of church bodies.” Actually, IRD is a Christian organization that focuses on the public witness of Christianity in America. The opening words of our founding 1981 statement are “Jesus Christ is Lord.”
Lawrence calls IRD “influential and well-funded,” promoting “their views in a ‘Juicy Ecumenism’ blog that is widely read.” And then he lists his litany of complaints about IRD as a “disruptive” influence in churches. He likens IRD to a troubling time when armed burglars invaded his house,” which “left behind a disturbance, that would be hard to settle.”
Like most IRD critics, Lawrence complains about IRD for challenging denominational policies, but he does not interact with any of our actual ideas, theological or political. The underlying assumption seems to be that IRD and other concerned voices should just go away. Christian institutions with this attitude are unhealthy and will decline, just as Lawrence’s denomination is.
Such criticisms of course are a compliment. And after 42 years, IRD is long accustomed to critique. But we would welcome critique about substantial ideas rather than just superficial complaints from clergy and church officials who don’t like dissent.
Comment by Gary Bebop on April 12, 2023 at 5:08 pm
“The battle for truth” must go on. No one should be fooled by what’s put in a jar. The UMC has been dishing out sour pickles for some time and has ruined our potlucks.
Comment by Dan W on April 12, 2023 at 6:17 pm
The UMC always had it’s rebels. The rebels are just more connected these days. Did UMC leaders really believe they could gloss over heresy with the power of their “awesome” personalities?
Now they find themselves in a real pickle!
Comment by Vanessa Harris on April 12, 2023 at 7:47 pm
Wow, what a ruthless leader of the Church. I have left a couple of churches bc of who or what is in the pulpit. “God” will not be mocked. 1) was at a baptist church, the pastor was a pro-abortion pastor/black man,
I never knew it until he and i had a conversation one-on-one. After that conversation i never went back. I was so dumb, i thought all Christians were taught the same thing. 3) my last attempt was a non-denominational. I loved the people, the teachings and the pastor, until i responded to a.? on pro-Abortion a young white guy responded negatively. I was asked to have a talk with him, but i decided not to. That may have been a missed opportunity. God knows where he is.
God can only change a heart
Comment by Anthony on April 13, 2023 at 10:26 am
The liberal UMC hierarchy, their supporters, spokespeople, and enablers REFUSE to dialogue with those who question their new theology as they utilize specific Biblical Scriptures. They only resort to mud slinging, using a pagan cultural backdrop iced over with religious sounding words. For all these decades the UMC has been in conflict over human sexuality, the symptom, they have yet to put forth a Scriptural defense of their positions — EXCEPT to awkwardly and remarkably incoherently attempt to disqualify the Scriptures, even tossing those that do not fit their narrative, as the authoritative source on human sexuality, sexual immorality, and evolving other issues.
Comment by Anthony on April 13, 2023 at 10:29 am
by utilizing specific Biblical Scriptures.
Comment by Gary on April 14, 2023 at 4:13 am
A cornpone flavored version of Adam Hamilton.
Comment by Ric Walters on April 17, 2023 at 6:18 pm
Dr. Bill Hinson is spinning in his grave over the crock that one of his former Associates is spouting from the pickle jar.
Comment by Michael Murphy on April 17, 2023 at 7:30 pm
After watching this guys podcast, he is completely projecting. Everything he accuses the IRD of doing, he is actually doing himself.
The litmus test is simple: what does the Bible say? If the Bible says do a certain thing, or be a certain way, then, if you decide to act otherwise, you are outside of God’s will and plan.
It is OK to be conservative or liberal. God doesn’t really care about American politics. And God is very clear in scripture about who we as Christians are supposed to love. No one is excluded from that. We are to love everyone, regardless of the way, they act believe or behave.
However, God also lays out who should be the spiritual leader. This is not my opinion; this is what the Bible says.
Any church that claims to be a Bible, believing church, yet does not do what it says, is fooled, and the truth is not in them. At the very least, every church should be made up of imperfect Christians, who are striving for holiness. There should always be a rigorous debate as to how best to do. God’s will, as it is written in the Bible.
When a church ceases to do this, it ceases to be a church. It has become a social club.
Another good test: is the congregation evangelizing and trying to bring in non-believers? And I don’t believe that this is a denominational thing. This is a local thing; one congregation at a time. In reality, it is a personal thing. Am I evangelizing? How is my witness among others?
I believe the IRD is necessary. Just as a flashlight is necessary to shine light in dark corners. This is what God does. He shines the light of Jesus in the dark corners of our lives, exposing our sin, and leading us toward repentance.
When the “Picklin’ Parson” accuses the IRD of being negative and not looking at the positive, he excuses the bad as a necessary, side effect of the good.
That is just not correct thinking. We should continue to do good. The Bible commands us to do so. We should also continue to root out evil. That concept goes back to king David and the Psalms. That is not a new idea created in the 1980s by the I RD.
Comment by JoeR on April 17, 2023 at 8:15 pm
Completely upset with the out of touch UMC hierarchy. They think the great unwashed who sit in the pews need a Nanny as we are not sophisticated enough to evaluate facts and make tough decisions. Of course our fine Bishops have “kicked the can down the road” for decades which is a sure sign of pitiful leadership skills. No business would be run as has the UMC. It is time to close the doors and move on.
Comment by David on April 17, 2023 at 10:18 pm
This crock should be defrocked!
Comment by Jeff on April 18, 2023 at 2:28 am
>> [Stan Copeland is a] corn-pone flavored version of Adam Hamilton.
Gary,
I must disagree that Copeland and Hamilton differ only in flavor.
Rev. Stan Copeland is a heretic buffoon — merely a clownish caricature, although certainly provocative, especially in the modern culture’s social media theater. Copeland is a “flash in the pan” — his time has come, he is for the moment useful to the demonic evil that has possessed the progressive UMC, yet he will quickly fade into irrelevance.
In contrast, Rev. Adam Hamilton is a much deeper and darker heretic, more thoroughly connected to the power of the prince of the air. There is no way that the disease of progressive united methodism could have proceeded against the Power of GOD’s Word, except to call that very Word, that very foundation, into question. This is where Adam Hamilton sacrificed his soul, stepped into satan’s service, and created his “three buckets” plan for calling ALL of GOD’s word into question. Hamilton’s foundational attack on the completeness and infallibility of the Word furnished the progressives with the credentials and intellectual munitions they so desperately needed to proceed with their antichristic attack.
Have you ever seen the Holy Bible, Adam Hamilton version, with his “three buckets” division of Scripture explicitly delineated therein? Of course not — and you never will. By leaving his heretical attack loose, Hamilton has opened the door to questioning (and rejecting) ANY and ALL of GOD’s word.
No, Hamilton and Copeland are not merely flavors. Copeland is a joke that is destined to pass into oblivion, and soon. Hamilton’s notoriety will persist until the Judgment — and beyond.
Pray for each of their souls, that they may come to repentance and live on.
Comment by Lee Cary on April 18, 2023 at 3:32 pm
Never debate with a pickled-clerical clown.
Readers may not be able to discern the difference.