American Christianity is changing before our eyes. The United Methodist Church was America’s third largest religious body for half a century, after Roman Catholicism and the Southern Baptist Convention. Before that it was second largest for about a hundred years, and at one point it was the largest denomination in the nation.
All that is now history, as United Methodism is in a free fall, which is a loss for U.S. society and American Christianity. What is going on?
It comes down to a theological crisis, with conservatives increasingly alienated from the theological liberals who constantly pushed for LGBT inclusion. As of July 2022, nearly 6,200 United Methodist congregations have been approved for exiting the denomination with their church property. They represent 20 percent of the denomination’s churches in 2020 and perhaps include more than one million members. At least another 21 state conferences will meet this summer and fall to approve hundreds more exits. So there may be 7,000 exiting churches before the deadline at year’s end.
Continue reading here.
Comment by walt pryor on July 25, 2023 at 5:56 pm
We must realize how strong Satan is! Satan uses our weaknesses to destroy our relationship with God.
There is no stronger emotion than our sexual desires. Satan uses them to pervert what God says, to pervert the authority God has over us.
These people who call themselves Methodist have been deceived by Satan and the Liberalization of America’s morality.
Porn plays a big part in the indoctrination of males and females. The emotions are strong and once a human taste the lust of perversion it is hard to stand against it.
That is the reason these Methodist Christians compromise the Book of Discipline. It is easier to compromise than to overcome their desire.
The homosexual community and the leaders of the homosexual movement understand how strong this desire is and that is why they target children and the straight.
The homosexual community celebrates each person converted to homosexuality just like Christians celebrate the conversion of a person to Christ.
This is the same war that began in the Garden of Eden. It is a war between God and Satan. It is a war between Christ and Paganism.
Pagans worship the Earth and Moon.
Pagans worship the gods of fertility.
Pagans sacrifice their children on their altars of lust.
Pagans worship in temples filled with both male and female prostitutes.
Pagan pretend they worship the Creator God.
Comment by Mikeb on July 25, 2023 at 9:49 pm
@walt
We must realize how strong our savior is.
Even if every follower of Christ on earth was beaten to death on a pagan alter. God would not be diminished one iota.
God could raise each and every one of us from dry bones at his call.
Christ died and resurrected because all is his will and plan.
We serve the creator of the universe. We go to those who reject him to preach his name, not because we are good, but like the sermon 10 shekels and a shirt says, because He loved them, He died for them, and He claimed them.
We are not good, but God is perfect, we are saved by the grace of He who walked on water, broke bread with His disciples, let the little children come unto Him, and set time, energy and matter on its course.
Satan can rebel against God, but God is omnipotent, he is the Alpha and the Omega. The battle was decided on the hill of Calvary, it was finished when Christ said it was finished.
We exist by His mercy and grace, let us trust him and him alone.
Comment by George on July 26, 2023 at 11:04 am
These comments are insightful and scriptural. What’s happening in the denominations is what’s happening in the world. Its the fulfillment of Isaiah 60:2, “…For behold, darkness will cover the earth, And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you, And His glory will appear upon you.” The result is attracting the attention of the nations and their rulers. Their response it up to them but none will stand before God in the final judgement and be able to say “we didn’t know!!!”
Episcopal. Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian….none of these thing really mean anything: there is Christ and there is Satan. Christ comes to us without a denomination and Satan comes as anything else, whatever cheese will attract us into his trap, in a word, paganism. All the “splits” tend to be those who want to follow Jesus and those who don’t! The names don’t matter.
Comment by Rev. Dr. Lee Cary (retired UMC clergy) on August 4, 2023 at 9:06 am
“All that is now history, as United Methodism is in a free fall, which is a loss for U.S. society and American Christianity. What is going on?”
Meanwhile, the free-standing, independent Christian congregations are becoming more numerous. The bureaucracies inherent in denominationalism are dying.
That’s what’s going on.