The proceeding Part I on the Future of United Methodism suggested three possible directions for the future of the United Methodist Church:
1. Continue the direction of the 2024 General Conference. In other words, go further to the left theologically, politically, and socially. The Reconciling Ministries Network is leading the way in advocating for continued liberalization. They speak of the path toward intersectional justice and beginning discussions around the world. This would put United Methodism on the same path as the United Church of Christ, the Disciples of Christ, the Episcopalians and the Presbyterian Church (USA), churches that have already in fifty years have already lost nearly 2/3 of their membership.
In the light of this we might seek clarification for remarks Council of Bishops president Bishop Tracy Malone made at the recent council meeting: “…I have not been more hopeful than I am right now about the future of the United Methodist Church. Together, we witnessed a profound display of God’s power, of God’s goodness and God’s steadfast love, at our most recent General Conference (the 2024 GC which redefined family and marriage and affirmed the LGBTQIA+ agenda) … The UM Church no longer has any statements, policies, or other practices within its polity that discriminate or regulate or exclude any people or person groups…And the United Methodist Church is moving forward as a diverse, world-wide church that celebrates theological differences, that celebrates diversity, and claims rich diversity as God’s gift.”
As we move through our United Methodist communities and churches, are we finding any groundswell of excitement about the 2024 General Conference or about Bishop Malone’s words? We have a miracle-working God but it will take a parting of the Red Sea to believe there is hope in the push to the more liberal direction of the church.
2. Steady the Course. Try harder. Do better. Keep on keeping on. Believe that the 2024 General Conference settled theological, political and social issues for the church, and we can now get back to normal, and things will go better for the future. Again, some serious questions need to be raised: if the United Methodist Church in the United States has a 55-year record of a loss of members, a loss of moral influence in society, and some severe confidence issues, why would we expect things to be any different if we continue the same course?
3. Admit how serious the problem is and take the risk of radical change. United Methodism’s most serious problem is not with our doctrinal standards, nor our tradition, nor our history, nor with most of our local churches, nor with the vast majority of our lay people, whether in the United States or overseas. The problem starts with our leadership, our institutionalism, our bureaucracy, and our inability to live up to historic Methodist standards in doctrine and morality.
Some suggestions:
A. Recover, reaffirm, and proclaim classic Wesleyan and Methodist doctrine. There is almost no chance the church in America, as it is now constituted, will take this direction. Indeed, we have been going in the opposite direction for the past 120 years. Some would reply, however, by saying we still have our doctrinal standards, our United Methodist Hymnal (in my opinion probably the best official hymnal of all the mainline denominations), Our Articles of Religion, Confession of Faith, and General Rules. True, and it is these which for many of us are a major reason why we still remain United Methodists. What we might ask is that our leaders reaffirm that these are still our doctrinal standards.
B. Close or merge most of our “official” United Methodist seminaries. This would be a most significant step, and far more controversial. And yet we might argue, this stands at the top of the list. In 1968, at the time of the Methodist EUB merger, the American Church supported 13 official UM seminaries. The merger instructed the church that in the interest of good stewardship, some of these seminaries should consolidate. Only one merger took place, Evangelical Seminary and Garrett Biblical Institute, both in the Chicago area. At that time the newly formed United Methodist Church reported nearly 11 million members in America. Since that time we have lost 60% of our members but we still have the same number of seminaries. Is this good stewardship? Are all these seminaries really needed?
With an abundance of seminaries, in a few years, in 1980, when some seminaries were having difficulty with financial support, the General Conference authorized the Ministerial Education Fund (MEF), which some labeled the Seminary Bail Out Fund. This fund has been apportioning the church and subsidizing the seminaries with something like $15 million a year (for 45 years) to keep them functioning. It can be argued that this has been money not well spent.
In an effort to force more to attend official seminaries, the church’s University Senate in the early 1980s adopted a policy where not all seminaries (even if accredited by the Association of Theological Schools) would be approved for training of United Methodist pastors. Almost all seminaries declared unacceptable for United Methodist students were evangelical-oriented.
Much has been written about our changing religious culture. Denominationalism is in decline. One recent poll reported that almost all U.S. church growth today takes place among independent churches. Only one major denomination shows numerical growth, the Assemblies of God. Even conservative denominations like the Southern Baptist Convention (still by far the largest Protestant denomination in America) show decline.
Of the 25 largest seminaries in America, only two related to a mainline Protestant denomination make the list (Duke at 16 and United at 25). Of all the seminaries on the list–which one might argue are the ones training successful pastors–only four are approved to train United Methodist pastors by the University Senate (Asbury, Fuller, Duke, and United). Highly regarded seminaries such as Gorden-Conwell, Westminster, and Trinity are still unacceptable. At the same time, historically-prestigious seminaries like Chicago, Union in New York, Princeton, Harvard and Yale are far down the list in reported enrollment. Some of these list no United Methodists among their faculty. Several are known more as schools of religion than as seminaries.
The 2024 General Conference did cut the Ministerial Education Fund by 47%, and this is a good beginning. Many of our seminaries are well endowed and can continue operating without subsidies. It might be pointed out that United Seminary, a former EUB school with a small endowment, was until a few years ago facing serious enrollment decline. But with the addition of several well-known evangelicals to its faculty, United is now the fastest growing UM seminary.
Time to begin a discussion on these things?
In Part III, Riley Case suggests radical moves to give the United Methodist Church a hopeful future, regarding changes to boards and agencies.
Comment by Candy Goodrich on March 11, 2025 at 10:02 am
Please don’t do more damage than has already been done. #3 is spot on.
Comment by Colin Ross on March 11, 2025 at 1:58 pm
You could just skip the nonsense and say there is no future for this chruch, along with the Elca, episcopal, and PCUsa.
All of them have a very old avg age and nothing going for them in the future…except the trusts and land they hoard for the increasingly tiny but very well compensated clergy. Good riddance, no one will miss mainstream organized religion. I’m not even a Christian but I think Jesus would have hated all of them .
Comment by Gary Bebop on March 11, 2025 at 5:20 pm
I seriously doubt that Riley’s effort here will stir United Methodists out of their slumbers, but if you take a look at John Munier’s clergy post about polyamory in the UMC, and if you read through the trailing comments, you’ll have a more relevant picture of the capitulation now going on: https://www.facebook.com/groups/umclergy/posts/10160195267857257
Comment by Td on March 11, 2025 at 5:41 pm
It’s a broken institution that is no longer Christian. I contend that once the leadership chose their own agendas instead of Jesus and the gospel, the institution began to break. I don’t see signs this will change. In fact, it appears that it will spiral ever further into the hands of the devil.
Comment by Tim Ware on March 11, 2025 at 9:02 pm
I agree that there is no future for these mainline denominations. There will never be meaningful change. They will continue to fade away. But in the meantime, I also agree that they will continue to hoard their trusts and property for the benefit of their bureaucrats and well-compensated (and well-pensioned) clergy. And maybe these clergy try to soothe their consciences for living so well off such organizations by fooling themselves into thinking they can change things.
Comment by Paul on March 11, 2025 at 9:31 pm
There is zero hope for the UMC. Zero. No denomination has ever recovered once heresy has been embraced. It will only get worse. Life is short and the fields are ripe unto the harvest; don’t waste even another minute trying to fix an organization that despises Christ and actively works against Him. Let the dead bury their own dead
Comment by David Reitz on March 12, 2025 at 3:27 pm
I was UMC until I found a church with a more active, less scripted version of worship. But I am a follower of the Adam Hamilton version of Methodism – making the main thing the main thing and working on my relationship with God more than telling others whether their relationship with Him is flawed or not.
I believe grow/shrink of a congregation depends more on congregational leadership than denominational leadership except to the extent that denominational leadership paints UMC in a bad light to most people. If the denomination were quiet on issues about which Jesus was quiet, life would be simpler.
Comment by Konnie Mikes on March 12, 2025 at 6:45 pm
Since the UMC has strayed away from Biblical teachings, good luck with your new direction! We left 2 year ago for a church that believes the Bible is the word of God. My heart goes out to all the UM churches that could not afford to leave or it would be more than 2/3. You had to pay to leave and it should have been the other way around!!!
Comment by Scott H Fuller on March 12, 2025 at 6:46 pm
I was born and raised United Methodist, my grandfather was a Methodist pastor from the time he was 18, till he passed away at 83.
I am so disappointed in the direction that United Methodist Church has taken.
I don’t even think they can call themselves UNITED, when any conference or Church can pick and choose what parts of the discipline they want to use or not use. Last I knew UNITED meant that everyone followed the same rules.
The United Methodist Church needs to turn itself around and get back to following JESUS.
Comment by RMD on March 12, 2025 at 8:59 pm
The UMC has gone against the clear teaching of Scripture, the theology of Wesley and against their own book of discipline. God will judge, not bless this abhorrent behavior.
Comment by Dr. L M on March 12, 2025 at 11:51 pm
The UMC is not a Christian church. Is part of the apostasy of the church. Not the bride of Christ at all. I was there many years ago. Extremely weak in the teachings of the word, dead in the spiritual growth. What else to expect? What you see now is the result of a lukewarm religious institution. Get out and renounce if you were there.
Comment by L Margarita on March 13, 2025 at 12:11 am
Is not a Christian church. It serves the devil and is part of the Apostasy of this time. An embarrassment for those of us who were once in that denomination. All of you still there, get out quickly and repent before you are completely blinded. If you are a pastor there shame on you. You are a poison to the world not the light.
Comment by Tanner on March 13, 2025 at 9:54 pm
There is a renewed effort for a new traditionalism in the UMC that is unwavering- Young Methodists for Tradition. Formed two years ago and are currently working to fight theological liberalism and restore the Wesleyan spirit to the UMC.
Comment by Tim Ware on March 13, 2025 at 10:57 pm
Regarding LMargarita’s comment…
I agree that the UMC pastors are poison. But I would add that the retired pastors drawing their monthly pensions from such an organization are also poison.
Comment by JoeR on March 17, 2025 at 8:16 pm
This quote is the death knell of the UMC “the 2024 GC which redefined family and marriage and affirmed the LGBTQIA+ agenda)”.
Comment by Randy Tharan on March 17, 2025 at 9:07 pm
Been a United Methodist for 54 years, prior to that I was Catholic from birth until I was 18. The Methodist church shot themselves in their own foot when the liberal leaders took it upon themselves to change the direction of the church. Methodist church is no longer a Christian church. We will be leaving just as soon as we can find a way out with our building. We spent 17 years building this new community facility and the Methodist leaders have lied to our congregation as to they way out. SHAME ON YOU!!! GOD will prevail in this matter. I wish you luck as you continue to destroy what is left of the church.
Comment by TheRev on March 17, 2025 at 10:47 pm
Riley, the UMC is going hard left — lets be real — they have said that they “are not done yet” and you can well believe it! Just look at what the PCUSA has done by demanding that all clergy affirm, align themselves with the LGTBetc leftist dogma or not be ordained. I believe the TEC is or has moved in a similar way. This is coming for us. There will be a drive to push out the remaining conservatives/traditionalists. All that talk about being a big tent is nothing but a big lie, just like the fox told the gingerbread man on his back as he lowered himself into the water “don’t worry, you will be safe” until it was too late. The whole schism left a bad taste in my mouth — because I feel we conservatives who are left in the UMC by choice either by conscience or by practicality were abandoned by the people we once looked to as guiding lights and heroes. Personally I can hardly wait for the return of Jesus because I am sick of the UMC and the GMC and institutional church in general.
Comment by David Gingrich on March 18, 2025 at 7:23 am
In what world does Riley Case live? The UMC is lost.
Comment by Arthur K Prewitt SR. on March 18, 2025 at 1:07 pm
I have left the UMC after following what has been going on for the past five years. I will be going to a GMC from now on. The UMC bishops’ behavior was no better than the Don in the mafia except they did not commit homicide however they did kill the church that has been a part of my life for years. Thanks to the WCA for all their information and keeping us informed.
Comment by Courtney on March 20, 2025 at 6:50 am
United Theological Seminary’s growth is misleading, because it isn’t UMC centered student growth. It’s also an approved seminary for the GMC, and as a current student, I don’t know how the UMC hasn’t severed ties to UTS yet. Anecdotally, I’ve encountered maybe 4 UMC associated students in my classes. Many are AME Zion, GMC, Pentecostal, and even a rogue Baptist. It’s also interesting to note UTS no longer teaches the UMC course of study, nor do they have a UMC House of Study.
In other words, UTS may be growing, but it isn’t benefitting the UMC.
Comment by Vivian on March 22, 2025 at 1:20 pm
Please don’t demonize retired pastors for drawing our retirement. Many worked hard, had healthy congregations (rural usually as that is where bishops sent traditionalists) and were forced out into early retirement due to dedication to Scripture. Many have to work in their 70s as they were not even allowed to work to retirement age. Yes, the BOD said they must be appointed, but bishops don’t follow that.
Comment by walter aardsma on March 24, 2025 at 9:44 am
I would like to point out that it used to be that many Bible-believing U.M. pastors in South Jersey did undergraduate work at Philadelphia College of Bible (name since changed) and then Eastern Baptist Seminary (name since changed) which must have had a Methodist study program. The U.M. machine tried to shut down Eastern, perhaps they have succeeded. Southern N.J. A.C. was very different from many U.M. A.C.’s, sad to see what happened to them.