Five members were newly elected to the United Methodist Church's highest court, but some say the new group may tilt the denomination's Judicial Council to the left on highly debated issues such as homosexual ordination.
Of the five who were elected, only one is a conservative and would support the United Methodist Church's current stance that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching and the ban against noncelibate gay pastors, according to Mark Tooley, director of the UMAction program of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, a conservative organization.
"Some of these new council members are openly opposed to the church's teachings on homosexuality," he said in a statement Tuesday.
The 2008 General Conference, the denomination's highest governing body, elected five new members on Monday to the nine-member council. They were nominated by the Council of Bishops, comprised of the top clergy leaders of the denomination. The new Judicial Council members begin an eight-year term at the closing of the General Conference, a 10-day quadrennial meeting which concludes May 2.
Previously, the council had a 6-3 conservative majority but according to Tooley, only two members in the new council are conservative.
"The big question is whether the moderates and liberals will follow personal convictions, which might be different from the church teaching, or whether they will follow the straightforward intent of the church's law," Tooley said, according to Fort Worth's Star-Telegram newspaper.
Although some recognize the new council is a shift to the left from its previous makeup, the Rev. Adam Hamilton, author of Confronting the Controversies, believes it's "more of a shift to center," as reported by the local newspaper.
"Progressives and centrist United Methodists worked hard to advocate for a slate of candidates they believed would bring greater balance to the council," Hamilton said. "Interestingly, a couple of the candidates appeared on the recommendation lists of conservatives, progressive and centrists."
According to church law, the council is to be comprised of both clergy and laity but also be inclusive in terms of gender, ethnicity and geographical representation.
However, no members of the council's new makeup are from Africa, where 30 percent of United Methodism lives, Tooley pointed out. Churches overseas are also typically theologically conservative.
While United Methodist membership in the United States has continually declined, congregations overseas, particularly in Africa, have grown explosively. Currently, 8 million United Methodists are in the United States and 3.5 million are overseas. But current patterns suggest that within decades, the typical United Methodist will be from Africa.
"Once again, the Africans have been excluded from the leadership councils of our church even though they are the only significantly growing part of United Methodism," said Tooley. "We declare with confidence that the days of exclusion for the Africans will soon come to a close."
This year, the General Conference has welcomed 285 overseas delegates among its nearly 1,000 delegates.
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I have been to a UMC convention. They are trusting more in the UMC as a political party than as a denomination. I wanted to give an opinion, and a follow up on an issue. The opinion was allowed, but my follow up was immediately stifled by the chairman. I felt it was more politics than the Holy Spirit leading the convention. And that was just a youth regional convention. However, I think the UMC is still a biblical denomination, and pray that they turn away from unbiblical errors such as homosexuality and other things that don't even make it to the conventions. I met many dear Bible loving and God loving Christians in the UMC, yet it has become quite "liberal" in several areas of life and theology.
actually kevin,
It is not despite the division that Protestants consider themselves equal, it is that their concept of equality is radically different than the Catholic concept. Within Catholicism it is important not only to believe all of the doctrines set forth by the RCC, but it is also important to be within the RCC. In the Protestant mindset, it is important only to have right belief and relationship with Christ (more or less).
This is ultimatelywhat I believe separates the RCC and Protestant Churches, but you are right about witnessing for ones own Church.
paulbrown,
It is not arrogance to consider one's Church to be the one Church founded by Christ and without error on dogmatic claims of the faith. This is precisely what the church of the early ecumenical creeds believed themself to be, even as they worked through exactly how to explain what they believed. This is fundamental to the self-understanding of the Catholic Church, even as she recognizes the elements of truth and sanctification outside herself. It would be irresponsible for a Catholic to not present this self-understanding to others. Why should Catholics follow a Protestant understanding of divided but fully equal churches when this was unheard of before the Reformation? Indeed, Protestants themselves never thought this way until recent decades (e.g., the professors at Princeton in the 19th century firmly believed that Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists, etc. were fundamentally wrong on central issues like justification and the sacraments).
Paulbrown,
Agreed on almost everypoint. However there is a big difference between Catholics and mainline Protestants (and all protestants). No Protestant denomination (well most at least) call themselves the fullness of the truth, thus it would be ridiculous to try to get other members to join their church, unless they felt that the others were somehow going against the message of Christ.
Here is what I have come to accept, either the Catholic Church is correct or the Protestant or neither but not both. They say two different things. This is not to say that both cannot go to heaven, but I do not know if one can make a clear argument as to why Jehovah's witnesses can not go to heaven or Mormons either for that matter, and many from the evangelical community are endorsing Mormonism or at least speaking at Mormon events.
I might find something wrong with msnchris70's claims about the RCC, or I might find something wrong with his evangelizing on a Protestant/Methodist article, but I have no problem with him defending his position or telling us that we are welcome to come to the RCC if we should find it to be true and superior to our own faith (which it either is or is not, but it is not equal, all this equality of religions and ideas mess is really getting out of control don't you think?)
chris333, i do not have difficulty with the Catholic Church, nor do I have a problem with so-called "Bible-believing" churches - I have dear friends and family who are members of both. My problem is when any Christian, regardless of denominational affiliation, has the arrogance to not only presume preeminence within the body of Christ but actively seek to convert other Christians from their traditions. There is a difference between seeing yourself as "the fullness of truth" and actively engaging in the disrespectful practice of poaching members from another Christian communion. And hopefully you recognize a difference between the sect movements of the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons and the mainline Protestant churches...
We should be spending less time tearing each other down and arguing over who is right, and more time praying for one another - and loving one another, that one day we all "may be one," and spend more time working together to meet the enormous spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of the world around us.
Paulbrown,
"msnchris70, your shameless attempt to poach fellow Christians from their church is sickening. If perhaps you were more informed, you would realize that the Catholic Church recognizes the United Methodist Church as a communion where the spirit of Christ is real, present and active. The World Methodist Council also recently joined the Catholic Church and Lutheran communion in a statement affirming the doctrine of justification. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, part of the same body. No true Catholic, including the current pope, would encourage Methodists who love Jesus and are active in their local church to abandon their tradition for Rome. Shame on you. "
This is not at all an honest statement, msnchris70 believes that the Catholic Church is the "fullness of truth" and he is merely evangelizing in the same way you do, or at least should. We speak to Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses about why they need to join a Christian Church. Besides, if the RCC is just another Christian body, as you assume in your post, then there should be no problem if msnchris70 invites them to leave a body engaging in apostasy to join one on a solid foundation. It would be just like me saying, "Hey UMC members who are fed up with the anti-biblical teachings being espoused by your church, come join a Bible-believing Church"
I think you have a difficulty with the RCC, if so, then that is fine, but say it and don't throw mud on msnchris, we do the exact same thing he does.
"I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out." - John Wesley
Msnchris70: “You may need to act more like Jesus by loving and honoring Mary like you should have done, but never worship her.”
Let us examine Marian adoration or worship:
This the blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: “I am,” she said to her, “the queen of heaven and the mother of mercy; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of entrance for sinners to God…” (The Glories of Mary, Translated From the Italian of St. Alphonsus Liguori)
Is Mary the joy of the just? What saith the scriptures? “…For the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Ne 8:10). In addition, what is the kingdom of God? “…Righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Ro 14:17).
Is Mary the gate of entrance for sinners to God? What saith the scriptures? Jesus said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (Jn 10:9).
paulbrown--
Are you the one who "flagged" my post? Because I am going to repost it, and I will keep reposting it.
When reading about the PC(USA) and now the Methodists the song "Another One Bites The Dust" keeps running through my head.
My heart goes out to our Bible believing Methodist and Presbyterian brothers and sisters. It must be indeed painful to see what has happened, and is happening, to your once proud denominations.
additionally, the way to either get someone to either join your church (for catholics, to heal the divisions of the body of Christ) or to get someone to come out of a church you think is "apostate" or "a synagogue of Satan" is to embody the life and teachings of Jesus, who called us to love not only our fellow Christians ("that they may be one"), but our enemies as well. Remember, Jesus saved his harshest words for the religious conservatives of the day.
msnchris70, your shameless attempt to poach fellow Christians from their church is sickening. If perhaps you were more informed, you would realize that the Catholic Church recognizes the United Methodist Church as a communion where the spirit of Christ is real, present and active. The World Methodist Council also recently joined the Catholic Church and Lutheran communion in a statement affirming the doctrine of justification. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, part of the same body. No true Catholic, including the current pope, would encourage Methodists who love Jesus and are active in their local church to abandon their tradition for Rome. Shame on you.
I will pray for the UMC.
I pray for everyone, and if there are any members of the UMC who find homosexuality disordered, abortion intrinsically evil, tend to be morally conservative because of what the Bible clearly teaches, loves Jesus Christ and realizes we are only saved through His Grace through faith working in love, and want a strong Sacramental life, then come home to the Catholic Church. www.catholicscomehome.org
You may need to act more like Jesus by loving and honoring Mary like you should have done, but never worship her. All generations shall call her "Blessed". As a Catholic, you will know that under our structure that our Pope will never fail in matters of faith and morals. Never in 2000 years has a Pope ever preached from the seat of Peter in his official capacity as universal Bishop a immoral topic.
As a Catholic you will see how we are counter cultural. It is not the world that should shape society, but it is the Church that should be opposed to anything that doesn't resonate with the Gospels. It is the Church that should shape society, not society shape the Church!
When your church is not built on the Rock established by Christ, then public opinion and voting will create an internal demise of your church. It is inevitable.
Apostasy is coming through the door of the methodist church. John Wesley would probably puke.
My guess is that what happened to the Anglican's will now happen to the Methodist's.
I already did. Had a pastor at a local church preach the gay agenda from the pulpit on multiple occassions. I pulled my family from that church shortly thereafter. I don't care what the culture thinks is "normal". I abide by scripture when it comes to where I worship God. I'm just surprised lightning doesn't strike these liberal churches. What a waste of time they are.
Wow. Just Wow. Flee the UMC, that's my only advice.