United Methodists Edge Toward Breakup Over LGBTQ Policies

A gay pride rainbow flag flies along with the U.S. flag in front of the Asbury United Methodist Church

in Prairie Village, Kansas on April 19, 2019. Charlie Riedel / AP

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK — There's at least one area of agreement among conservative, centrist and liberal leaders in the United Methodist Church: America's largest mainline Protestant denomination is on a path toward likely breakup over differences on same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBT pastors.

The differences have simmered for years, and came to a head in February at a conference in St. Louis where delegates voted 438-384 for a proposal called the Traditional Plan, which strengthens bans on LGBT-inclusive practices. A majority of U.S.-based delegates opposed that plan and favored LGBT-friendly options, but they were outvoted by U.S. conservatives teamed with most of the delegates from Methodist strongholds in Africa and the Philippines.

Many believe the vote will prompt an exodus from the church by liberal congregations that are already expressing their dissatisfaction over the move.

Some churches have raised rainbow flags in a show of LGBT solidarity. Some pastors have vowed to defy the strict rules and continue to allow gay weddings in Methodist churches. Churches are withholding dues payments to the main office in protest, and the UMC's receipts were down 20 percent in March, according to financial reports posted online.

"It's time for some kind of separation, some kind of amicable divorce," said James Howell, pastor of Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, who posted a video assailing the proposal for its "real meanness."

The UMC's nine-member Judicial Council convenes a four-day meeting in Evanston, Illinois, on Tuesday to consider legal challenges to the Traditional Plan. If the plan is upheld, it would take effect for U.S. churches on Jan. 1. If parts of it are struck down, that would likely trigger new debate at the UMC's next general conference in May 2020.

In fact, it appears that the general conference in May, 2020, will decide that a split is inevitable as a plan will be presented to do just that.

The UMC's largest church — the 22,000-member Church of the Resurrection with four locations in the Kansas City area — is among those applying financial pressure. Its lead pastor, Adam Hamilton, says his church is temporarily withholding half of the $2.5 million that it normally would have paid to the UMC's head office at this stage of the year.

"We'll ultimately pay it," Hamilton said. "But we want to show that this is the impact if our churches leave."

Hamilton is among the opponents of the Traditional Plan leading an initiative dubbed UMC-Next that seeks the best path forward for those who share their views. Clergy and activists in the alliance have met in Texas and Georgia, and a bigger meeting is planned for May 20-22 at Hamilton's megachurch.

Hamilton, in a telephone interview, said two main options are under consideration.

Under one scenario, many centrists and liberals would leave en masse to form a new denomination — a potentially complex endeavor given likely disputes over the dissolution process.

Under the other option, opponents of the Traditional Plan would stay in the UMC and resist from within, insisting on LGBT-inclusive policies and eventually convincing the conservatives that they should be the faction that leaves under what's envisioned as a financially smooth "gracious exit."

"There's a sense that some conservatives have been wanting to leave for a long time," Hamilton said. "They're tired of fighting about it."

While other mainline Protestant denominations have embraced gay-friendly practices, the UMC still bans them, though acts of defiance by pro-LGBT clergy have multiplied. Many have performed same-sex weddings; others have come out as gay or lesbian from the pulpit.

Enforcement of the bans has been inconsistent; the Traditional Plan aspires to beef up discipline against those engaged in defiance.

Traditional Plan supporter Mark Tooley, who heads a conservative Christian think tank, predicts that the UMC will split into three denominations — one for centrists, another oriented toward liberal activists and a third representing the global alliance of U.S. conservatives and their allies overseas.

"It's a question of how long it takes for that to unfold — and of who and how many go into each denomination," Tooley said. "A lot of churches will be irreparably harmed as they divide."

Scott Jones, bishop of the UMC's Houston-based Texas conference, says churchgoers in his region are divided in their views, but a majority supports the Traditional Plan's concepts.

"I have urged all of us to love each other, listen to each other and respect each other, even if we disagree," said Jones, who holds out hope that the UMC's disparate factions can preserve some form of unity.

Ann Craig of Newburgh, New York — a lesbian activist who has advocated for greater LGBT inclusion in the UMC — thinks a breakup can be avoided, though she's unsure what lies ahead.

"We expect something new to happen, but what that change should be or will be has not jelled yet," she said. "I don't think we're going to break up — it's so cumbersome to figure out a way to divorce."

The crisis is being followed closely at Methodist-affiliated theology schools based at universities with LGBT-inclusive policies. There are 13 UMC-connected theology schools around the country.

"There's a lot of turmoil and distress," said Mary Elizabeth Moore, dean of Boston University School of Theology. "We're trying to find a future that will be less destructive than where we are now."

In other words, they are trying to salvage what they can of the Methodist church before it is entirely taken over by those who are people-centered as opposed to being God-centered. 

Celebrating homosexuality in a church once dedicated to Jesus Christ is a sure way to lose God's candlestick from your presence. That means you will not find the presence of God in those churches. 

Rev 2:5 - Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

The western world resembles Sodom and Gomorrah more every day.

Sweden - Going to Hell in a Hand-basket

This might explain why Sweden is in so much trouble with its government making hair-brained decisions that the public mostly supports

Why Swedes are leaving the Swedish Church in record numbers

File photo of a Swedish priest. Photo: Christine Olsson/TT

The Local

More than 90,000 people chose to quit the Swedish Church last year – almost twice as many as the year before.

The Swedish Church saw a significant drop in its membership numbers last year, with a total of 1.5 percent of its members choosing to leave the Evangelic-Lutheran organization.

The main reason why people decide leave is because they do not believe in God, according to a survey carried out by pollsters Norstat on behalf of the Swedish Church.

Forty percent said they had left for that reason. Other reasons included that being a member "did not feel meaningful" (18 percent) or that it was "too expensive" (17 percent).

As The Local reported in August, last year's mass exodus followed a series of high-profile revelations claiming officials made expensive trips abroad funded by church coffers. A spokesperson said increased media coverage of the Swedish Church as a result may have contributed to the drop in members.

"The survey confirms what we previously thought which is that the decision to withdraw is for most people a long process. They have a weak relationship (with the church), or have not reflected on their membership, and when the church is then in the public spotlight you are reminded of your membership and review it," said Pernilla Jonsson, head of analysis at the Swedish Church's department for research.

That people can go to church and not believe in God is a condemnation of the leadership of the church. In a church where God truly exists, it is difficult to attend church and not encounter Him at some level. Such a serious failure to encounter him causes one to suspect that the church is dead; that God is not there; that He has removed His candlestick (See Revelation 2:1-5).

One possible issue here might be that many Swedish churches have abandoned preaching Jesus Christ. Christianity without Jesus Christ is not Christianity! I once took a neighbour, who was raised in the Lutheran Church, to a Christmas concert. She was horrified at the frequent mention of Jesus - at a Christmas concert!!! She had been raised to believe in God - but "Who is this Jesus?"

Jesus has to be preached from the pulpit and a vital and obvious relationship with Him has to be modeled by church leadership. His character has to be revealed in those who walk with Him. Taking expensive trips on church coffers is not how you do that. 

No wonder people found the experience to be meaningless. They weren't being taught the Gospel, which is the purpose of the church to begin with. Also, tithing is voluntary and a privilege, not a requirement in any real church. 

Sweden is the least religious country in the western world, trailing only China, Hong Kong and Japan in percentage of irreligious people. While Christianity is dying in Sweden, Islam is blossoming with the great number of Muslim immigrants and their considerably higher birth-rate than native Swedes. That's all part of the Islamization of Sweden which too many Swedes see as a good thing. It isn't! It's insane!

I pray Sweden will turn to Jesus Christ, realize what He did on the Cross nearly 2000 years ago, and find that they can have a very real and active relationship with Him. Without Him, Sweden has no hope and will continue to slide down the slippery slope they have been on for some years now. May God have mercy.

Around 8,000 people chose to join the Swedish Church in 2016.

The survey, which did not ask people when they left, was carried out between November 24th and December 9th. It asked 5,384 Swedes if they were members of the Swedish Church, and the 40 percent who said they were not were then asked to state the reason why they had left.

The Swedish Church says it has 6.1 million members in a country just above 10 million people. 

Before 1996, children whose parents were members were automatically enrolled at birth. But according to Statistics Sweden, just five percent of Swedes are regular church goers. One in three couples that get married in Sweden choose a civil ceremony. 

Presbyterian Church (USA) Bent on Ecclesiastical Suicide

NBCI, a Coalition Representing 15.7 Million African Americans, Cuts Ties with PCUSA

On March 18, Associated Press Religion Writer Rachel Zoll covered the decision by the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) "recognizing gay marriage as Christian in the church constitution after decades of debate over same-sex relationships."

A search at the AP's national site indicates that the wire service hasn't done a story on the U.S. congregation since then. This means that it has ignored a development going at least back to Friday indicating that there has been significant external blowback:

The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a coalition representing some 34,000 African American and Latino churches, 15.7 million African Americans, and 15 different denominations, announced that it will be cutting ties with the Presbyterian Church (USA) since the denomination decided to redefine marriage to include same-sex marriages.

"NBCI and its membership base are simply standing on the Word of God within the mind of Christ. We urge our brothers and sisters of the PCUSA to repent and be restored to fellowship," NBCI President Rev. Anthony Evans said.

The PCUSA officially decided to redefine marriage in its constitution on March 17 when a majority of the 172 presbyteries voted to do so. Though the vote made the decision official, the actual redefinition will not be taking effect until June 21.

"No church has the right to change the Word of God. By voting to redefine marriage PCUSA automatically forfeits Christ's saving grace," he added. "There is always redemption in the body of Christ through confession of faith and adhering to Holy Scripture."

The PCUSA's decision has brought about a swirl of controversy, and strong opposition from conservative churches. The first church to leave the PCUSA since the approval to redefine marriage is Brighton Presbyterian Church, a 200-year-old New York church which decided to leave on the 26th.

A Google News search on "black churches Presbyterian" (not in quotes, sorted by date, with duplicates) returns only about ten relevant items, all of which come from center-right or Christian blogs and outlets.

It's reasonable to contend that the only reason such an action by a group representing 34,000 churches hasn't been deemed newsworthy by the nation's establishment press is that it doesn't fit the "same-sex marriage is inevitable, get over it" template.

While we're on the subject, I recalled a bit of research I did about a decade ago into the growth and contraction in mainline Christian denominations. At the time, I found a list telling me that PCUSA had 4.1 million members in 1960, but that its membership had declined to 3.2 million in 2002.

Rachel Zoll's report at the AP indicates that PCUSA currently "has nearly 1.8 million members." The actual number in 2013 was 1.76 million, a roughly 4 percent decline from the previous year's 1.84 million. It's virtually certain that the group's latest move will, as seen in the excerpt above, continue and perhaps accelerate that contraction.

So the church has seen a membership decline approaching 60 percent during a 55-year time period when the U.S. population has grown by about 70 percent. There's little doubt, especially in recent years, that the falloff is due to a movement which has culminated in what the black church group above characterized as a decision which "automatically forfeits Christ's saving grace." 

IE, God has removed their candlestick! "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." Rev 2:5.

Millions of Christians voting with their feet to leave PCUSA to take their worship of God elsewhere is not news at the AP or anywhere else in the establishment press. But a desperate and perhaps dying church which believes it can stay relevant by bowing to cultural pressure is.

A church that ceases to preach the Word of God is no longer a church, but has become a social centre. A social centre that thinks it's a church is living on borrowed time.