UMC - Part 6
This may be the most controversial suggestion I’ll make. I understand that the implications are enormous and complicated. I also acknowledge the “real estate” ownership questions this raises (which is another important issue).
I think the United Methodist Church either needs to become united again or intentionally part ways.
Today, there is a huge divide between liberal Methodists and evangelical Methodists. While I don’t pretend to understand all of the nuances of the issues, I know that division doesn’t help anyone.
While conferences are wrestling with questions around ordaining homosexuals and the inspiration of scripture, Methodist churches are dying daily. More importantly, people are dying daily without a relationship with Christ.
While the UMC prides itself in being open, many of my evangelical peers don’t believe that their conference is very open to them.
Being an evangelical, I’m obviously biased. It is my humble opinion that pastors should boldly preach the life-changing Word of God and the new birth in Christ. Without the powerful proclamation of the Gospel, I don’t see any hope of survival. If liberal leaders won’t support evangelicals, the denomination would be wise to allow them a way to gracefully exit.
I pray God will bless and empower the UM Church to unite and share Christ around the world!
Visit 
What would John Wesley do? I think he’d leave, find a horse, and go preach the gospel somewhere. He might even start a new massive movement of fiery proclaimers of the gospel to do the same.
Craig I couldn’t help but think of this passage — 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 Preach Christ boldly! The simple profound message of Christ is the power of the Church. If we depart from proclaiming this, we have nothing. Preach Jesus.
18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.19 As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”s
20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.
24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles,s Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
I appreciate that fact that you were/are willing to take on this issue. As an outsider - I have seen the very riff in some of UM pastors that I know.
Thanks for taking on the issue and as an evangelical I fall in line with your thinking here.
God Bless!
This will never happen because the bureaucracy needs the evangelical churches to feed it financially. Basically, there would be a collapse of the denomination on the liberal side. I think the evangelical churches would begin to thrive. All through my ministry I had to keep apologizing to people about the current statements and stands of the UM denomination. People would say, “I really believe in what you are doing, but I would never attend a Methodist Church.” I had many good and active people leave after stories about bishops who did not believe in the deity of Christ or the resurrection would come out. Others were hurt, confused and bewildered about the radical statements and actions of some within the church. I think both sides would breathe a sigh of relief if an amicable separation would take place, and I would be the first to sigh with sadness and relief.
This really is a serious issue. It has caused me personal heartache over the last 25 years as a staff member in a UMC. I have been at the same church all those years under 8 different pastors. The growth and death process has been vivid. Under evangelical leadership our congregation has thrived. It has been heartbreaking to see the decline of the congregation under an openly liberal pastor. Thankfully, we are on a growth spiral with Kevin Tully at the helm.
An additional underlying problem has been the lasting effect on individuals in the congregation who have become tepid in their spiritual conversation out of courtesy for their more liberal friends. It is much like a sin of omission.
I agree with Craig that if we can’t unite and wholeheartedly uphold the orthodoxy of the UMC then we need to apply rigorous disciplinary action or split.
Craig, thank you for your insights. As an evangelical umc pastor, the fact you would spend any time on this subject is encouraging to me. I am a second career pastor of 13 yrs to which God has called to one of the largest mission fields…the UMC and California. Thank you again for your insight and candor.
May I just share my experience from being raised a Jehovah’s Witness. In my many years there, we were constantly reminded about how God’s people would be united in teaching. That His word would be the evidence of who truly follow Him. The JW’s glowed at how no matter where in the world..their kingdom hall was teaching the same word (& sermon). What you don’t understand until you are an adult is that it is because the main leaders TOLD everyone else what to preach and when. Truly the JW’s are a decieved group but many have a heart after God and a true desire for truth.
Upon my salvation, you can imagine the pure truth and joy I had when I saw churchs that had no ties to each other than the Bible and yet they were teaching, many times, the exact same message. Now THAT is God’s Holy Spirit working.
I want to encourage and commend and pray for each and everyone of you leading your church in this manner! Thank you Craig for seeing that NO church name is greater than the Jesus we serve… thank you for allowing your church to marry MetroChurch many years ago. It was unheard of and I KNOW it was God. Thank you also to share this weeks comments regarding the UMC. I am thrilled to be reading posts by others in the UMC ministry that are willing to speak and stand on the Word of God and NOT go with the pressures of an organized group or with the world. I am in awe of your willingness to let God use you in a place that does not always speak what you know is God’s word. I know of a few others amoungst challenging people who are patient and loving to stand on God’s Word and yet serve in areas that are under attack to water it down.
Stay in the word daily!! Stay in prayer!! I am lifting you up in prayer for strength, gentleness, truth and a clear vision from our heavenly Father!
I hate to say it, but if we (evangelicals) aren’t able to part ways gracefully I see it parting sharply. As Rod said, I think the liberal UMC would crumble, and the evangelicals (if we stay true to Wesleyan theology) would thrive over time.
History shows us that by not taking a firm stance that we will lose good people. In the late 1800’s the Methodist Episcopal Church declined to take a stance on slavery because they had seen other denominations (such as the Baptist) split over the argument. By not taking a stance people like Orange Scott refused to be associated with the ME Church and left to create what is now the Wesleyan Church. Though they are smaller they have come a long way. They are growing alarmingly fast. While the UMC is seeing a decline in membership in the US the Wesleyans are continually planting new churches, investing in solid youth ministry, and promote small groups at both the worldwide level and the local church. This is fueling the excitement of young leaders. Churches like Skyline Wesleyan in San Diego and 12 Stone Church in Atlanta are taking off. More and more Wesleyan churches are being planted. Of course the Wesleyan’s face their own set of challenges, but nothing compared to the riffs that the UMC is experiencing.
While this all sounds very good, it’s not going to happen any time soon. The financial ties with the larger denomination make something like this virtually impossible to pull off.
I know quite a few pastors that would be considered liberal that would like the so-called conservatives to just up and leave but I also know a number of these so-called conservatives that want the liberals to live.
My fear about division is that we would end up an “orthodox” evangelical denomination that has lost its love for the poor and hurting or, otoh, that the UMC becomes so socially minded that we forget to mention this Jesus person that so radically changes lives. As Methodists, we’ve got to learn to incorporate both of these worlds boldly and strongly but, like most Christians, we’re afraid to do it because it requires hard work.
As a seminarian that’s almost 40 and has spent almost 18 years in some type of ministry, I find one of our biggest problems to be our process. We are, in many cases, not raising up ministers on the local level. Very little mentoring gets done through our local churches and this needs to change. If we saw more of this done on that level, we might start seeing many of our churches catch the fire and excitement that comes from those being trained in ministry.
Last, but not least, what options are there for people such as myself? We see issues and opportunities but because of the system we’re very often “stuck.” If you want to plant a church at my age, many people think you may be getting a little too old (isn’t that crazy?) or you have to wait until you finish seminary and then get ordained.
Unfortunately, when the Spirit of God opens up ministry doors outside our comfortable little “box” our system doesn’t know how to handle it except to tell us to wait. Well, when the Macedonian calls are we to wait until all the necessary hoops are jumped through before we go see him or do we just step out and go as the Spirit leads?
The Geekpreacher
I just returned from a church planting conference that shook me at my core. I have been a Umc youth minister almost 10 years. I have enjoyed these inisights. My wife and myself are praying for God to open a door for us outside the umc. Staying in the system seems safe and it’s what we are pushed to do. How I don’t know. We are trusting God to lead us. It freaks me out but excites me at the same time to do something other than settle. Our world needs churches that pastors believe in. We churches that help people outside the 4 walls. I let fear keep me from taking risk for so long. My prayers are with all persons struggling with this issue. Don’t give up hope that God will use you somewhere else. Thanks Craig we use you at Asbury as a classic illustration of following your heart no matter what it cost.
Love your heart Craig! And I believe in prayer, so I’ll pray the same thing.
What you said is such a hard-hitter: “While conferences are wrestling with questions around ordaining homosexuals and the inspiration of scripture, Methodist churches are dying daily. More importantly, people are dying daily without a relationship with Christ.”
I read this and immediately tweeted something like this: “We Christians fight each other over important things; a more important thing is happening: people dying without knowing Christ. Where will u spend your time?”
I praise God for putting your example of Him in my life!
Geekpreacher, I understand your logic, but we’ve got to remember that God is the God of the impossible.
Anything can happen.
“While this all sounds very good, it’s not going to happen any time soon. The financial ties with the larger denomination make something like this virtually impossible to pull off.”
It’s virtually un-impossible with God…and I believe it can happen instantly! At first we can think, “Well, come on…let’s be realistic.” But I’m being as realistic as possible right now! :)
And about the question you brought up - Yes, follow the Spirit of God. That is always the best way, contrary to our mental understandings - “Lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” :)
God bless ya!
I’ll give a shout-out to Hank about the Wesleyan Church. Those are all the reasons I call Oklahoma Wesleyan University home. Check out the Celebrate Church in South Dakota too. It is busting out with hundreds finding Jesus. Maybe some Evangelical Methodist could merge with Wesleyans.
Hi Craig, this is a great post! Thanks so much for all the insights you’ve shared. I am a lay youth leader in the UMC here in the Philippines. I do appreciate the ‘connectionalism’ of the church. But while people say that Methodism is growing in the Philippines, I haven’t seen a lot of new churches being planted. More importantly, there are a lot of mission fields that are not being reached, such as the large percentage of Filipinos leaving the country to become migrant workers. Lots of great ministries could have been established to reach out to the family members they leave behind.
But I digress.
All throughout the connection, there seems to be an unwritten rule that bureaucracy and hierarchy take precedence over creative ministries. Far too much energies are being expended on endless meetings, which a lot of times, are devoted to leadership quarrels and protection of turfs.
Again, I want to thank you for these insights. There are a lot of passionate young lay and clergy people in the UMC who just do not know how to channel those creative energies for the benefit of the church.
Probably, in the end, it is not the church that will and should benefit, but it is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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(This comment has been edited by the Moderator.)
Hi Craig. Being raised primarily in the Nazarene tradition, I’ve seen a similar snake of deceit making it’s way into our denomination. It has the same liberal and apathetic approach towards Truth when it comes to morality and the specifics that Christ and His immediate disciples preached and taught on. The snake that I’m speaking of is that of the emergent church movement. For the past decade “teachers” like (name deleted by moderator) and (name deleted by moderator) have been sugar coating and completely blurring the lines between right and wrong and the specifics that are laid out in God’s word. Speakers like them and (name deleted by moderator) are leading gullible people who want wiggle room, straight to hell. We as pastors have to stand up and fight for those who are saved and those will choose to follow Christ and present them the truth… at all costs…
(Note from Moderator: While Craig might agree with your thoughts on the names you listed, he is passionate about not taking shots at other leaders. Therefore I’ve removed the names in your comment.)
As if the church needs more division! Paul spent so much of his letters begging us to all be united in Christ.
As someone in the “none-zone” in Seattle, I was amazed at being accepted at a UMC church for struggling between being kind of liberal and evangelical. I can’t polarize these two things in myself. Please leave room for those of us Methodists to struggle what it means to follow Christ in post-whatever America.
While it would be so easy for all evangelicals to simply leave the UMC it will take a few who realize that the church needs to be saved I know that may seem irrational but countless thousands of good people have been lead astray by the liberal movements within ALL mainline denominations. The four churches with the greatest loss over the last 30 years are the United Church of Christ, The Episcopal, The Presbyterian and the UMC the one thing each church has is it’s desire to embrace the homosexual agenda, with that being said it is the greatest mission field in our nation, revival won’t truly come until the church gets saved.
Hey OK UMC people, please define your understanding of liberal and evangelical.
Liberal and evangelical are not opposites! My church is in a big city. Our advocacy for full inclusion of all people in the life of the church is not politically liberal - it comes from our reading of Scripture and our experience. We want to reach new people with the love of Christ. We believe in evangelism. And in Chicago, that means welcoming 22 to 40-year-olds whose youth group and church leaders taught them that they are not welcome in church. We help them seek God again, grow in their faith and send them out to change the world.
The disagreement over marriage, sexuality and membership are honest ones. The fight are rooted in differences of values. People are arguing in good faith. There are fundamental differences in how we interpret Scripture. But the attitude and tactics of evangelism are apolitical. I want us to stay together, so thriving churches of all kinds can teach the others how to grow. And if we have to keep fighting over who is allowed in, so be it.
What’s the Rick Warren line? “We are on the same team.”
Or maybe Al Green: Let’s stay together.
[...] this, I think that Groeschel’s 6th point is actually one we should discuss first, because the message we offer is, I believe, somewhat more [...]
In a world that is becoming more polarized and theologically ghettoized, perhaps the call of God on the United Methodist Church is to model unity in diversity.
As the rest of Christendom splinters and splits, the persistent temptation to live apart rather than be forced to learn how to live together is one to be resisted.
Hey Craig, I love the Post, and to everyone else - thank you for sharing your insight; I’ve learned quite a bit from reading your comments. I do have a question, however: is reconciliation possible between these two parties? If so, what would that reconciliation look like, and what would either side have to be willing to give up on? I’m a UMC seminarian from a more evangelical UM Church, and I’ll admit I was pretty shocked when I started seminary. However, I’ve come to deeply love some of my more liberal classmates. That doesn’t mean I agree with everything they are doing - just that I see their passion for God and those around them, which is something we can all respect. Furthermore, I see that some UM Churches are already standing in the gap between the two sides - Churches like Resurrection in Kansas, which is packed with people who are willing to tackle tough issues. So while I agree that it looks like a split is imminent, and perhaps even desirable, I want to ask if perhaps there isn’t a better way - a way that allows us to be completely faithful to our faith yet is palatable to all. Perhaps we would have to invoke some radical Spirit-inspired creativity, but wouldn’t that be preferable to watching the church split and waiting for one side to crumble just so that we can feel justified?
“Evangelical” - the true meaning of this word has to do with sharing the good news of God’s love in Jesus Christ with people. Yet it’s come to be used to mean something else. When the church (UMC or universal) is being evangelical in the true sense, it will thrive.
Who counts the number of non-heterosexuals who wouldn’t darken the door of a church (even one that claims to have ‘open hearts, open minds, and open doors?’) Who counts their families and friends? There are a whole lot of people who are simply unreached by the church, so rather than fighting over the “churched,” shouldn’t we Christians be focusing outward?
I hear very clearly what you are saying and see, to some degree, the merit in what you are sassing. however I would say that the issues the divide the UMC are not only theological i.e. conservative v/s liberal but there many more as well including worship style, sacramental emphasis, purposed methodology concerning the future of local pastor and elders. The list could go on. Even though I am orthodox, highly sacramental and evangelical, I personally see our diversity as one of the things that makes us adaptable in making disciples in as many locations as possible.
I don’t have a strong opinion on whether we split or not. The UMC has a broad spectrum of theology, and formally splitting would encourage polarization into two camps, forcing moderates to the extremes. On the other hand, perhaps a formal distinction between “liberal Methodists” and “evangelical methodists” would prevent a lot of ill-fitting appointments, when a liberal pastor is sent to a conservative church, or (very rarely) vice versa.
The difference between a “liberal Christian” and an “evangelical (or orthodox) Christian” is this. If it was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ never lived, or that he lived but was never resurrected, an evangelical Christian’s belief system and values would be crushed. On the other hand, the actions and beliefs would not be much affected.
The last sentence of the last post should have read “On the other hand, the actions and beliefs of a liberal Christian would not be much affected.”
It is then really impossible for orthodox Christians and liberal Christians to be in harness together, as they are 2 different religions, as opposed to different shades of the same religion.
I am often mistaken for a liberal because I dress in tie die and a railroad hat. As a result I have had people share with me as if I were a confidant. Here is what I have learned.
The liberal pastors think that they are the minority. They think that if there is a split they are the ones that will lose the most. They are afraid of losing retirement and careers. I tend to believe they might be right.
The Methodist church needs to get bold about the truth of scripture or it will die. If a split happens I think you will be supposed at the growth the evangelical side of the church will make.
I grew up in the church. I’m a 2nd generation preachers kid. I have left.
I would find a church with a good bible based pastor and after a few years the conference would move in a new pastor that was very liberal. I got tired of linking with community only to see it torn apart by apostasy.
I hardly think that I am alone.
I think there are many who are wishing they could be Methodist and not have to tolerate bad teaching and the over indulgence of sin.
I’m not sure the most important distinction is between ‘liberal’ and ‘evangelical’. I think it’s between those who are about ’seeking and saving the lost’ and those who are about anything else.
I have been in many ‘evangelical’ churches, UMC and otherwise, who don’t give a rat’s hiney about those who are unreached. They are dying just like many of the liberal ones.
Many have abandoned our original mission. Our doctrinal purity or interpretation of scripture isn’t THE problem. Our disagreement about what the real mission is - that’s the problem. As long as we think it’s about ‘defending’, ‘protecting’ (whether that’s a theology, worship style or instiution) or anything other than ’seeking and saving those who are lost’, then we’re headed for decline - liberal or evangelical.
My husband and I, our daughter’s family, and many friends are really struggling with this situation. Our Evangelism committee wanted to hang a beautiful gift painting of the Apostles’ Creed in our church but were denied permission by a 10-8 vote of our church council. The liberal group who controls the council said that people who do not believe in the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection would be offended by the painting. When asked 3 times in a subsequent meeting if the UMC still believes in the Resurrection, our senior pastor was silent. Our associate pastor told me when I complained that we never hear about the atonement in our church that they were encouraged in seminary “not to make an idol of Jesus”. Since I do, indeed, worship him that really upset me. The liberal group pride themselves on their intellectualism. One told me that they “believed those things when they were children” and I replied that I still do.
Another charge against evangelicals is that we are unloving and uncompassionate. I feel that because of our deep love for Jesus and gratitude for the salvation God provides us through him we are compelled to act in love to others. Our family shows this a false charge, I believe, by working with “illegal” Hispanic families in providing rent, transportation to doctor’s appointments, aiding in obtaining work permits, ETC., volunteering at the local food and clothing distribution center, sposoring children through Compassion in the Dominican Republic and Colombia, sponsoring Campus Crusade missionaries in Kyrzgystan for example.
After 63 years in the UMC, I have become embarrassed to answer when someone asks where I attend church. I feel that I should expand upon my answer with, “but I don’t think Jesus was just a great man and a good example for us to follow, but my Savior and my Lord.”
Dear UMC,
Simply put, we need pastors who believe:
#1 That we need to be more concerned about preaching. “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God” Acts 6:2
#2 That judgment is real for you too: “if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” Mark 9:4
I heard a pastor say to a massive gathering of other pastors “Some of you aren’t the prophets you are called to be… you’re prostitutes! You’ve given in and now you work and offer your services to a congregation who pays you to make them feel good.”
#3 We’re not called to make people “feel good” we’re called to be communicators of the Word and to use it for “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for EVERY good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Sometimes showing someone love doesn’t make them feel good. If you don’t understand that, you don’t need to be a lead pastor.
—
I’m tired of fooling around with bureaucratic policies and rhetoric. I’m tired of pastors preaching half-Ah…(you know what I mean?). I’m so tired of sermons that come from text books, emailed forwards, or are straight plagiarized from the pastor down the street. I’m tired of messages that aren’t covered in prayer, fasting, intentional study, sleepless nights, and convictions from the Holy Spirit. I’m tired of seminaries pumping out people dedicated to an institution instead of dedicated to daily seeking life changing inspiration, preaching it, and acting it out daily. I’m tired of pastors that are so caught up in the institution, theological discussions, and a book of resolutions (that is near worthless) that they have no idea what a podcast is, how Lady Gaga is influencing our culture, and turn pulpits (or sermons if you don’t use a pulpit) into political springboards.
UGHH!!! Dear UMC, I’m frustrated with you. I love you, but you are driving me crazy!!
If the UMC doesn’t get it together Hell will be crowded with people that are listed on UM membership roles. Pastors, stop turning the pages in your Book of Discipline when you have a problem, stop referring to the Book of Resolutions to find out what you should believe and READ YOUR BIBLE. I know it’s covered with dust and you don’t remember that last time you read it because you loved God and not because you had a message to write, but take a sabbatical (go into the wilderness) and learn to love God again.
I’ve agreed with everything you’ve said. I think to add on to this post, those churches that are evangelical cannot shy away from their UMC ties because they are afraid of the stigma that will be put on them; rather, they need to concentrate on teaching what makes them UMC (prevenient grace, for one). I have heard so many evangelical preachers say “if you think we’re Methodist, we’re not like those others” instead of saying “if you think we’re Methodist, know that we’re going back to the Wesley roots and are doing away with what other churches have turned the UMC into.”
On the other hand, evangelical has gotten a bad rap as well. Being evangelical means loving the Bible to pieces and believing it’s divine leadings and teachings. That doesn’t mean fundamentalist. That doesn’t mean televangelist. That means evangelical. Very different things.
Greg, I read your thoughts with great interest. I have remained a UMC for a variety of reasons, the key one being, they let me start a church and left me there for 24 years. I agree with the spirit of everyone of your thoughts.
It’s the UMCs loss that you are no longer one of us. YOu sould a lot more Methodist than many of my own tribe sound these days.
Bill
Bill, I’m familiar with your work and grateful for your influence. Blessings to your family and ministry!
I say amen to Mr Groeschel’s suggestions, especially this one. The rift of allowing gays to be ordained seems to be more emphasized than telling God’s Word. Or believing it in the first place. It seems people are forgetting Matthew 28:19 and John 13:34.
What the UMC leadership (especially in America) should do is to consider these six simple suggestions, admit there’s a problem, hear all people’s suggestions, and settle the homosexuality dispute as well as others once and for all.
If I were the one to decide, I’d allow homosexuals to join the congregation in worship services, but make it a burden to convince them that God made man and woman.
Mabuhay po kayo!
[I'm from the UMC in the Philippines anyway :)) ]
It is reprehensible how the UMC treats Israel. Divestment, flotilla, etc. After 4 generations of UMC my family has left. This was the final straw after a litany of “UM Action.” My dist. superintendent, Bishop and of course the gbcs are too much for me to persuade. They are against me and call me a racist (because I am for “legal” immigration) in the book of resolutions. Too much. I am moving on to a conservative church that embraces Israel and encourages voluntary good works-not communism.
We are wondering if anyone can give us some skills how to stay in the UMC and survive…
We have a big mission field in the UMC…just being there to share the true gospel…
Fight the good fight!
My husband and I have decided to do just what Elizabeth referred to. We consider that we are right in the middle of the mission field in our very liberal UMC (which I’ve been part of all my life). We have a Bible study group in our home every week where we have, in the past 4 years, studied John, Matthew, Acts, and, this year Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians and the impact God’s word has on our lives. We send much more of our money to a couple in Central Asia with Campus Crusade for Christ than we do to our church because we approve of how it’s being used there. We were frustrated for so long to be in the midst of such blatant unbelief, but my husband says we should stay and “be missionaries” instead of just leaving (and abandoning the believers) in the church where we are. Any opinions on whether this is the right approach? I wrote in more detail a few months ago above on this site.
As a liberal UM pastor, I, too, strive to “boldly preach the life-changing Word of God and the new birth in Christ.” I, too, believe that “[w]ithout the powerful proclamation of the [g]ospel,” hope of survival is futile. And I believe wholeheartedly in being evangelical (by that, I mean sharing the gospel with all people). But I don’t appreciate the implication that being liberal means you don’t do, believe, or practice any of the aforementioned things. When we talk of division and differences of opinion, we need to proceed with caution and respect. Gross generalizations aren’t helpful. Honest dialogue is.
Thanks Craig! As a church planter and United Methodist I believe you are right on the money in each of your observations. Many of our successful plants are not including the title “United Methodist” in the name…almost shamefully deceptive. We claim a great understanding of, and place great importance on vision, purpose, and yes, unity, while diminishing the fact that denominationally we have none of the above and claim that we do. It’s the ole ‘head-in-the-sand” thing on a grand, spiritual scale. There was once a wise young leader of God’s people who put it very suscinctly; without vision, the people will perish. My.greatest concern is such wise observations will fall upon deaf ears and we will continue to invite people to be part of a body that is confused about the role of scripture, a commitment to discipleship, and an urgency to share the Gospel. I love this church and pray for a global awakening within the UMC.