Decision #9

Restoring Methodist

Decision #9

Recognizing the Reality
of the United Methodist Church

Focus

To example previous Methodist decisions
and to reconnect with Wesleyan roots
and the source of Christianity's power.

The frightening conclusion offered here is that unless something changes quickly with the passing of the Greatest Generation and the Builders (those born before 1946) the Church will not have the support it needs to continue the work we are doing now.  (26)

The loss, death and aging of members is dramatically reducing membership roles.  The loss of the youth is a major problem as yet unsolved.  In 2006, a story revealed that 90% of baptized youth stop attending church when they reach adulthood.  Currently, only 6% of church youth attend church when they reach adulthood.  When you add in unchurched youth,  you discover that only 4% of all youth attend church once they leave high school.  The percentage for the Builder Generation is 68%. 

The book notes that the problem of a lack of a passionate faith began a long time ago.  They offer quotes from 1938 to support this conclusion. [See quotes on page 27-30!   In part they read: 

We have a great Church, but have we lost some of the world-seizing impulse, some of the evil-challenging audacity, some of the God-embracing faith, some of the epoch-creating passion of early Methodism?  (Dr. W. T. Watkins, Professor of Church History, Emory University. 1938)

A general recognition of the gravity of the hour, and a humbling of ourselves before God, would help us all.  (W. E. Sangster, 1938)

Sangster suggests that the four essential characteristics of Methodism which Wesley proclaimed had already been lost in 1938:  fellowship, assurance, holiness, and personal evangelism.  (27)  These 4 essential characteristics are defined more clearly on pages 28-29.

 The call here is not for a new model of church but for RESTORATION of historic Methodism.  (30)

Non-Working Strategies

(1) Visionary Bishops:  The authors note the call for “visionary” bishops in the 1960s who could lead our denomination into the future.  Many outstanding leaders were elected. None-the-less,  the UM Church continued to decline. (30-31)  Of course, we do want visionary bishops but great bishops are not enough.

(2)  Incremental Change:  The conclusion here is that so-called “incremental change” will not work. Often we are trying to address current problems based upon the reality of 20 years earlier.   Radical change is the only viable solution.  (31)

Once again the solution suggested is “getting back to our Wesleyan roots.” (31) What this means exactly is not described. 

A question implied here is this:  Is our Church able to move fast enough to address the current reality? 

It seems clear that our insights and understanding are lagging far behind the reality of what actually is.

More over, our leaders produce solutions appropriate only to a “protected reality.”  We cannot look a the real picture it seems and so we are unable to develop strategies address our current reality.

“Our future lies in looking to our past and readapting and reasserting those principles and practices that made Methodist a great movement and denomination.”  (33)

Decision #9

To acknowledge that Methodism commenced a journey of unfortunate decisions in the late 1930s that culminated in the 1960s and has been reflected through immense loses in membership and worship attendance.  The United Methodist Church, in some major aspects, has gone the wrong way.  We must now acknowledge those wrong turns, reverse them,  and return to our foundational, biblical, theological and practical Wesleyan roots.

MEM COMMENTS

Is there nothing truly new to celebrate?  Is God only behind us?  The Church has always been an “Ancient – Future” institution.  Of course, we need to look all the way back to Jesus as we have always done.  John Wesley used small groups and a passionate and inspired laity to advance the cause of grace.  Adapted to our current situation, these strategies can be fruitful. 

We must ask over and over again the this question:  How can we touch the hearts of folks today?  How can we nurture the growth of passionate disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world?  The ability of the institutional church to move quickly enough to address our current reality seems to be lacking.  A new, deeper, richer and more profound movement of the Holy Spirit is needed.  It will not be like the charismatic movement of old.  This Church will  have the wisdom to embrace a truly “inter-faith” world.  This Church will have the spiritual authority to address contemporary political and social realities.  It will speak truth to power to bring real, meaningful and lasting change in real world circumstances. 

We must do more than restore what once was.  We must ask God to show us the future he has for us.  We must follow God into His future.  The real “rooting” we need is to be rooted in the active compassionate, creative love of God.  The Apostle Paul put it this way . .  .

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family[h] in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-21 / RSVP