Not-so-United Methodists

[KingdomBuilder]

The UMC, a 12 million member denomination, has been on the brink of a schism for some time now. The primary issues being, you guessed it, "lgbtq" stances.

A General Conference set for Feb., 2019 in St. Louis, MO will seek to come to a decision on the direction of the denomination.

Here is an article to catch you up a bit on the various options:

https://religionnews.com/2018/08/02/uni ... NQeSVNtBFU

[KingdomBuilder]

Let's supplement this info with a closer look at the people of the UMC.

http://www.pewforum.org/religious-lands ... st-church/

[MaxPC]

I've already seen a haemorrhage of membership from UMC. It would be sad if they abandon both the Bible and their book of discipline on this topic.

[KingdomBuilder]

I've already seen a haemorrhage of membership from UMC. It would be sad if they abandon both the Bible and their book of discipline on this topic.

I agree.. I fear it's not as innocent as "not knowing what they do", though...

[RZehr]

I've already seen a haemorrhage of membership from UMC. It would be sad if they abandon both the Bible and their book of discipline on this topic.

I’m wondering why they think anchoring in their book of discipline is going to stop anyone who already pulled up anchor on what the Bible has to say on the matter.

[temporal1]

.. “We’re in a place of crisis,” said the Rev. Keith Boyette,
president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a group of about 300 theologically conservative United Methodist churches. “The organization is no longer functioning.” ..

i had no idea there was such a group as conservative UMC.
i thought Methodists were early to go, and this debate was quite over for them.
i hope they will take a broader look than just the one matter. WIM would be another to revisit.

https://wesleyancovenant.org/

i will pray for them.

[KingdomBuilder]

Based on the Pew Research, assuming it's an accurate representation, this issue is split 50:50.. With such an equal divide, a split is all but necessary, imo

[temporal1]

Based on the Pew Research, assuming it's an accurate representation, this issue is split 50:50.. With such an equal divide, a split is all but necessary, imo

i suppose so. esp with the nature of the divide so intense.
from the little i read last night, conservatives seem quite ready to go, liberals are ready to hate+blame them (in the now-familiar manner the world teaches).

[MaxPC]

I've already seen a haemorrhage of membership from UMC. It would be sad if they abandon both the Bible and their book of discipline on this topic.

I’m wondering why they think anchoring in their book of discipline is going to stop anyone who already pulled up anchor on what the Bible has to say on the matter.

You're right. I was hoping though that the whole denomination wouldn't cave in to the culture of the world. It seems that if they are now split 50-50 then all that's left to do is pray for those remaining faithful to not lose hope and for those who want to embrace worldly values to have a conversion of heart and return to Christ. By way of sharing info, their book of discipline is like our Catechism. It draws on the Bible to address specific teachings of faith.

In the US the Episcopalians went the way of the world some years ago now and those who remained faithful to the Biblical definitions formed their own conservative branch and call themselves "Anglican". Some even converted to the Catholic Church and are now known as Anglican Catholics with their own ordinariate.

Watching the UMC and praying for them to embrace the Bible is all I can do.

[Josh]

The split isn’t even between the conferences though. The conferences with all the money and growing attendance and missions are more conservative.

The question is if the conservatives and moderate conservatives will have the strength to say “enough” and leave. In MC USA, Lancaster Conference did so. Ohio Conference failed to. The net result is over half of Ohio Conference has gone independent or left for Evana, FEC, and even CMC.