For progressives, their ideology and love of bureaucratic institution trumps everything. The takeover of the UMC by them is imminent and they they’re gleeful that the fifty year war is coming to an end. There’s a lot of brethren still in the UMC that hold to historic orthodoxy and all I can say to them is that it’s time to come out from among them. It truly is time to let the dead bury the dead.
Our "guest" preacher spoke today about those who desire power and money. They get these by any means, such as lying, cheating and injustice. When they do, they alienate those around them. They become "lonely at the top". Christ is our example of how to live, how to love, and treat others. Christ said "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth ". The Greek translation for meek is defined as power and strength under control. We are called to "pray for our enemies". Someone said in the comments, we should pray that their "eyes are opened". I would add pray the Holy Spirit would convict hardened hearts so they might repent. Jesus will forgive and heal those who repent. We cannot change hearts or minds. Prayers to our omnipotent God who can is a good place to start.
Jeffrey, as an outsider looking in, I have a slightly different take on this whole scenario. Although I’ve personally been an active non-official member in a local congregation, now GMC, over the last decade; I too will be praying. First of all, I’ll be praying that the eyes of the blind will be opened. Many laity within the UMC were clueless about how corrupt the majority of the UMC hierarchy has been over the last few decades. The other thing that I’ll be praying for is that members in both the GMC and UMC review a bit of Methodist history and come to realize that Methodism was most healthy when it was more a Spirit led movement rather than an institutionalized religious organization, and can be again, God willing.
Spot on Jeffrey. I agree with everything you have written here. If anything, I might be more pessimistic. Short of a massive miracle (a possibility of course), I think the Progressives will win this one, and the UMC will follow our Episcopalian friends and die out completely in less than 20 years. They will win their battle, at the cost of losing everything else. May God have mercy on them, and may we of the GMC take note.
"I want to promote unity in the church" - In a post filled with lies and propaganda, this lie has to take the cake. You aren't an idiot, so lie after lie here isn't ignorance, it's intentional. You know the central conferences are free to leave without a disaffiliation provision...you simply want it to do more damage here stateside. You conveniently ignore that it is the central conferences championing the efforts to regionalize. It's all the same BS that no one at GC is falling for, it sounds like.
It truly is amazing how shameless people can become when they are convinced they can do no wrong because their cause is righteous. Prayer seems to be in order, but a good amount of prayer for the unChristlike actions you are engaging in would be a much better start.
It isn’t a lie to say that nonAmerican churches can’t disaffiliate. They can’t. There is a provision for entire central conferences to disaffiliate together. That is not equivalent to the option given individual American churches to disaffiliate. At all. It is unequal treatment. I don’t really see how that can be disputed, much less called a lie.
You’re right to say that members of central conferences authored one of the regionalization plans. You’re wrong to say that regionalization is broadly supported by the central conferences. Inferring the latter from the former is lazy and, it has been revealed by the Africa Initiative, false.
If you know something I don’t, you’re welcome to follow up on this post. I want to be informed. And I can correct this article if something I have said is false. Just try to steer clear of the stuff that speaks to my heart or intentions. It isn’t good for you or the discourse as a whole.
For progressives, their ideology and love of bureaucratic institution trumps everything. The takeover of the UMC by them is imminent and they they’re gleeful that the fifty year war is coming to an end. There’s a lot of brethren still in the UMC that hold to historic orthodoxy and all I can say to them is that it’s time to come out from among them. It truly is time to let the dead bury the dead.
Our "guest" preacher spoke today about those who desire power and money. They get these by any means, such as lying, cheating and injustice. When they do, they alienate those around them. They become "lonely at the top". Christ is our example of how to live, how to love, and treat others. Christ said "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth ". The Greek translation for meek is defined as power and strength under control. We are called to "pray for our enemies". Someone said in the comments, we should pray that their "eyes are opened". I would add pray the Holy Spirit would convict hardened hearts so they might repent. Jesus will forgive and heal those who repent. We cannot change hearts or minds. Prayers to our omnipotent God who can is a good place to start.
Jeffrey, as an outsider looking in, I have a slightly different take on this whole scenario. Although I’ve personally been an active non-official member in a local congregation, now GMC, over the last decade; I too will be praying. First of all, I’ll be praying that the eyes of the blind will be opened. Many laity within the UMC were clueless about how corrupt the majority of the UMC hierarchy has been over the last few decades. The other thing that I’ll be praying for is that members in both the GMC and UMC review a bit of Methodist history and come to realize that Methodism was most healthy when it was more a Spirit led movement rather than an institutionalized religious organization, and can be again, God willing.
Spot on Jeffrey. I agree with everything you have written here. If anything, I might be more pessimistic. Short of a massive miracle (a possibility of course), I think the Progressives will win this one, and the UMC will follow our Episcopalian friends and die out completely in less than 20 years. They will win their battle, at the cost of losing everything else. May God have mercy on them, and may we of the GMC take note.
Marvelous content. Even better delivery. Much impressed with your writing style.
"I want to promote unity in the church" - In a post filled with lies and propaganda, this lie has to take the cake. You aren't an idiot, so lie after lie here isn't ignorance, it's intentional. You know the central conferences are free to leave without a disaffiliation provision...you simply want it to do more damage here stateside. You conveniently ignore that it is the central conferences championing the efforts to regionalize. It's all the same BS that no one at GC is falling for, it sounds like.
It truly is amazing how shameless people can become when they are convinced they can do no wrong because their cause is righteous. Prayer seems to be in order, but a good amount of prayer for the unChristlike actions you are engaging in would be a much better start.
It isn’t a lie to say that nonAmerican churches can’t disaffiliate. They can’t. There is a provision for entire central conferences to disaffiliate together. That is not equivalent to the option given individual American churches to disaffiliate. At all. It is unequal treatment. I don’t really see how that can be disputed, much less called a lie.
You’re right to say that members of central conferences authored one of the regionalization plans. You’re wrong to say that regionalization is broadly supported by the central conferences. Inferring the latter from the former is lazy and, it has been revealed by the Africa Initiative, false.
If you know something I don’t, you’re welcome to follow up on this post. I want to be informed. And I can correct this article if something I have said is false. Just try to steer clear of the stuff that speaks to my heart or intentions. It isn’t good for you or the discourse as a whole.