United Methodism: How Conservatives Won the Debate, but Lost the Denomination | Jack Jackson | First Things
Going forward a few things are noteworthy. First, the UMC is fast lurching to the left. Second, progressives didn’t take over the denomination by presenting a compelling vision so much as by simply ignoring the denomination’s democratic form of church law to such a degree that the denomination itself became ungovernable, leading to a mass exit of conservatives. Third, this “new” direction for the UMC came about not through “the work of God,” as many progressives argue, but rather because the pandemic allowed the UMC bureaucracy to strike a final blow against the democratic majority. Finally, Methodist/Wesleyan denominations around the world remain remarkably unified in defending traditional Christian teaching on human sexuality. Only the British Methodist Church (one of the few Wesleyan denominations declining more quickly than the UMC) has also significantly altered its church law regarding human sexuality.
Note: All posts in News Items, Opinion Pieces, and Home & Family are offered as a matter of interest to our readers. They do not necessarily represent the views of FBFI. They may often represent a different point of view which we think our readers might like to be aware.