The website features a video testimony by Rev. Kip Laxson of Asbury UMC in Birmingham. As one of my fellow Stay UMC board members, he puts succinctly why so many of us in North Alabama do not want to leave the UMC in the present impasse.
I do not condemn the North Alabama chapter of the WCA or the “New Methodist Movement” they are hoping to give birth to as they leave our denomination. However, I believe we are better together. I believe traditionalists, centrists, and progressives can be one church without a schism over issues that are’t even mentioned in the gospels or ancient creeds. We can find a way to contextualize ministry across the country without losing integrity and truly move forward as people of “open hearts, open minds, and open doors.” And we can be known for our love, not our intolerance.
I also do not believe those who are leaving our denomination should force the entire conference to leave and go with them against our will.
There is also new content in the FAQ section of the Stay UMC website For the Stay UMC website, which may be found here.
