I’m with Steve Harper. See his most recent article called New UMC: We Believe!
I am thoroughly traditional, orthodox, and Wesleyan, and I firmly plan to stay in the UMC. The church is our spiritual mother, and it has made the world a better place through a uniquely Wesleyan balance of head, heart, and hands. I love my mother very much, even when she’s not perfect. I believe in working together to making things better. I believe we have a strong future though these are difficult and divisive times in a world prone to division and institutional brokenness. I believe we must stand boldly at the table of grace and refuse to submit to a spirit of fear.
I do not accept the exaggerated, negative narratives of those who are leaving the UMC, though I have nothing against them if they feel led to do something else. I believe in our vision of open hearts, open minds, and open doors and finding our way forward in divisive times through embracing diversity of thought on non-essential or secondary matters and an openness to contextualized ministry. I believe in our commitment to the historic creeds, the unchanging doctrines and articles of religion, our passion for the marginalized and hurting, and the vision of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
I believe in holiness of heart and life, which leads us to a personal journey on the road toward perfection in love, and I believe we can’t institute that for everyone else based on culture war wedge issues. I believe in majoring in the major things and minoring in the minor things. I believe in interpreting scripture through the person of Christ not the voices of culture.
I believe it is the outpouring of God’s grace that truly changes the world, not a quest for singularity of perspective.
I believe God created us and Jesus calls us to build bridges, to heal hurts, and to spread scriptural holiness throughout the land. I believe all of us are sinners in need of grace, and it’s only conformity to Christ that restores us. I believe my spirituality has more to do with removing the log in my own eye than pointing out the speck in someone else’s.
I believe in inviting people into a deep, passionate relationship with Jesus and trusting God to help them work out their Christian ethics through the work of the Holy Spirit.
#BeUMC
#stayumc
