Speech at Annual Conference in favor of regionalization

This is the speech I made today at Annual Conference in favor of the regionalization amendments.

I am Steve West, pastor of Jacksonville First UMC. I am passionately in favor of the constitutional amendments before us, and I urge each of you to vote for them.

For years, a number of us worked tirelessly to preserve the unity of the Church—not uniformity, but unity rooted in our shared faith in Christ. These amendments are the next step in making that dream a reality.

My personal journey began in 2017 when I became aware of coordinated plans of some not only to leave our denomination, but to block ANY proposed plan for unity on their way out. I began to speak out, because I believe Christ calls us to do better than that. I still do.

They said regionalization would never work. That African delegates would never allow it. That conflict would perpetually define us. That the church would implode.

But I was at General Conference in 2024, and I saw something different. I saw a church finding healing and daring to hope again. I saw the Spirit moving, granting vision. I saw a church choosing to love our people instead of loving our issues. And I saw African United Methodists saying yes, this IS how God is calling us to move forward.

This moment will prove naysayers wrong—not out of spite, but because we have a bigger vision. A vision that says our unity is in Christ. A vision that’s not about thinking alike but loving alike. A vision that reflects the beautiful, contextual diversity of a truly global body called the United Methodist Church.

These amendments are how we move forward. They give us the framework to live into the decisions we’ve made. They preserve unity by creating room for regional diversity.

Central conferences want to be part of this new future. They’re choosing community over control, collaboration over coercion. And they’re trusting us to do the same.

Today, every vote matters and is counted toward the aggregate total across the world. So this is your moment to be part of the new thing God is doing. 

But more than proving the  doomsayers wrong, let’s prove John Wesley right. He coined the phrase “agree to disagree.” He preached on what he called a "catholic spirit," where unity in fundamentals was crucial, while differences in less essential matters could be accepted. And he said, “If your heart is as my heart, then give me your hand.”

Friends, the vision is clear. The Spirit is moving. Let’s finish what we started. Vote yes—for all the regionalization amendments—and let’s be the kind of witness in the world Jesus prayed for in John 17.

The GMC Incites Deaths in Nigeria

Really? I guess this constitutes the first set of “GMC incited” deaths. Three United Methodists were killed in Nigeria as a result of GMC violence.

“We further urge GMC members, at all levels, to put an immediate end to the violence and refrain from disseminating misinformation that fuels fear and disdain that can lead to violence. Likewise, we call our United Methodist members to be guided by integrity and respectful while working towards maintaining peace.”

“The Global Methodist Church leaders are concerned about their future as The United Methodist Church in Nigeria continues to make steady progress. He noted that the majority of United Methodist laity and clergy stayed with the denomination.”

To read about it, see this ARTICLE.

I have always, I remain, and I will always STAY UMC.

My Twelve Convictions as the UMC Moves Forward

As I pray and continue to find healing and perspective after last year's season of church disaffiliations from the main body of the UMC, on a recent retreat I wrote down these twelve convictions. What would yours be?

My Twelve Convictions

1. Ministry is messy because relationships are messy. It’s by grace that we are saved! I love church because it’s the gift God gave us to bring people to Christ. So I embrace the messiness with joy. I choose the Jesus way and work things out in love.

2. As I said in my book, “the arc of Christian history bends toward inclusion.” Christianity, since the early church, has reformed itself over and over to come back to this gospel value. Here we are again. Reform is painful but it’s necessary to meet the times.

3. My personal views were changed by decades of ministry with LGBTQ+ Christians, in and beyond my local church. The idea that you can’t be gay and be Christian is bogus. I know too many that are. Their witness formed me over time. I have experienced the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 in slow motion.

4. I don’t worship Wesley. But I find the Wesleyan way an unparalleled, balanced, and passionate expression of biblical Christianity. Wesley’s sermon “The Scripture Way of Salvation” and our core doctrines in the Discipline spell it out. I just love being a mainline United Methodist. I believe the holiness tradition the separatists claim is a derivative of Wesleyan spirituality. I don’t believe we can arrive at a sinless life. I choose to be overwhelmed by grace!

5. It’s clear from Wesley’s writings, especially “On Schism” and “The Catholic Spirit,” that he would be mortified by how the separatist leadership has functioned over the last ten years. The secessionists caused the schism, not the people they demonized.

6. The initial concerns were valid … how do we move forward in light of dramatic changes in our culture? But the WCA formed in 2016 to openly plan schism. They overturned the One Church Plan presented by the Commission on a Way Forward in 2019, though they knew they would probably leave anyway. They also knew full and well that the Traditional Plan was not sustainable, so I have concluded that it was never intended for unity. It was to say “either they’re leaving, or we’re leaving.” I saw this from the beginning and protested. It turns out they followed through with their end game.

7. The separatists did not leave the UMC for theological or biblical reasons. They left for sociological reasons, rooted in American culture wars and ideological politics. They simply made justification for it using the Bible and theology. This exposed the underbelly of American religious history, as such movements have done in the past. I love our religious freedom because it leads more people to Christ, but this experience has shown me this is the biggest pitfall.

8. Diversity, not division, is a sign of the Holy Spirit. Unity has never been the same thing as uniformity. Wesley coined the phrase “agree to disagree” because he strove for perfection in love. Love is what matters. Love wins.

9. The gospels never even mention the hot button topics that separatists left over. But the gospels definitely teach about unity. Jesus prays for it for a whole chapter in John, noting that our unity comes from abiding in him (not agreeing on everything).

10. Yet here we are, and those who left us are our siblings in Christ who we must now love, just as we love people of other denominations. This will involve forgiveness and healing. I am on a journey of opening my heart.

11. The communion table is the gift Christ gave us to bring unity in our diversity. It’s not just about me and Jesus. It’s about the kingdom of God. We need to come back to the table in order to move forward. This message is the gift I brought to the larger discussion, for such a time as this.

12. The UMC can now robustly stand for the positive biblical value of unity in diversity, over against the divisiveness of our culture. We are unhindered by the divisions of the past and can truly embrace the vision of open minds, open hearts, and open doors. We can grow by bringing all kinds of people into vibrant relationship with Christ and a life of being immersed in grace. I’m excited about our future.

Making My Book Available for Discount

To celebrate a historic General Conference and uplifting Annual Conference, I’ve made my book available for a discount. Amazon and Wipf & Stock have it for $21. I’ll send you a copy for only $15 (with free shipping).

Just EMAIL ME or PRIVATE MESSAGE ME on Facebook with your address! I’ll send it with an invoice and you can pay me later.

If you really want to know why I was active in creating the “Stay UMC” movement, this book is about why.

Adam Ployd, professor and theologian at Wesley House in Cambridge, said, “This book is not so much a work of pure scholarship—though the author has clearly done his homework on the topic of Wesley and communion—as it is an exhortative reflection on the ways in which a robust Wesleyan vision of communion should shape the future of United Methodism. West sees a central problem at the heart of the crisis facing The United Methodist Church: it is being divided by political culture wars that threaten the integrity of the Body of Christ and the radical community it is called to be. The sacrament of Holy Communion, he believes, holds the theological and practical key to renewing the Body and cultivating community in a way that can allow the church to move forward in pious, charitable unity …

“Although West is writing for a popular audience— educated laity and clergy alike—this is an erudite book. West incorporates historical voices, from the earliest generations of Christians to the English Nonjurors and, of course, the Wesleys themselves, in order to educate his reader in some fairly nuanced theological ideas. He does so nimbly, demonstrating both his knowledge of the subject matter and his ability to communicate that knowledge with unusual clarity. Indeed, this is a book to be recommended to all United Methodists struggling with the current crisis who desire a rich, reliable theological resource for thinking about things in a way that transcends the surface-level issues.”

See the link Something Happens Here for more information.

The Word of God

I believe this wholeheartedly. The Bible calls Jesus Christ the Word of God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

There is a custom of referring to the Bible as the Word, but that’s not because it is the “words of God,” chiseled in stone and handed to us. It’s because scripture reveals to us the true Word, which is Christ. We don’t read it “flat” as if it’s all the same. No, it all points to Christ and we interpret it through Christ, the “exact imprint of God’s very being.”

I have been deeply disappointed in how the Bible has been cherry-picked with little context for justification of political opinions and separatism. God gave it to us as a “means of grace.”

Thank you, C.S. Lewis, for reminding me this is not new. May we come back to Christ through our adventures in the Bible. May the Holy Spirit lead us in our theological task of interpreting it through tradition, reason, and experience.

Why Nigerian United Methodists are Staying UMC

Here’s a statement from the Nigerian United Methodist Church on why they are STAYING UMC!

“Our church has obeyed the prayer of Jesus in John 17:6-19 to be one. We have chosen love over hatred, peace over rancor, and unity over division.”

See the full statement outlining their support for regionalization and moving forward in unity here:

https://peopleneedjesus.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/umc-nigeria-press-statement-may-2024.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2JqjB5PXw_g3YC9KVohGJWNK-gY2AsWHMMkUmzGpH67O9y7LhpX2IX0-o_aem_AarHL1TKDqzrcFPXLvPQSLazTqPHEQQ1WSxPkKAiDTwJ36mCVVoewO8TwlKn_7RO5n-VvEweJZuVyqa4Xg6F_G79

The “Tax Collector Complex”

I have decided to call it the “tax collector complex.”

In Jesus’s time, the tax collector was like the “king of sinners,” the worst of the worst of the worst. Jews found them repulsive. They are even treated as their own special category (Jesus was asked “why do your followers eat with tax collectors and sinners?”).

Because of what it says in the Bible? No. Did some of them steal off the top? Of course, the Bible says they did. Did all of them? That’s highly unlikely.

They were repulsive to Pharisees but that’s absolutely and unequivocally about culture wars (the tax collectors collaborated with the Romans). That’s why Jesus told the story of the Pharisee who prayed “thank you that I’m not like that tax collector over there” … because that’s how repulsed they were.

Even if you believe homosexuality is a sin (which I do NOT, I believe homosexuality is an orientation you are born with, it is actions that can be sinful or not), why are people so hyper focused on it? The tax collector complex. That’s the only reasonable explanation.

Here’s a simple example. We offer plenty of grace regarding divorce and remarriage (which Jesus clearly called adultery, which by the way is in the 10 commandments), but there are folks who offer NO grace at all about being queer (which Jesus never mentions at all, EVER, and it’s NOT in the 10 commandments). I am not saying we should condemn divorce, not at all. I’m saying offering grace about divorce and remarriage, but not about being queer, can simply NOT be justified biblically. It’s culture wars, plain and simple.

I debated with Nigerian pastors over their views condemning the actions of General Conference. I kept asking, if they believed homosexuality is a sin and they also believe polygamy is a sin, then why were they so offended that we simply neutralized language in the Discipline about homosexuality, but they never, EVER insist on filling the Discipline with harmful language about polygamy?

They never could answer my question. Of course they can’t … because the only justification for the difference in attitude is the “tax collector complex.” I told them they were comfortable dealing with their own social issues regionally, but they were refusing to allow us to do the same.

Why Grandpa Hamby loved the Church

Here’s an inspiring word from the preaching Bible that belonged to my Grandpa C. P. Hamby. This is probably the very Bible he laid on the pulpit with two pistols nearby to ward off the bootleggers who were trying to shut down the Church in the 1920’s.

I wonder if this is the very sermon he was preaching. The sermon is entitled “Why I Love the Church.” Grandpa wrote:

“With all its admitted frailties and human weaknesses, we dare to join with David. Why did David so love the house of God? …

“We love the Church because of what it cost.  The Church is a costly institution. Its history is a story of divine and human sacrifice. Divine. Human.

“Last of all, we love the Church because of its future. We are not manning a sinking ship. We are not fighting a losing battle.”

#StayUMC

#BeUMC

“This Gospel” of Radical Inclusion

Happy day of Epiphany!

Here’s a snapshot of Sandy when we were enjoying the Christmas lights at Calloway Gardens.

May the light shine and unfold for you the mystery of the ages, hidden in Christ and now revealed. Paul describes “this gospel” as one of radical inclusion (not just personal salvation) in Ephesians 3:5-10:

“In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

My Thoughts on the Regionalization Plan

I was on an online forum where someone asked if the plans for regionalization “only affects Africa.” I thought I should share my response here.

“No, regionalization would affect everything. Right now, there is some level of Contextualization allowed for central conferences outside the US, but NONE is allowed within the US. Regionalization would allow all areas of the world to have Contextualization over agreed-upon general areas. This would be a peaceful and unifying resolution to our current crisis, because the African church, for example, would not be pulled into voting on matters that only affect the US. It makes sense. Then the US delegates could find a way forward with something like the ‘one church plan.’

“Frankly, in my opinion the WCA has used manipulation tactics to use African delegates for their votes in a way that resembles colonialism, and it’s now become evident by the WCA’s own schismatic actions. They never intended the ‘traditional plan’ passed in 2019 for unity. It is now evident that their agenda was to force their opponents to leave, and if they could not do so, then to rise up and leave themselves. We know it’s true because that’s exactly what they did. The ‘traditional plan’ that the WCA pushed was not devised for unity but for schism.

“My sense from the African church is that they by and large voted for the traditional plan with the understanding that it would bring unity, not division. The truth has now made itself evident. Many African pastors I know of are in favor of regionalization, so they will no longer be pulled into conflicts that do not concern them.

“I mean no offense, but that’s the way I see it.”

For official information on the regionalization plan, click here.

On the phrase “Love the sinner, hate the sin”

I have grown to detest this phrase.

It carries the pretense of being loving, with the undergirding reality that we assume we are “holier than thou.” I imagine it sounds so different to the one being judged than the one doing the judging. Yes, it’s judgment … because we are attempting to identify what another person’s sin is.

Not only that, let’s be honest. Folks who use this phrase are almost always talking about one thing. Nobody uses it when we talk about people’s addiction, or lying, or cheating on their taxes.

Here’s the thing. The only things the Lord “hates,” according to scripture, are “haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” Look it up.

I wonder if people who presume to righteously hate other people’s sin realize that it may be their own sin the Lord truly hates.

Our calling is to love God and neighbor, my friends.

Presentation on Staying in the UMC

I have been a spokesperson for staying UMC in this season when some have been discerning whether to secede from our denomination or remain in the main body. Each presentation has been tailored to a local situation.

Now that I have finished the last speaking engagement on my calendar, I feel compelled to share my most recent presentation with you here.

I’m passionate about the future of the UMC and believe we have great days ahead, pulling together and focusing on making disciples of Christ after this schism. I stand firmly against the wealth of misinformation that has been spread by separatists, and this presentation includes some of my  “Methodist mythbusting.”

If all you’ve heard is a separatist presentation, you have not opened yourself to a complete picture. Factual information from your pastor, conference, and bishop isn’t the “other side” but the common ground from which multiple sides should be considered.

I hope this offers a clear, compelling alternative to the separatist point of view. Some highlights are:

• The distinction between traditional “compatibalists” and “incompatibalists”
• Essential Wesleyan spirituality
• Addressing MYTHS such as the ideas that UMC beliefs are going to dramatically change, extreme examples represent the whole,  we are all going to take a “hard left,” and that leaving is a “good business deal.”
• A vision for being a traditional church in a diverse denomination
• Choosing unity over conformity and uniformity

Feel free to share it.

Balancing Resources (latest version)

There is plenty of biased and misleading information available on the internet to promote the separatist narrative for leaving the UMC. I offer these balancing resources.

Is the United Methodist Church Really …? – Mythbusting by “Ask the UMC” from United Methodist Communications (parts 1-11 so far)

"Proud to Be UMC"

Bishop Bickerton’s “Mid-State of the UMC” Address

Council of Bishop’s Narrative for the Continuing UMC

Celebrate the UMC Event in Montgomery - Featuring Tom Berlin

Sermon by John Robbins of Pulaski Heights UMC on Staying in the UMC

Adam Hamilton Responds to Maligning and Misleading Videos of Rob Renfroe

Bishops Push Back Against Recruitment Tactics of WCA

African Bishops Condemn the WCA and refuse to go into the GMC

What We Believe – The United Methodist Church

United Methodist Social Principles

“Should I Stay or Should I Go” series by United Methodist Communications

Stay UMC - Grassroots coalition of North Alabama United Methodists

“Why I’m Not Leaving the United Methodist Church” -Letter by Steve West that went viral after first Clear Branch event promoting leaving the UMC

“Open Letter to Chris Ritter” - Letter by Steve West that went viral in response to biased sideby-side comparison distributed by the WCA

“We Believe!” - Steve Harper dispels myths about future beliefs

“That We May Be One” – Texas Conference

“Abide” - South Georgia Conference

United Methodist News Service

“United Methodist Insight”

"Beginning Again" - Guide for Remaining United Methodist 

Letter Responding to my Stay UMC Presentation

This is a letter I was honored to receive after a recent presentation. I share it with you (edited to remove identifying information) because it beautifully and succinctly states, from a layperson’s point of view, why the vast majority of traditional United Methodists feel compelled to stay UMC.

—

Dr. West, 

I hope this isn't an imposition.  I was in the audience at {my local UMC}on Wednesday night. I wanted to speak to you after, not least to ask how you're enjoying "Strange New Worlds," but you had a number of folks waiting and we knew you had a long drive home ahead of you. 

First, I want to thank you.  It's obvious that this is a subject you're passionate about, and I truly appreciate you giving of your time.   I also have something that I simply can't get my head around.  My brilliant wife and I have talked about the matter extensively. I've spoken with {our pastor} at length, done a lot of reading, and watched what feels like hours of video (including more than one iteration of Rev. Stafford's informational session).  We have a 10-year-old son, and as I helped him with his Reading Fair project on Sherlock Holmes this past school year, we talked about the idea of "Qui bene?" that Holmes comes back to when he's stuck on a problem.  Believe it or not, that's what is really confusing to me about the present situation.  It may be that I'm not sophisticated enough or just not well-versed enough in the complexities of the thing, but I'm having a really hard time understanding how the traditionalists benefit from this.  I understand that they want a church that more closely reflects their social ideology, and that may be the answer, but I don't understand why the UMC has to be shattered to accomplish that.    

Beyond that, I find the GMC's references to Paul and Barnabas as a touchstone somewhat disingenuous.  Those two parted ways over a personal disagreement as far as I can tell, not any theological divide. It also bugs me that the whole premise of Rev. Stafford's presentation appears to be internally inconsistent, first stating that declaring Jesus as Savior is all that is required for salvation, regardless of doctrine or rules (emphasis mine), and then lamenting breaches of the Book of Discipline in nearly the next breath.  His appeal to probability, saying that because there are more and more "liberal" pastors being ordained in the UMC that even if you're a predominantly "traditional" UMC congregation, you're probably going to get a liberal pastor that doesn't align with your views, strikes me as a shabby trick more appropriate to Harold Hill.  Those, however, are my own gripes and not likely to have much of an impact on anyone else.

Sir, I know you're incredibly busy, and I understand completely if you're not able to respond.  Part of writing this was just to sort out what's been banging around in my head on this for a long while.  I'm going to vote to stay, if it comes to a vote at {my church}.  Like you, I'm sure, people I love and respect are on the other side.  If our church disaffiliates, I have no doubt we'll be able to find another church home.  What it comes down to for me, really, is that I can't see myself being part of a church that says to anyone, "You can attend worship here.  You can sit in the pew if you want. But you can't fully be part of this church because of who you are."  It seems to me it's the same as saying, "Jesus does not want you here."

Thank you, sir, again, for your time and your passion and for letting me get all this out.  I'm not sure if any of it makes sense.  If I can be of any help to you, please don't hesitate to ask.

Very Respectfully,

{name}

What if Someone Says Something I Don’t Like?

I get tired of having the same conversation over and over (haha). Somebody tagged me in a post about something an episcopal candidate in another Jurisdiction said, taken out of context to conclude that she didn’t believe in the divinity of Christ (which of course is not what she said).

First, I untagged myself from the post. Second, I wrote this. I share it with you, friends.

—

I don’t know her and she’s not a bishop, but here’s my comment. Every denomination has outliers and envelope pushers and extremists. If you leave the UMC, you are not leaving the outliers and extremists. You are leaving the main body of a wonderful denomination, for another denomination that will also have outliers and extremists. It’s human nature. If you shake a religious tree in America, a nut will fall out. In a 12.5 million person denomination, somebody somewhere is going to say something I don’t agree with. So?

It’s not new, and we work it out in the messiness of Christian community. It doesn’t bother me that somebody I don’t know somewhere believes something differently than me. Unless I’m willing to go have coffee with her, I let it go. Since this was given to me third hand and out if context, I do not fall prey to the hysteria. 

It bothers me that these little anecdotes and sound bites and half-truths get spread around the internet used as justification when the real reason people are leaving is over their fundamental intolerance of our differences. It’s nothing more that witch hunting. I choose love.

You asked, so I answered.

This is an excellent example of the method of rhetoric that involves taking an extreme example, spreading it as a anecdote out of context and perhaps even exaggerating it, wrapping it into a narrative of the infidelity of the whole, and using it to justify leaving. I’d rather just focus on making disciples.

Review by Rev. Steve Harper

I’m honored by this recommendation and book review by Rev. Steve Harper, author and retired elder from the Florida Conference, former seminary professor at Asbury, blogger at Oboedire, and important voice in the UMC.

Honestly, I’m in tears this morning.

You can find his original Facebook post here. It is reprinted below.

"Something Happens Here--Be Part of It."

Steve Harper

For some time, I have believed that the increase of divisiveness in The United Methodist Church (and the larger Christian community) is, in part, due to a decrease in our theology and practice of Holy Comnunion. When we stop coming to the Table together, we open the door to separatism that can too easily turn toxic.

And worse, when some divide so severely that they are willing to speak and write about excluding people from the Table, they have reversed the intention of Jesus for the holy meal to bring us together, counterfitting Communion, making it exclusionary, and using it to legitimize and widen the divide. 

Conversely, I also believe that the renewal of the United Methodist Church (and the larger Christian community) must include a recovered theology of the Lord's Supper and a revived partaking of it. I believe the new awakening is eucharistic. 

What I have only discovered recently is that Steve West not only believes this, he has written a book about it--a book which weaves together multiple threads of sacramental theology to offer us a eucharistic coat of many colors, complete with a winsome invitation to put it on. I have not seen a book that combines the various elements of sacramental theology the way his does.

Rooted in the Bible and in the Wesleys' words and hymns, West offers insights as ancient as Macarius the Egyptian and modern as John Pavlovitz. Along the way, his own pastoral experience with the sacrament puts flesh on the conceptual bones, sometimes in surprising and moving ways--the first story in the book serving that purpose in spades.

West's title, 'Something Happens Here' sums it up. And after you read his book, you will find yourself saying, "It is something that needs to happen again, here and now." And more, you will find yourself drawn into a mission to make it so.

--

The book may be found on Amazon or Wipf & Stock.

Featured in the Sewanee Theolog Gazette

I'm honored that the new book was featured in the Sewanee Theolog Gazette this month. You can find the August 2022 issue here with reference to the book under the section entitled "Notable."

Here is an excerpt from the book that shares an experience I had on campus.

EXCERPT - "Something Happens Here" by Stephen P. West

For four years, I spent three weeks of summer intensives at the beautiful campus of Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee, which I affectionately call “Hogwarts on the mountain.” By the third year, I was close to completing the twenty-mile Perimeter Trail around the crest of the mountain. The language of finding a “way forward” had become common in Methodist leadership circles, since we were approaching a called General Conference that was supposed to find some level of resolve over the deepening divide regarding matters of human sexuality. This annual trek was becoming a prayer walk, as I became intentional to pray about the “way forward” as I walked this path. One afternoon after class, I found myself taking a break from my routine hike to check out a natural bridge I had heard about on another part of the campus.

As I walked down the hill to look over this bridge that had developed purely out of divine initiative, I was whisked away into a mystical experience. I climbed to the top of the bridge and crossed over, pondering the concept of finding a “way forward.” Jesus called himself the “way.” He did not say he would show us the way, or tell us about the path, or send us on our journey, but that he is the way. I don’t believe he said this to be exclusive, as it is often interpreted. I believe he said this to remind us that following him is a journey, and the wisdom of God is a path that will take us to new places and new spaces. Christianity is not a list of rules to follow or a set of doctrines to swallow but a relationship with the divine one who is fully embodied in the person of Christ Jesus. We did not need to build a bridge to provide a way forward. It is a gift given to us in Christ. After all, before Christians were called Christians, the movement was simply called “the Way.”

Just as he began his disciples’ journey with the call to “follow me” (Matt 4:19, italics added), he intentionally prepared them for the completion of his earthly life with a meal invitation to “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19, italics added). As I have said, it is not a call to simply remember a meal, a liturgy, or a lesson on the meaning of the cross but to reexperience me . . . all of me. The invitation at the table completes what could be seen as a two-part calling of the disciples. Life at the table takes us much deeper into the heart of what it means to truly follow. On that natural bridge, I determined that no matter what, wherever this path took me, I would choose the way of Christ. How Christ behaved toward others is the best lens through which we interpret Scripture, even his own words. Christian spirituality is embodied spirituality, and in Christ, the “fullness of deity dwells bodily.”  Jesus offered the invitation at the table when he knew the time was coming soon when he was no longer going to walk on earth. We were to become the hands and feet of Christ.

Author Interview by United Methodist Insight

 

I was so honored with an author interview by Cynthia Astle of United Methodist Insight.

It's entitled "'Musical Preacher' Pens Book on Communion as Way to UMC Unity" and it can be found here.

This United Methodist Insight exclusive begins with these words:

"In these days of church turmoil, it may be hard to find someone more in love with the blessings of Methodist heritage than the Rev. Dr. Stephen P. West. That's a good thing, because out of his service as a pastor, his affinity to Charles Wesley's hymns and his doctoral project he has written a book about the heart of Methodism - the sacrament of Holy Communion."

Again, you can find the book on Amazon or Wipf & Stock.

What Would Wesley Say About Leaving the UMC?

“There are those who seem to think they will make the church purer and holier by limiting it to a specific set of legislated opinions.”

ST Kimbrough Jr., renowned Wesley scholar from North Alabama (retired Associate General Secretary for Mission Evangelism for the General Board of Global Ministry), asks what Wesley would say about the splintering minority from the UMC going into the GMC (organizing on May 1) or other offshoot denominations.

What a timely release. Read it at www.stayumc.org.

#stayumc

#BeUMC

Paul Chilcote on Staying in the UMC

This is from Paul Chilcote, who I’ve had the privilege of serving with on an Academy for Spiritual Formation. He is a retired professor of historical theology and Wesleyan studies.

I am with Paul. I have been saying openly since February of 2020 that I will not be leaving the UMC. He summarizes my feelings well.

5 Reasons to Stay in The United Methodist Church

My roots are deep in The United Methodist Church. Like most “preachers’ kids,” I went through a period in which I questioned my inherited faith tradition, but I came through that process with a deeper appreciation and love for the UMC and all it represents. “Ten Reasons Why I’ll Join the Global Methodist Church," by Jay Therrell, President of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, Florida Chapter, has recently made a new appearance on Facebook. If you read through that document closely, the portrait of the GMC he paints is congregational in polity (not connectional), creedal in orientation (not oriented around “faith working by love”), and essentially exclusive (not inclusive in vision, despite its “global” title). 

I co-chaired the World Methodist Council/Baptist World Alliance Dialogue, and the ten reasons document “feels” like something my Baptist colleagues may have drafted. I do not mean that pejoratively in any way. I love my Baptist brothers and sisters, but the UMC offers a different vision of Christian faith and practice. What concerns me most about this blog is the way in which it diverges sharply, in my humble opinion, from a genuinely Wesleyan vision. 

As May 1 looms large for many of us who are United Methodists, here are my five reasons to stay in the UMC.

1. The UMC has a wide, gracious, and loving embrace. The church I think most people yearn for is a community of faith that puts love at the very center of its life and vision. This openness to all people as unique brothers and sisters deeply loved by God characterizes the UMC I know. All God’s children are invited to put their gifts to use in the service of God’s reign of reconciliation.

2. The UMC aspires to be Christ-like in practice. Countless surveys over the past decades demonstrate that the majority of people in the United States view the church as judgmental. Jesus gives us a different model of relating to the world and others. The UMC seeks to cultivate disciples of Jesus who are like him – merciful, compassionate, forgiving.

3. The UMC is shaped by a dynamic view of scripture. The UMC is strongly biblical in its orientation. The Bible is the bedrock upon which the faith of United Methodists is built. But its view of the Bible is not simplistic; rather, like Wesley, it embraces a dynamic conception of scripture as the “living Word.” Antithetical to literalistic views of scripture, the United Methodist view offers a rich, robust, but yes scriptural foundation for life in the triune God.

4. The UMC is deeply concerned about growth in grace. Not so much invested in believing the right things, its primary passion is translating God’s love into action in life. It elevates the importance of practices of piety, like prayer, but also advocates acts of mercy – compassion and justice for all. The UMC offers a holistic spirituality that refuses to separate the spiritual from the concrete realities of life. 

5. The UMC is missional in character. The UMC does not live for itself, but for others. It is missional in its design to partner with God in God’s great work of love in the world. Its fundamental orientation is outward, spun out in the life of the world to wage peace, work for justice, and to emulate the “beloved community” God desires for all.