Brief Message for Stay UMC by Tom Berlin

I had the opportunity to interview Rev. Tom Berlin of Virginia for a few moments on what he had to say for the people in North Alabama who are involved in the "Stay UMC" movement.

You can view the video here.

I'm Traditional, Orthodox, and Wesleyan

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

Highlights from "Celebrate the UMC" in Montgomery, Alabama

It was a joy to attend "Celebrate the UMC," a gathering featuring Rev. Tom Berlin of the Virginia Annual Conference as the keynote speaker. It was held in Montgomery, Alabama on June 13, 2022.

I love the United Methodist Church and am committed to #BeUMC! I look forward to our future together. Here are some highlights from the evening.

Cameron West, president, said "Huntingdon College is a college of the United Methodist Church ... we are unwavering in our support of the United Methodist Church." He quoted a Wesley hymn, "Blest be the dear uniting love that will not let us part; our bodies may far off remove, we still are one in heart."

Frederick Outlaw, retired clergy, said "Scripture, tradition, experience, and reason - that's the full gospel for us ... it's out of that theology of grace that we continue to be present ... we have seen this movie before and we know how it's going to end."

Michael Precht, pastor of Dauphin Way UMC, said "The future of United Methodism is fully committed to disciple making ... everything else we do comes from this simple impulse."

Amy Persons, pastor of Point Washington UMC, said "The United Methodist Church that I grew up in, the United Methodist Church that will move forward into the future making disciples, is a 'big tent' church ... it is the table of Jesus Christ spread wide for all of us that makes us who we are, a 'big tent' church."

Julie Hare, Congregational Care Minister at Auburn First UMC, said "We are deeply, deeply connectional and we care not just about our own but for the whole world."

Bria Rochelle-Stephens, professor of religion at Huntington College, said "Experiencing God in the United Methodist Church tastes like salty tears ... smells like the breaking of warm bread at the first communion table where I felt warmly invited."

Finally, here are some highlights from the keynote address by Tom Berlin:

"We need a righteousness that does not depend on our actions, on our merit, or on any opinion we hold on a hundred different topics which may vary from the United Methodist next to us" ... "Our righteousness comes in Christ."

"Joy is what makes your church grow. Anybody who thinks anger is the way to get your church to grow, showing up every week and being ticked off at everybody - It doesn't work, ever."

"I am grateful for the United Methodist Church. It's been my spiritual home since my birth and I believe it will remain so until my death. It is my spiritual mother ... There are some in more recent years who think poorly of it, and I believe their words create confusion about the United Methodist Church, what it will be, what it is. And, quite frankly, I wonder how they can predict the future of the church when they only talk to people who are leaving it, but they are not talking to people who are staying in it."

"I've attended a lot of meetings of those who are committed to the future of the United Methodist Church, and their clarity around our unchanging doctrinal standards in Section 3 of the Book of Discipline is resolute ... What is the theology that is unchanging? The Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer - the lordship of Christ, salvation through Christ, the virgin birth, the bodily resurrection, that scripture contains all things necessary for salvation and more ... This is not changing ... You can't change those things. The constitution of our church doesn't allow you to change those things ... There is no procedural way the General Conference can change it ... That core theology doesn't change ... This is rock solid."

"I am sure that somewhere in our global ten million person denomination, somebody is saying something idiotic at any given moment ... Every family has a crazy Uncle Frank or crazy Aunt Fran, and we can't control that ... I would not want my entire family judged based by the soliloquy of Frank and Fran on any given Saturday ... I don't see why the United Methodist Church has to be judged by one person somewhere out there in a ten million person denomination. It doesn't feel fair."

"For those who desire, there is currently a way to depart thanks to a motion brought to the 2019 General Conference made by Rev. Beth Ann Cook, who is a member of the Wesleyan Covenant Association. Rev. Cook offered paragraph 2553 to General Conference as a pathway for disaffiliation. The General Conference affirmed it, which meant that people that now are talking about leaving the church had to agree with it because nothing passed the 2019 General Conference that that cohort of people didn't agree with it." ... "Rev. Cook stood up and said ... 'the intended process is literally how I would want to be treated if I was the one hurting because of the United Methodist Church'." ... "There are some who are saying they shouldn't have to pay anything but should be able to take their property without any complaint. And friends, the problem is in the United Methodist Church we have a significant unfunded pension liability. You've got retired pastors .. It's not fair, it's not right, and it's not Christian."

"If other people want to degrade the United Methodist Church, it's fine. But I've seen signs and wonders, and I've seen the good of it, and I've seen the health of it, and I've seen the vitality of it. And when you degrade its health and its goodness and the things that I'm pointing to that are real, be careful that you are not blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. Because it's not me, and it's not you, it's not even us. It is God among us. And I believe that the United Methodist Church has a future with hope." "And if it's not for you, God bless you as you go. I don't mean that negatively, I mean it honestly. It's an adult thing to self-differentiate and find your way. God bless you. You don't need to blow up the house as you leave."

"Jeff Greenway of the WCA was one of the first to say that the 'Protocol' is dead at several GMC meetings" ... "Mediated agreements need to be enacted in the moment in which they were created."

Letter in Support of God's Children

Some of the clergy in the state of Alabama recently signed a letter, expressing love and care for transgender children and their families.

I signed it, too.

I respect differences of opinion on the issues of our day, and I tend to be a centrist on most of them. I lean left on some and right on others. I affirm diversity of thought in politics and am so happy to serve a diverse local church. I stick to preaching the truths of the gospel on Sundays.

However, these laws appear to target marginalized families, and I am passionate about that because it's not the way of Jesus. I signed it not because of politics but because of my passion for pastoral care. It goes too far when the vulnerable are targeted unnecessarily.

You can read about our letter here. A portion of it reads "Seeing love thrive in spite of all the world’s challenges should be a primary goal of God’s followers, as this is what He sent His son to exemplify for us.

"The Holy Spirit moves in profound ways at separate times in each of us and our brothers and sisters in Christ may see some of God’s children through a different spiritual lens. God calls us not to judge our fellow man for difference because of these differing lenses but calls us to help with discernment and to share our knowledge of the love of Jesus Christ. Love one another, be patient for the Holy Spirit to work, and continue to pray for those who harbor fear in their hearts about that which is not easy or comfortable to understand.  Being inclusive of all of God’s children requires bearing a cross for those with lesser voices while attempting to understand their human experiences.

"The life of a Christian requires each of us to think bigger than oneself and to consider the many facets of human existence and the Creator’s unique design of humanity.  The Holy Spirit comforts and strengthens us and reveals our unique talents that equip us to serve the masses and to bring all into the fullest relationship with God possible."

I agree with my friend and former parishioner Judge Liles Burke's ruling. He blocked part of the law he believes is likely unconstitutional, the part which criminalizes offering medical care. You can read about that here. Burke wrote, "Enjoining the Act upholds and reaffirms the 'enduring American tradition' that parents—not the states or federal courts—play the primary role in nurturing and caring for their children." Bingo. That's why I signed the letter.

Burke wrote “Parent Plaintiffs are substantially likely to show that they have a fundamental right to treat their children with transitioning medications subject to medically accepted standards and that the Act infringes on that right" . . . "The Act prevents Parent Plaintiffs from choosing that course of treatment for their children by criminalizing the use of transitioning medications to treat gender dysphoria in minors, even at the independent recommendation of a licensed pediatrician."

I stand by my decision to sign the letter. But if you'd like to grab a cup of coffee and talk about it, I'm all ears. I'd love to hear your perspective.

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.

Amazing Quote From the Late Rachel Held Evans

“They said that if I questioned a 6,000-year-old earth, I would question whether other parts of Scripture should be read scientifically and historically. 

They were right.  I did. 

They said that if I entertained the hope that those without access to the gospel might still be loved and saved by God, I would fall prey to the dangerous idea that God loves everyone,  that there is nothing God won’t do to reconcile all things to Himself. 

They were right. I have.  

They said that if I looked for Jesus beyond the party line, I could end up voting for liberals. 

They were right. I do (sometimes).  

They said that if I listened to my gay and lesbian neighbors, if I made room for them in my church and in my life, I could let grace get out of hand. 

They were right.  It has. 

They told me that this slippery slope would lead me away from God, that it would bring a swift end to my faith journey, that I’d be lost forever.

But with that one, they were wrong. 

Yes, the slippery slope brought doubts. Yes, the slippery slope brought change. Yes, the slippery slope brought danger and risk and unknowns. I am indeed more exposed to the elements out here, and at times it is hard to find my footing.  

But when I decided I wanted to follow Jesus as myself, with both my head and heart intact, the slippery slope was the only place I could find him, the only place I could engage my faith honestly. 

So down I went. 

It was easier before, when the path was wide and straight. 

But, truth be told, I was faking it.  I was pretending that things that didn’t make sense made sense, that things that didn’t feel right felt right.  To others, I appeared confident and in control, but faith felt as far away as friend who has grown distant and cold.

Now, every day is a risk. 

Now, I have no choice but to cling to faith and hope and love for dear life. 

Now, I have to keep a very close eye on Jesus, as he leads me through deep valleys and precarious peaks.  

But the view is better, and, for the first time in a long time, I am fully engaged in my faith. 

I am alive. 

I am dependent.

I am following Jesus as me—heart and head intact.  

And they were right.  All it took was a question or two to bring me here.”

- Rachel Held Evans 

(June 8, 1981 - May 4, 2019)