CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – The Methodist Church, of which I am a member, is breaking apart.
It’s painful to watch.
For years Methodists argued over two contentious issues: whether gay ministers would be allowed, and whether gay weddings within the denomination are permissible. Under church governing rules, the answer is ‘no’ to both.
Whether to change church rules was put to a vote three years ago. The worldwide Methodist church voted to keep the rules as they are. And the difference, in a very close vote, was foreign churches in Africa and Asia. We are an international denomination, and many international Methodist churches are more conservative than congregations in the United States.
The problem is that many liberal Methodist groups in the United States have decided to ignore church rules. They have openly defied the ban on gay clergy and gay weddings, and church leadership has refused to do anything about it. Now it is conservative Methodist congregations who have grown tired of the argument and are breaking away.
A church policy called ‘gracious exit’ allows these congregations to vote on whether to stay or go, and allows them to keep their congregation assets, like church buildings and property.
The latest twist on the Methodist break-up is that some churches are being denied the ability to vote to leave. Georgia’s church council has suspended all ‘stay or leave’ votes, saying there’s been unethical misinformation encouraging congregations to leave. Congregations that want to leave, can’t.
Of course, individuals in the pews might decide otherwise. Even in a conservative Methodist church, might the 10- or 20-percent who want to remain in the denomination need to go and find new churches? There are times that I feel like one of few conservatives left in my liberal-leading congregation. And those who are tired of the fight could always decide to attend the Presbyterian or the Anglican or the Lutheran church down the street. And, as I’ve said to many people in my own church, the number of new people who will join a church that is openly feuding is… zero. The work that a divided, splintering denomination can do is… less.
In Matthew, Jesus said “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.“ Could He also be talking about churches that are breaking apart?
Chris Conley
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