The centrists and progressives fiddled our love of God and of all and paid no attention to the call for a doctrinally defined church, sure that such an idea would not ever pass sophisticated theological muster, forgetting the people don’t want sophisticated theology that leads to open borders but simple answers and big, massive walls against outsiders. Over five years ago, I warned the good folks in The United Methodist Church that the doctrinal inquisition was soon to come. At... Read more
I grieve that the answer to “Does the UMC have a future” is “NO.” I grieve so deeply that I’ve been unable to write. I’ve spent endless hours in my garden, knowing yet again that there are two things almost guaranteed to break the heart: gardens and churches. And mine is broken. But the “Bible-believers” won. May God, the one they don’t believe in and have excluded from their fellowship, have mercy upon their souls. No. There is no future... Read more
I admit it is difficult for me to identify now with the extremely ununited “United” Methodist Church. Many sit here with me, praying, waiting, watching to see what the power-brokers in the church will do. Part of me wants to contribute to those conversations. Other parts say, “let it go. After all, Remy writes.” After blogging my way through the sad debacle of the specially called 2019 General Conference (i.e., the “sex” conference) of The United Methodist Church, I needed... Read more
Yes, Mark Tooley reveals all. However, I feel sure the Wesleyan Covenant Association people, who now have gotten their hopes fulfilled by continued exclusion of the LGBTQIA community, will be delighted to make sure the African church stays fully funded. It would be unthinkable for them, who hold to the stance that they take the highest of high moral roads, to sever their relationship with the African Methodists now or in the foreseeable future. In an editorial of the Friday,... Read more
In late February this year, delegates from The United Methodist Church met and, leaving behind the hope of dialogue, pushed the win/lose discussion to its furthest limits. The most likely future: a split that will devastate many and leave what has been a powerful connection in shredded shambles. When my husband and I married about 3 ½ years ago, one particularly difficult task faced us as we combined households: what to do with all the books. Both of us love... Read more
Sears and the UMC: both, bankrupt, looking for Easter. GC2019 lit the charge for the explosion for the UMC. The changing notions of how to shop set up the bankruptcy for Sears. I predict a resurrection for the Methodist world. We shall again develop workable methods so we may proclaim with joy the message of grace. Easter is just around the corner. Lent gives us space to ponder the death that must precede it. Before this disturbing and likely disastrous... Read more
So, let’s pick up our crosses and do exactly that. Let’s be the church reborn. What we won’t be known as: “The United Methodist Church that hates gays.” The WCA, Good News and the African Methodists own that nomenclature. Check the front page of the nation’s major newspapers today: it will be splashed there. The New York Times headline is typical: United Methodists Tighten Ban on Same-Sex Marriage and Gay Clergy. After reading a few of the comments which showed the... Read more
The vote: hypocrisy exposed. Other’s people’s sexual activities (as long as it involves gay sex) are wrong and merit condemnation, but I get to keep all my sexual sins without that same condemnation. We’ve had a fascinating day. After what looked like a lot of deliberate slowing of the procedures in the first session, the Judicial Council delivered their report. A summary: they found substantive portions of the Traditional Plan unconstitutional and/or illegal. After that pronouncement, The Rev. Tom Berlin gave... Read more
Bishops have no real power in the UMC. In other words, the Bishops may be the leash, but the dog is running this show. No command to “heel” will be heeded in any way. And, by the way, a significant portion of the Traditional Plan has just been declared unconstitutional. Although the morning session was scheduled to begin at 8:20 this morning, it didn’t actually begin until nearly 9 am. It opened with various corrections, comments, etc. about the official... Read more
How far will our obsession with other people’s genitalia go? What about men who have disfigured genitalia? The Bible also bans them from work in the religious holy places? Should we not have genitalia checks? GC2019 reconvenes shortly. After yesterday’s deep disappointment, when the delegates voted to become the church of closed minds, closed hearts, closed doors, when the traditionalists celebrated their victory, when some teen, confused over sexuality and rejected by the church and very possibly by church-taught family,... Read more
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