Untied Methodist

Several decades ago, the United Methodist Church met in Indianapolis for its General Conference.   I recall seeing at that time of a picture of an Indianapolis hotel that was seeking to warmly welcome the United Methodist Church to its town.   Evidently, the person that had the duty of tending to the sign was not a very good speller because the sign proclaimed:   Welcome Untied Methodist.

I just returned late Tuesday night from a special session of the General Conference in St. Louis.  I was there not as a delegate, but as an observer in my capacity as the President of the United Methodist Rural Advocates for the United Methodist Church.   Though the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, stated that Christian Conference was a “means of grace”,   I witnessed how untied Methodists are.   The consequences of the decisions remain to be seen.     It was one of the most painful church gatherings that I have been a part of in recent memory.   Here are a few observations of that gathering:

·   Though there is much that United Methodists agree on, they are sharply divided on the issue of gay/lesbian issues.   By a vote of  approximately 54%, the General Conference voted in essence to maintain its current stance banding same sex marriages and gay/lesbian pastors.  

·         All present  in St. Louis whether they advocate for changes in the current stance or not are passionate about their love for Christ and His Church

·         All present at the General Conference value the Bible but sharply differ on how they understand it

·         We live in one world, but people around the world sharply differ on how they view issues relative to human sexuality

One friend of mine asked the question,  “Were there any winners in St. Louis?”   I do not believe there were.    There were people in pain in St. Louis and beyond because of the decisions there.   In the church, we believe that when one person in the church suffers, all suffer

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Despite it all, the church continues in all its human frailities and imperfections.   The needs of the world are great.     As I boarded the plane, I encountered on Tuesday a man going home to bury his mother who needed a resurrection hope.   On the phone yesterday, I heard the story of a  family from Venezuela here in the United States that needs   to be welcomed.    At the hospital, I encounter patients who wonder if they are in their last days who need comfort.     A man stops me on the way to the airport saying that he needs food to eat.    There is much work for the Church to do its brokenness because the there are many lives who are broken.   -  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   Heal your church, O Lord.   Let your Spirit fall afresh on it.  Tie your cords around it.   Save us, O Lord, from our divisions that we might together reach out to your hurting world;  through Christ our Lord.  Amen.