by Bob Phillips  

Tis’ the season for UM annual conferences, the recurring grab bag of fellowship, gossip, worship, politicking and that endearing thing called “legislation.”  Lest disaffiliates gloat, keep in mind this entire piece also has real or potential application to GMC similar exercises. In the light, and the fog, of the recently concluded General Conference, what are remaining UM traditionalists to do? What constructive approach can recent but still caring former members properly adopt? Given the departure of 25% of the US church, and the recent single day departure of an additional 1.2 million UM members from Africa’s Ivory Coast, what must an annual conference name and engage to move into a productive future?

I offer five observations for remaining traditional believers in the UMC. First, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” Liberal/progressive folks have done a superb and ethical job in organizing. They are prepared to move various annual conference policies and practices in new leftward directions. They are not cheating and have every right to remake the UMC into their image. If remaining traditionalists do not organize, communicate, and create constructive ways to advocate their traditional point of view, what happened in Charlotte will be repeated before laity who may vote their concerns with their feet. Whining about what an annual conference does without forming alternatives is no answer.

Second, watch your language. This cuts both ways. When certain General Conference decisions were framed as ending hate-filled, exclusionary beliefs, many traditionalists knew that language was aimed at them. As a delegate at GC2019, I recalled the silence and the emotion filling the St. Louis Hall when the Traditional Plan was passed. There was no line dancing, spiking the ball or other in-your-face slaps aimed at those convinced that Christian marriage is not limited to one man and one woman. Traditional delegates were keenly aware that friends and fellow believers were hurt by that vote, and consciously resisted ungracious celebration. The easy use of demeaning language to describe historic Christian convictions is a dog that won’t hunt among traditional laity. UMC remaining true centrists and conservatives can take verbal inferences of bigotry in silence, but the trust damage is real. Speak up and speak out, graciously and clearly.

That same dog likewise doesn’t hunt when employed by conservatives who slam the UMC with name-calling, denying no “real” Christian can be or remain UM, or otherwise filling the air with judgmental zingers. Such attitudes grieve the Spirit and make a zero positive witness on outsider non-Christians who are curious about the song, “They will know we are Christians by our love.” Especially to social media and Facebook commandos, let Ephesians 4:30 be your guide…look it up and cut it out!

Third, focus on what matters most. Retired UM Bishop and professionalcurmudgeon Will Willimon recently growled how GC2024 missed the boat on re-booting a denomination that in the US and Europe is in numerical free fall. As the US begins its season of conferences, the elephant in the room is not the church’s position on divestment from Israel, or inclusive pronouns, or fear of transgendered/non-binary pastors hiding under the bed. It is bringing people to Jesus and discipling them to go the Kingdom distance while spiritually reproducing. The GMC likewise is called to that task and to resist efforts to define themselves (or be defined by unfriendly others) in negative terms, i.e., the church that doesn’t allow this or that. Also, recall that transfer growth (UM to GMC) is not Kingdom growth but rearrangement. Bring people to Christ who are not his, do conversion “weddings” and discipleship “marriage” that goes the distance.

Fourth, resist self-deception. John D. Rockefeller was asked, in his ripe old age, to what he attributed the success of Standard Oil, that made him the first US billionaire. He replied, “To the fact we never deceived ourselves.” Denial is a killer in any organization. The terse UMNS blurb (not even an article length statement) announcing the overnight departure of 20% of African United Methodism is a reminder that regionalization is not the neat answer of the white Western UMC to Africa’s inconvenient conservative Wesleyan Christianity. Name the ‘demons,’ and own up to all the motives behind the proposed solutions.

The GMC is not exempt. Annual conference must offer a venue for constructive discussion of their challenges, such as how to provide pastors for numerous smaller churches, how to reach the disconnected younger adult, and the like. GMC conferences are rightly and wisely shifting the Annual Conference culture away from joy-sucking business meetings toward worship and building trust and community. That’s good…no, it’s great, provided denial of collective challenges is not the price of admission.

Fifth, “begin with the end in mind,” a Stephen Covey-ism that encourages the long view. Esau sold his birthright and future for tasty stew served in the moment. What can traditional UM clergy and laity share as a collective vision for the UM future, offered in real and measurable ways. Reversing numerical free-fall might be an example, but that is simply a pious cliché unless backed by real steps toward that goal. So, too, for the GMC…what is the 5 year-10 year-20-year vision for the GMC or for a given annual conference? May initiatives, focus and resources flow in such directions.

I offer this piece inspired, or prompted, by a letter my 97-year-old mother received from her UM church last week. Written with grace and clarity it mentioned the upcoming retirement of her beloved pastor. The last time I worshipped with her at that church, I joined 40+ others, mostly but not entirely older (several children were present), a church with a food pantry doing good in meeting needs well beyond its size for a town of 15,000. The letter also mentioned that nearly all families in leadership, including major financial supporters, had decided to leave the denomination in response to actions taken at General Conference. This church hangs now on the cusp of extinction, the end of 120 years of witness. The author of the letter, a strong and positive 40-year leader/layman writing in official capacity, did not include that he and his family also would be among those departing.

The letter surprised me. This is a church and a pastor that stayed out of politics, shunned name-calling, and focused on doing ministry. The church has not been led by nor filled with haters, bigots, or ignorant folks, but has held its traditional views with grace, “excluding” no one.  No one from the GMC or any other group had approached, much less “coerced,” anyone to take this action. The letter from the layman was not a rant, but was clear that once Christian conscience is breached, the status quo becomes unacceptable.

The first spate of post-Charlotte UM annual conferences must be willing to do the damage control necessary to deal with the hundreds to thousands of congregations that will be responding to GC24 actions. Simply denying any disaffiliation route without engaging why folks are disillusioned is a quick trip off the cliff. Filling social and print media with an unending stream of UM feel-good stories without hinting at other newsworthy challenges, is a pill bug approach that blunt unspoken truths can squish with a single stomp of reality. Likewise, the first spate of GMC annual conferences must embody grace, appropriate silence, honest praise, and positive response as needed, avoiding any temptation to pile on criticism or influence outcomes in a denomination no longer their own. Jesus is Lord and his Kingdom is everlasting, so the ultimate outcome is not in doubt. May the children of Wesley, including the UMC and the GMC among others, prove equal to the challenges of the moment as the witness of Wesleyan Christianity thrives into the future God has planned.

Photo Credit