The United Methodist Church (UMC), once the second largest denomination in America, has recently been imploding. In over the last few years, the UMC has lost over a million members and 7,000 congregations. The ‘United’ in its name has become a joke.
What caused it? Here’s my analysis. It was two things.
#1: They Officially Accepted Homosexuality
The UMC officially voted last year that homosexual practice was no longer a sin. This was a deliberate rejection of biblical testimony.
It was a decision years in the making.
The liberals of the North America UMC had long been held in check by the conservative Bible-believing African Methodists. When the denomination was re-structured, the biblical and prophetic influence of the Africans was removed.
When the liberals were finally free of those pesky Bible-believing conservatives…”They wasted no time. Speaker after speaker introduced themselves at microphones with the obligatory language of name, sexual and gender identity, and preferred pronouns. It was just what the activists hoped and just what the conservatives feared. In one moment, the official stance of the denomination was transformed,” (R. Albert Mohler, Jr.).
They went into full gay approval, even though the Bible clearly condemns the practice of homosexuality. The Methodists were once a mighty force for the gospel in the world. How could they have done this?
Like many things, the apostacy was slow in coming. Long ago, when the issue was first introduced, it was not advertised as, “Let’s approve of gay marriage!” or “Let’s allow practicing homosexuals into the clergy!” No. It was more like “Let’s just talk about it, there’s no harm in just talking about it, is there? What’s the harm in just having a discussion?”
It starts with getting innocent-sounding discussions on the agenda. Once the door is opened and discussion is allowed, there is more and more discussion at future meetings. Then resolutions are proposed, then votes on those resolutions. More discussions, more resolutions and more votes. The issue becomes increasingly comfortable and acceptable and opposition is worn down and made to look mean or small-minded. Finally, in time, the collapse comes and the unthinkable happens: the denomination officially supports the violation of God’s moral law.
It starts small–discussing things that should not be up for discussion in the first place. Liberalism is waiting at the door to come in, always under some innocent-sounding pretext. The time to stop it is early.
#2: They Silenced the Prophets
The liberals within the UMC became arrogant. They disenfranchised the prophetic voices that would lead them back to biblical righteousness.
Within the denomination in America was the Good News Movement, a biblically based movement that adhered to faithfulness.
They were ignored.
Already mentioned, there was the strong voice of the Africans, who called for biblical fidelity. A United Methodist minister (a biblical, conservative one) once told me with disgust that his denomination was attempting to cut off the conservative Africans from having votes that affected the North American church. That was about 15 years ago.
Now it has been done. Those prophetic voices have been cut off under the guise of ‘regionalization’.
The United Methodists have been trying for some time to silence the prophets. Silencing the prophets is often done by mocking them, by portraying them as not reasonable, or not smart, or not mature.
Once I saw an interview with the pastor of what was probably the leading UMC church in the United States. He had written Bible studies that were used by other churches. I also knew he promoted the acceptance of homosexuality in the denomination. He looked like a professor. I wondered if he might say something that people might find reasonable. He said that critics of the acceptance of homosexuality just “needed more time.” It implied that the liberals were enlightened and Bible believers were backward.
It was one of the most condescending things I’d ever seen.
Silencing the prophets is most effectively done through mockery: “They’re backward, not as smart as us, you don’t have to listen to them.”
There is a Bible verse that UMC leaders need to heed: “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly,” (James 3:1).
Methodism was founded by John and Charles Wesley in the mid 1700’s. When he was nearing the end of his life, John Wesley said: “I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.”
Sadly, that is what happened to the United Methodists. It could happen to any church. Institutions will naturally drift leftward over time unless there is continuous and deliberate action to counteract it.
Right on the money analysis