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Lessons From the Methodist Church
Last month the General Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) convened in St. Louis in a Special Session to evaluate the church’s official position regarding human sexuality. They discussed specific issues like homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and the ordination of LGBTQ members as clergy.
Presently, the Church welcomes LGBTQ individuals to become members of the UMC but does not allow them to be ordained as clergy; it also prohibits currently ordained ministers from conducting marriages for same-sex couples. During the Special Session, the Traditional Plan was passed by a very narrow margin (53% to 47%), reaffirming the church’s present stance.
The narrow margin by which the measure was passed should illustrate just how deeply divided the UMC is. The General Conference is composed of international delegates. In general, the American delegates voted for changing the church’s positions, while the African delegates fought for maintaining the traditional teaching. Let’s makes a few observations, for there is much to learn here.
First, the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality and other gender issues has remained unchanged since it was written. Passages like Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 clearly affirm that same-sex practices are sinful and must be abandoned altogether to serve Christ, as is the case with any unlawful heterosexual practice (adultery, sex before marriage, lust, etc.). Additionally, Jesus’ teaching on marriage in Matthew 19:4-6 confirms that God’s design for marriage in the beginning (one man, one woman, for life) is the timeless and absolute standard for people made in the image of God.
Second, given the clarity of the Bible’s teaching as seen above, it is altogether perplexing why church leaders would then vote to determine its organization’s stance on homosexuality. When one understands the basic way the UMC approaches Scripture, it is easier to see how voting on this can be justified based on their theology. Methodist teaching views tradition, human experience, and reason as the primary vehicles to understand Scripture; meaning, there can be several valid ways of interpreting what the Bible says about issues like homosexuality. Yet the problem remains: God has spoken, and what authority do people have to change what God says? This is folly at its worst (Prov. 30:5-6).
Third, this illustrates the danger of giving authority to human creeds, confessional statements, councils, and governing structures when none exist in Scripture itself. The deepening divide in the UMC regarding same-sex relations, which has been developing for several years now, is simply the fruit of institutionalism. When we view the church as an institution, separate from the people, with the authority to enact laws, God’s word is effectively pushed to the side.
This is also a fruit of the denominational model of “church.” The Bible speaks of the church in two primary senses – universal (the singular body of all of God’s saved, regardless of time or space) and local (the many bodies of professing Christians meeting and working together in specific locations). Never does Scripture talk of any organization in-between that has authority to rule, decide, or lead God’s people. There is no authority over the universal church except Jesus alone (Eph. 1:22-23), and there is no authority over the local church except shepherds who lead under the authority of the Lord Jesus (1 Peter 5:1-4). When you add something else, it’s only a matter of time until that unauthorized organization violates the authority of God himself. We shouldn’t be surprised at the UMC’s discussion.
Fourthly, underlying all of this is the tension between preserving unity among God’s people and contending for the unchanging faith. In issues like homosexuality, the Bible is clear enough that doctrine must not be compromised for the sake of unity. How can unity really exist in a church where people view the Bible and its fundamental teachings so differently? The UMC has not split, but (in my opinion) it’s only a matter of time before it does, and homosexuality will be the issue that drives the nail in the coffin of the UMC as we know it today.
We can observe what’s happening to the UMC from the outside, but as with all history there are lessons that need to be applied to ourselves lest we repeat the same mistakes. Let’s summarize in a few simple statements. 1) Let God’s word stand as written – regardless of how we feel about it or if it’s culturally offensive. 2) Let Jesus’ church stand as originally designed – regardless of whether we think there is a more effective way to organize or function. 3) Let unity among God’s people stand as accomplished in Jesus’ death – regardless of what we think that looks like, true unity is always grounded on one Lord and one faith (Eph. 4:4-6). 4) Let godly marriage stand as God intended – regardless of what people say, God’s way is always, without a single exception, best.
