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“Without a new vision, the future does not look bright,” said Lovett H. Weems Jr., in his address to the Council of Bishops on November 6. Weems, the distinguished professor of church leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., had been asked to review the State of the Church (SOC) report and present an analysis of it to the bishops at their fall meeting. (The full text of Weems’ presentation is linked to the Good News website: www.goodnewsmag.org.)

In 2005, the United Methodist Connectional Table commissioned a serious, in-depth survey of United Methodist leaders and members on the state of our denomination. This “State of the Church” report is now complete and was released to the church in June of this year. The SOC report provides all of us the opportunity to think carefully and prayerfully about the real “State of the Church.” Weems reminds us that the first task of leaders is to help define the reality facing us. This is in the tradition of Nehemiah, who said upon his return to Jerusalem, with a breaking heart, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace” (Nehemiah 2:17).

Disgrace may be an apt word. The report reminds us of a decline in membership of 19 percent since 1974; that 41 percent of United Methodist churches in the United States did not report a single profession of faith in 2005; that during the last 20 years, the denomination’s U.S. clergy under the age of 35 has dropped below five percent.

Weems’ report consists of 10 “Provocative Questions” which will affect our future. For example, “Can we learn from a cohort of large churches that have for 30 years been reaching more people, younger people, and more diverse people?” The report gives this shocking statistic: Churches with average worship attendance of 500 or more make up just one percent of United Methodist churches in the U.S. This one percent of our churches, however, represents 20 percent of our membership and attendance, and 24 percent of our professions of faith. Weems wisely suggests that these numbers “cry out for attention to what we all can learn from these congregations.” Thankfully, some are already becoming teaching churches.

Where I take exception with the SOC report is in the claim that there is “remarkable consensus on key affirmations of Christian faith.” Granted our core beliefs are clear. But the last 40 years reflect anything but “remarkable” theological or doctrinal consensus.” We have had, rather, doctrinal confusion, revisionism, error, and even—can we say it—heresy.

Weems notes there are “variations of emphasis” across the church but these differences “should not overshadow the consensus.” These “variations” do, he says, “point to the need for good Wesleyan Christian conferencing in which we honestly engage theological differences for mutual edification.” Sadly, our doctrinal differences are more than “variations of emphasis.” Christian conferencing alone won’t settle them. Clearly, our differences today are more serious. If the task of leaders is to help define reality, then our bishops and leaders must face candidly—not ignore—the reality of our problem.

Evangelicals within the denomination have been addressing this problem for more than 40 years. Good News’ founder, Chuck Keysor, wrote in 1966 about a “silent minority” of Methodists whom he described as “orthodox,” which meant they conformed “to the Christian faith as formulated in the church creeds and confessions.” Their views, Keysor wrote, “are often abhorrent to Methodist officialdom.” In 1972, John Lawson, a former professor at Candler School of Theology, wrote, “It is common knowledge that some teaching which is regularly given in seminaries is contrary to Scripture, and to the chief planks of the historic Christian faith,” (An Evangelical Faith for Today, Abingdon).

In 1995, 800 United Methodists gathered in Atlanta as the Confessing Movement was launched. Their concern: “The United Methodist Church is now incapable of confessing with one voice the orthodox Trinitarian faith, particularly Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the Lord of history and the Church.” The above examples are more than “variations of emphasis.”

The SOC report can be a hopeful sign. So is the document, “The United Methodist Way,” prepared by the Council of Bishops for the National Convocation last November. It says, refreshingly, “We stand in need of our own movement of renewal!” It urges us to reclaim and hold fast to “the doctrine, spirit, and discipline” of Wesley and the early Methodists.

May the Lord grant us the realism of Nehemiah, who would say, “You see the trouble we are in. Come, let us rebuild…and no longer be in disgrace.”

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Editorial Do we have a doctrinal consensus? James V. Heidinger II

Editorial
Do we have a doctrinal consensus?
James V. Heidinger II