the future of the Methodist Church

[franksolich]

Something's been eating me with curiosity for a while, but I suppose one has to wait until the next international General Conference of the Methodist Church takes place, I guess which is next year.

But if anybody has any thoughts or insights on this, I'd appeciate hearing them.

The Methodist Church, as we all know, is one of the more liberal churches, more concerned with matters of the world than matters of God.  And we all know what that leads to; a substantially declined membership (in this country) since the 1960s.

The more one tries to be of this world, the less one counts.

Anyway, at the last international General Conference of the Methodist Church, 40% of the membership was from western Africa.  Apparently the Methodist Church is growing by leaps-and-bounds in western Africa, and more power to them.

It's possible that at the next international General Conference of the Methodist Church, a clear majority of the membership will be from.....western Africa, who will dictate the direction of their church.

We have an interesting situation here, then; Methodists from western Africa have different values, different priorities, than do Methodists from America and Europe.

They want this Old Rugged Cross, Onward, Christian Soldiers, sort of Methodism; they aren't too interested in peaceful coexistence or bans on nuclear weapons or gay marriage or abortion.  In fact, one suspects they don't like women ministers, either.

Am I the only one--a non-Methodist, even--speculating that there's going to be some sort of Great Discombobulation, some sort of catastrophic convulsion, that's going to change the Methodist Church from what it currently is, to what it should be?

[dutch508]

Something's been eating me with curiosity for a while, but I suppose one has to wait until the next international General Conference of the Methodist Church takes place, I guess which is next year.

But if anybody has any thoughts or insights on this, I'd appeciate hearing them.

The Methodist Church, as we all know, is one of the more liberal churches, more concerned with matters of the world than matters of God.  And we all know what that leads to; a substantially declined membership (in this country) since the 1960s.

The more one tries to be of this world, the less one counts.

Anyway, at the last international General Conference of the Methodist Church, 40% of the membership was from western Africa.  Apparently the Methodist Church is growing by leaps-and-bounds in western Africa, and more power to them.

It's possible that at the next international General Conference of the Methodist Church, a clear majority of the membership will be from.....western Africa, who will dictate the direction of their church.

We have an interesting situation here, then; Methodists from western Africa have different values, different priorities, than do Methodists from America and Europe.

They want this Old Rugged Cross, Onward, Christian Soldiers, sort of Methodism; they aren't too interested in peaceful coexistence or bans on nuclear weapons or gay marriage or abortion.  In fact, one suspects they don't like women ministers, either.

Am I the only one--a non-Methodist, even--speculating that there's going to be some sort of Great Discombobulation, some sort of catastrophic convulsion, that's going to change the Methodist Church from what it currently is, to what it should be?

There is a similar issue with the Presbyterian Chuch, Frank. The Presbyterian Church spilt awhile back, with one part being the dour, angry Protestants they've always been, the the other being the younger, more open, happier people the leftists want to be Christians.

I, myself, belong to the older, dour, angry group- (Presbyterians are not supposed to be happy people) and sometimes have a bit of difficultly with the new sect. The Church we belong to in Colorado Springs is a good example. Reverand Tom wears a clerical collar (Very rarely seen nowdays) but is firmly left leaning- as is a majority of the Church.

At a recent Church dinner people at the table we were sitting at spoke at length about the wonderful job Mr. Obama was doing. I remained silent. Unlike a DUmpmonkie, I'll keep my personal views to myself in pleasent company, especially at a Church function.

[Flame]

I, myself, belong to the older, dour, angry group- (Presbyterians are not supposed to be happy people) and sometimes have a bit of difficultly with the new sect. The Church we belong to in Colorado Springs is a good example. Reverand Tom wears a clerical collar (Very rarely seen nowdays) but is firmly left leaning- as is a majority of the Church.

Add me to the old style presbyterian group...member of the PCA.  What church in Colorado Springs?  We were members at Village Seven..all my kids were baptised there.

[franksolich]

Well now, even though my father died an Episcopalian, all of his maternal ancestors were sour dour Scots Presbyterians, and I'm just old enough to remember many of them.

There's much to be said for such people; they built America.  They had backbone.

And so while bluntly, yes, they were sour and dour, I recall them fondly, because they after all did Love, too, and Love much.

[Wineslob]

I was raised Catholic. If you guys step out of line, we'll get a Irish priest to come and kick your ass.   

[Sam Adams]

Add me to the old style presbyterian group...member of the PCA.  What church in Colorado Springs?  We were members at Village Seven..all my kids were baptised there.

I was a minister in the PCA. The PCA, as a corporate entity, is unfaithful (though not to the extent of the "mainline" churches).

[Lanie]

I'm obviously on the liberal side of some of the issues that are splitting up churches.

However, I just wanted to make a suggestion for Methodists who want things to stay conservative. Try Weslyan. It's a form of Methodist, and to the best of my knowledge, they're not changing.

[Sam Adams]

I'm obviously on the liberal side of some of the issues that are splitting up churches.

However, I just wanted to make a suggestion for Methodists who want things to stay conservative. Try Weslyan. It's a form of Methodist, and to the best of my knowledge, they're not changing.

Yeah, actually there are several groups of Methodists. The one everyone thinks of when they hear "Methodist" is the United Methodist Church. The UMC is the big, mainline, liberal church. Some others are pretty conservative.

[RobJohnson]

Yeah, actually there are several groups of Methodists. The one everyone thinks of when they hear "Methodist" is the United Methodist Church. The UMC is the big, mainline, liberal church. Some others are pretty conservative.

I remain a member of a UMC church in IL. When living there, I was very active and the church was very far from liberal.

The church was good as helping those that were lost, find a pew on Sunday. Everyone was welcome. Attendence grew yearly.

Maybe my church was different due to it being in a town of only 6500 residents, I don't know. But what I do know is that alot of Methodist churches do great things for God.

[Sam Adams]

I remain a member of a UMC church in IL. When living there, I was very active and the church was very far from liberal.

The church was good as helping those that were lost, find a pew on Sunday. Everyone was welcome. Attendence grew yearly.

Maybe my church was different due to it being in a town of only 6500 residents, I don't know. But what I do know is that alot of Methodist churches do great things for God.

I won't argue with that. I was making a general statement about the UMC as a whole, not each and every local church within it. Some of the local churches are still pretty conservative. (But I think the Bible teaches them to remove themselves from the UMC.)

[franksolich]

Yeah, actually there are several groups of Methodists. The one everyone thinks of when they hear "Methodist" is the United Methodist Church. The UMC is the big, mainline, liberal church. Some others are pretty conservative.

Yeah, it's the United Methodist Church to which I'm referring.

I can hardly wait for the ruckus to start; it'd be them going back to their roots, the last place liberals want to be.

[vesta111]

Yeah, it's the United Methodist Church to which I'm referring.

I can hardly wait for the ruckus to start; it'd be them going back to their roots, the last place liberals want to be.

I found much to my surprise and revulsion the Methodist in Va. had 30 years ago become Southern Baptist some how.

They arrived one night out of the blue 2 weeks after we bought our home, I had no problem as I knew Northern Methodists.   Or so I thought.

While the pastor was trying to sell us on enrolling our 4 kids 3-10 years of age in their school,--- Naturally we could not take any chance of our kids going to a PUBLIC school, you know, God knew what kind of people could influence them, the public schools were 85% black.

Mean while one of the Deacons had corralled my kids in another room and was scaring the crap out of them.    They came into the room actually crying as they had been told that if we didn't attend their Church and school, if they died they would go to Hell.

Outragious-----these were Christians.?

This was my first experience with Southern Christians.

[Flame]

I found much to my surprise and revulsion the Methodist in Va. had 30 years ago become Southern Baptist some how.

They arrived one night out of the blue 2 weeks after we bought our home, I had no problem as I knew Northern Methodists.   Or so I thought.

While the pastor was trying to sell us on enrolling our 4 kids 3-10 years of age in their school,--- Naturally we could not take any chance of our kids going to a PUBLIC school, you know, God knew what kind of people could influence them, the public schools were 85% black.

Mean while one of the Deacons had corralled my kids in another room and was scaring the crap out of them.    They came into the room actually crying as they had been told that if we didn't attend their Church and school, if they died they would go to Hell.

Outragious-----these were Christians.?

This was my first experience with Southern Christians.

*cough*bullshit*cough*

you need to take lessons from the DUmmies on how to write a bouncy...even they come up with better stuff than this!