Thankfully, Bishop Ken Carder continues his witness. Truth and Love cannot be separated. The church he describes is the one that nurtured me as well. For those who think a narrowing of our community will bring growth, I would simply ask them to consider, that it was the “Big Tent” Church following WWII that grew the most rapidly in recent years. Yes, we were riding a cultural wave — even as some “traditionalists” are riding theirs today. Whatever, even if severed away, split into, these who might place themselves on the other side will still be my brothers and sisters in Christ. No General Conference action can change this.
© Ivan Grlic, Dreamstime
Thoughts of splitting The United Methodist Church trouble me for a host of reasons Some theological and missional.
This polarized and violent world desperately needs the witness of a community that grapples with disputes and differences with humility, mutual respect, and compassion. While divisions have been part of our heritage since the beginning, they never bode well for our commitment to oneness in Christ Jesus.
We need one another, whatever our labels. God has already reconciled us! We have been made one, whether we like it or not. So, I don’t quite understand why we can’t live the reconciliation already accomplished in Christ. If Christ has made us one, should we not live that oneness?
But I’m also troubled for personal reasons.
I’ll always remember that fateful Sunday morning almost 65 years ago when this son of Appalachian tenant farmers and textile workers walked shyly into…
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