Please excuse me over the next week or so as I share some observations of those watching liberal American Methodists trying to turn my church into something like the American Anglican Church.
For over a decade there has been an attempt by liberals to conform Methodist doctrine, which is determined by majority vote (on a more or less one-member, on-vote basis) to standards prevalent in American culture.
The problem with the liberal strategy is that churches where their philosophy prevails are in decline, while those more aligned with Biblical teaching are rapidly growing. Africa is the poster child for a church in what might be called “Acts” mode.
Today I got an email from Mark Tooley of the Institute of Religion and Democracy with snippets of the cultural clash.
“How fascinating that once insulated elite church liberals from shrinking churches now have to contend with hundreds of biblically minded African delegates representing millions of new church members,” writes Tooley.
In a debate in Church and Society, liberals proposed a motion about encouraging energy efficient cars, Tooley reports.
“An African delegate said: ‘This isn’t relevant to our context.’
“A clueless liberal delegate began to question him: ‘…I don’t know if you carpool [in Africa] – or have access to non-incandescent light bulbs.'”
“Oh yeah,” Tooley comments on the cluelessness of the liberal.
In Africa one district superintendent told of having no roads in his jurisdiction. He couldn’t ride a bicycle; he had to walk to his churches.
As for debating the type of light bulb, most of rural Africa is without electricity.
Methodists are big on “connections.” We are all in one church.
The liberals (and I am being polite by using this word) have a steep learning curve between their “this is the way things should be” and the way things are where Christianity is burgeoning.
The difference is goals between is described by Tooley like this:
“Liberals worry about sexual freedom and coercively redistributing wealth, along with extreme environmental causes that deter economic growth.
AAfricans want to create NEW wealth and more development.
“Instead of Global Warming, Africans are concerned about disease eradication, clean water, and greater food production…
“Growing numbers of Africans, who live in the real word, will increasingly push our church back towards relevance and reality.”
For information on the liberals’ call to ordain homosexual and lesbian clergy, look here.
For information about what the LGBT agenda for youth, look here.
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Other articles that may be of interest:
- 4/24/12 Methodist Convention This Week in Tampa – Unity Not on the Agenda
- 4/27/12 The Disconnect Between American Liberals and Africans in Tampa’s Methodist Convention
- 4/28/12 Conservative Methodists Making Headway in World Conference, Big Fight on Homosexuality in Offing
- 4/29/12 Update from United Methodist Church General Conference in Tampa – Conservatives Winning Most Votes, Setbacks for Abortion & Israeli Divestment Supporters
- 4/30/12 Good News Reports Most Endorsed Candidates for Methodist “Supreme Court,” University Senate Win
- 4/30/12 Conservatives Take Three of Four Vacancies on Methodist Judicial Council, Vote on Homosexuality Imminent
- 5/2/12 Methodists Vote Almost 3-1 Against Ending Investments (Divestment) in Motorola and CAT, Proportional Representation for Africans on Ruling Bodies, Preacher Tenure Ended
- 5/3/12 53% Reject Homosexual Liberalization at Tampa World Methodist Conference
- 5/3/12 Homosexuals Take over Methodist Tampa Convention Floor after Losing Vote
- 5/4/12 Coverage of Conservative Methodists’ Victory over Homosexual Activists Missing
My advice to you, Cal? Get out, while the getting is good.
Stay in and reinforce the Gospel.
Jesus was a liberal.
I welcome you to the Catholic church!
It is a human church, somewhat defective in practice but at least you know where it stands.