Discussion: Christian Perfection and the Global UMC

Kevin Watson recently posted a piece on his blog Vital Piety about the doctrine of Christian perfection in which he examines a John Wesley quote about the importance of Christian perfection (also known as entire sanctification or holiness) for the early Methodist movement.  Watson asserts, "Wesley believed that there was a particular reason for Methodism. Methodists existed because God had given them a particular corporate calling – to spread the teaching about the possibility of full sanctification."

As Watson notes, there was dispute about the importance of holiness even in Wesley's day, and Christian perfection has fallen by the wayside in much of contemporary United Methodism.  Thus, to say that the doctrine of Christian perfection is the reason for the existence of The United Methodist Church would probably fall more into the realm of normative than descriptive statements.

Moreover, while the doctrine of Christian perfection may provide a reason for Methodists to exist and to exist around the globe, it does not answer Dr. Pieterse's question from a previous blog on this site as to why United Methodists should exist as a global denomination.  Other Methodists share this doctrine; indeed, it has remained a more important doctrine in some other churches.

Share your thoughts: Does the doctrine of Christian perfection still have anything to do with why God is raising up the people called United Methodists throughout the world?

Discussion: Trip celebrates historical roots of the global Methodist movement

World Methodist Evangelism sponsored a recent trip to England to visit historical sites associated with the origins of the Methodist movement in England in the 1700s.  The trip began with a celebration on May 24th of the 275th anniversary of John Wesley's Aldergate experience, the even in which his heart was "strangely warmed," issuing in a live of deeper and more vital piety for Wesley.  From there, the trip proceeded to visit other Methodist sites.  For a larger description of the trip, see this coverage by the United Methodist News Service.

The trip raises several questions about connections in the global Methodist movement.  World Methodist Evangelism is a project of the World Methodist Council, an international body consisting of denominations around the world (including The United Methodist Church) with Methodist roots.  World Methodist Evangelism's executive director, Dr. H. Eddie Fox, is American and a United Methodist, and the organization is based in Nashville.  Three out of the five officers of World Methodist Evangelism are also American United Methodists (one other is an American AME bishop and one is a bishop in the Kenyan Methodist Church).  The worship at the trip was led by four American United Methodists and one bishop of the Methodist Church in Nigeria.

Does this trip represent history uniting Methodists across the world and even across denominational boundaries?  Is it really an American United Methodist endeavor with token diversity?  Does it have anything to say about the role of history in forging a global UMC?  Share your comments below.

Discussion: Global Social Principles?

The United Methodist Church is in the process of revising its Social Principles to make them "more global" - "globally relevant" that is.  (UMNS news story here.)  The process comes out of resolutions put forward at General Conference 2012 by the European Central Conferences.  The idea is that many of the Social Principles currently speak primarily (or even solely) to a U.S. context.  Thus, the Social Principles become another way in which The UMC remains a primarily U.S.-focused denomination rather than a truly global church.  Yet, thanks to action on the part of General Conference and a recent plan put forward by the Connectional Table, work is underway to reduce or eliminate the American bias in the Social Principles.  The plan will begin with a series of symposia around the world with possible suggestions for General Conference 2016 growing out of these.

In addition to the opportunity to make the Social Principles more globally relevant to all national branches of The UMC, this re-examination process seems to be the perfect time for the church to consider its transnational Social Principles.  As more and more social problems are no longer confined within national borders, it is necessary for churches to speak out on global social issues.  The opportunity to do so in an informed and credible way may be one of the true forms of service that The UMC can render to the global community because of its nature as a global church.

What do you think?  What in the Social Principles should be changed to be more globally relevant?  What should be added to address new transnational, global social issues?  Comment below.

Discussion: Sharing church buildings as cooperative ministry?

As a recent guest blog post by Hendrik Pieterse and associated comment by Robert Hunt suggest, one of the ways in which The United Methodist Church can be a global denomination is by engaging in ministry to the global diversity of people present in the United States.  This recent article from Grand Island, NE, represents a common model for collaboration between Anglo and immigrant churches: sharing a church building, as First UMC and Ministerio de Fe have begun to do.  Yet does sharing a building really count as engaging in shared ministry?  Is co-location a path to greater cooperation?  Or does it preserve unnecessary barriers in what should be a multicultural church?  Post your thoughts in the comment box below.

Discussion: The global in the local

Tackling global issues and issues related to the global nature of the church is not just something that must happen at the denominational or annual conference level.  Local churches can do their part.  Wesley UMC in La Crosse, WI, is hosting GBGM executive secretary for human rights & racial justice David Wildman for a series of talks today on global matters:
http://lacrossetribune.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/article_58728256-a942-11e2-a923-0019bb2963f4.html#.UXU7eqXBhLg.twitter   What can your local church do to engage in ministry with global impact?