Clergywoman's Videos Aim to Answer Tough Questions Coming with General Conference

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A United Methodist Insight Special

Since the most intense period of disaffiliations began in The United Methodist Church more than two years ago, the Rev. Dr. Mary John Dye has been on a quest.

The recently retired clergywoman in the Western North Carolina Annual Conference has been grieved and outraged by the false information spread about the UMC by disaffected forces bent on encouraging local churches to leave the worldwide denomination. She has written and spoken repeatedly against falsehoods such as, among others, allegations that the UMC is denying its core doctrines about Jesus Christ.

Now, as General Conference looms on the horizon, Dr. Dye has capped her writings with a series of four videos, "The Heart of the United Methodist Faith," that she hopes will both dispel lingering falsehoods about the UMC and prepare traditional people for the questions that General Conference will inevitably raise.

A "preacher's kid" who is a third-generation graduate of Asbury College, Dr. Dye was raised in the heart of the traditional, evangelical side of the Methodist family. Thanks to a General Conference decision to grant full ordination rights to women in 1956, she served more than 50 years in ordained ministry prior to her retirement. She has continued to serve as an interim pastor for churches going through the stress and trauma of disaffiliation. Her family's Methodist heritage extends back to her grandfather, whose photo as a circuit-riding preacher she displays in the introductory video.

Through interview emails with United Methodist Insight, Dr. Dye wrote about the content and process of creating the videos and her hopes for their use.

"As you know, I have long had a heavy heart about the disconnect for many traditional United Methodists with the issues we are dealing with re human sexuality," she wrote. "(Those with traditional views) have been easy targets for our organized critics. In anticipation of another round of attacks directed toward our people, I put together four presentations speaking to the heart of UM faith in traditional, conservative terms and how our current considerations have deep roots in traditional Methodist faith."

Longstanding traditional themes

In the introductory 20-minute video, "What Are United Methodists Thinking?" Dr. Dye introduces the longstanding traditional themes of United Methodist faith which anchor the UMC considerations on human sexuality.

The second 13-minute video, "Why Are the United Methodists Doing This?" addresses "the constant question of why we don't drop these volatile questions (about human sexuality)," she wrote.

"This video reminds us that this is not some general concept – but these are people.  LGBTQ people are our people – people we have baptized and confirmed and made sacred promises to," Dr. Dye continued.

"Alongside the fundamental concept that God loves everyone and everyone in the Christian family is important, this video addresses the importance for everyone to learn a loving way to relate to LGBTQ people in today’s world. (The video) emphasizes that we don't have to have the same opinion, but we need to have common goodwill and Christlike language. And that essential life skill is absent or under-developed in so many of our churches.  This video challenges the claim of other denominations (including the Global Methodist Church) that the human sexuality issue is 'settled' in other churches." 

The third 17-minute video is titled "The Conservative Question: Is There Room for Me in the UMC?" In this segment, Dr. Dye affirms "the welcome and value of conservative members," along with emphasizing the baseline of our life together: the Christian commitment to the Golden Rule and United Methodists' commitment to John Wesley's General Rules. Wesley's rules are commonly cited as "Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God."

She invites people to think about the spiritual advantages for conservatives to be in churches where everyone doesn't agree.

Spiritual discernment

The fourth 21-minute video addresses a widespread concern of many United Methodists: "How Do I Know Who to Trust?" The video "focuses on learning to be spiritually discerning about those who are clamoring for people's allegiance.

"Learning to discern who is telling the truth is an essential life skill these days," said Dr. Dye. "We have not, at least as I have seen it, taught people to recognize the wolves in sheep's clothing."

While soft-spoken and genial in her presentations (all of which this writer viewed on YouTube), because of her firsthand witness to misinformation spread in local churches Dr. Dye is not reticent about calling out those she has found spreading falsehoods about the UMC, including the Wesleyan Covenant Association.

“These videos/transcripts, etc., are drenched in prayer and tears," Dr. Dye wrote in an introduction. "But I am very determined – insofar as I can – that we learn from the mistakes of this last disaffiliation round.  And it is important to me that the Wesleyan principles of conservative faith not be twisted or misused for misrepresentations.”

The introductory Facebook Live video posted on April 14 drew 1,900 views in its first 24 hours after publication.

"This validates for me that there is a great, great hunger for faithful, sensible conversation about (the UMC's current situation and future)," Dr. Dye said.

The videos are freely available for any annual conferences and local churches that want to use them. They include transcripts of each video as well as questions for personal reflection or small group discussion. A dedicated email is posted for anyone who wants to continue the conversation.

"I hope the videos get spread far and wide as a pathway to healing but also as antidote to the poison that I know (disaffected forces) are planning in the wake of General Conference," Dr. Dye said.

United Methodist Insight Editor Cynthia B. Astle has reported on The United Methodist Church at all levels since 1988.