Mark Holland
The Rev. Dr. Mark Holland, a co-founder of Mainstream UMC, has been rehired as the re-launched advocacy organization's executive director. (Mainstream UMC Photo)
Mainstream UMC has re-launched its advocacy efforts after the global pandemic and the postponement of General Conference 2020.
The advocacy group says it's composed of "compatibilists" who have varied stances on LGBTQ acceptance in The United Methodist Church and works for UMC unity, according to its press release. The organization was founded in 2018 as an advocate for the One Church Plan of UMC unity, a proposal that narrowly failed at the special 2019 General Conference.
The organization's advisory board also said that it supports a proposal to reorganize the UMC into geographical regions in order to reduce U.S.-centric issues at General Conference and give regions outside the United States more authority to contextualize their ministries and administration.
The organization rehired one of its two co-founders, the Rev. Dr. Mark R. Holland, as its executive director. According to the Mainstream UMC website, he co-founded Mainstream UMC in 2018 with the Rev. Dr. Nanette Roberts. He served full-time as executive director through May 2020 when the organization suspended operations.
Dr. Holland is a clergy member of the Great Plains Annual Conference. In 2022 he was the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate in Kansas. He also has served as both commissioner and mayor of Kansas City, Kansas.
The organization's press release said: "Mainstream UMC is the voice of the 'compatibilist.' Living with difference is a bold statement of faith in the midst of a secular culture that is burning with division. Mainstream UMC represents faithful Christians who are both left of center and right of center who love our church and wish to be in full communion with one another. We seek to serve the Risen Christ during a time that needs us now more than ever."
The press release continued:
We Will Promote:
- Christian unity as a bold statement of faith (John 17:20-23).
- A positive, hopeful view of the future of the United Methodist Church.
- A clear message to churches on the fence that they have a place in the UMC.
- Regionalization as the best path forward for our global denomination.
- Removing restrictions from the Book of Discipline to stop the harm for LGBTQ persons.
We Pledge To:
- Call out the lies and disinformation that are driving the divisions.
- Quantify the nature of the disaffiliations to better understand the scale and scope of what is happening.
- Work with the “coalition of the willing” to strategize and organize for 2024 General Conference, annual conferences, and jurisdictional conferences.
Members of Mainstream UMC advisory board listed in the press release are Jay Brim, Stephen Cady, Emanuel Cleaver III, Tim Crouch, Barry Dundas, Ande Emannuel, Robert Fuquay, Neil Gately, Lee Johnson, David Livingston, Pat Luna, Molly McEntire, Werner Philipp, Jerry Rairdon and Derrick Scott III.