Perceptions of Miscommunication on Potential UMC Schism Spur Counter-efforts

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A United Methodist Insight Interpretive Analysis

The communication of differing visions of both the United Methodist Church and the proposed Global Methodist Church has intensified in recent weeks, with ad hoc groups of United Methodists mounting efforts to counter what they see as misinformation from proponents of the breakaway denomination.

The Wesleyan Covenant Association, a dissident organization seeking to found the new Global Methodist Church, unveiled a 15-page document, titled “A Comprehensive Comparison Chart UMC, Transitional GMC, WCA Proposals,” on Sept. 1. The chart is attributed to Thomas Lambrecht, vice president of the unofficial Good News “traditionalist” caucus and a member of the WCA’s Global Council.

“Forming a new denomination essentially from scratch is a difficult and complex undertaking,” Rev. Lambrecht wrote in a Sept. 1 article introducing the chart on the WCA website. “Most United Methodists have never read the Book of Discipline; they trust their pastor, district superintendent, and bishop to know how the church is supposed to run. Therefore, comparing provisions in the UM Church’s 800-page Book of Discipline with the GM Church’s shorter Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline would be a tedious task for most United Methodists.

“That is why we have undertaken to produce a comprehensive comparison chart that summarizes the main provisions of the UM Church’s Book of Discipline, the GM Church’s Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline, and  proposals from the Wesleyan Covenant Association’s draft “Book of Doctrines and Discipline.”

The chart is available on the WCA website and users are invited to share it freely with anyone interested in the proposed Global Methodist Church. According to Rev. Lambrecht’s article, organizers of the GMC have attempted to minimize changes initially to lessen confusion and misunderstanding about the new denomination. Readers also are invited to send questions and feedback on the chart to info@globalmethodist.org.

However, the GMC chart already has received pushback from United Methodist clergy and laity who note significant discrepancies in the chart’s description of current UMC policies and practices.

For example, the Lambrecht chart lists “Meaning and means of Baptism” as “Not stated in BOD (Book of Discipline)” but “expounded” in the GMC’s “Book of Doctrine and Discipline.” 

However, in a search of the PDF version of the 2016 Book of Discipline, United Methodist Insight found 76 references to “baptism” in the Discipline and another 24 related to “baptismal” as in “baptismal covenant,” the vows found in the United Methodist Hymnal that are spoken by a professing member or by a child’s parents at the time of baptism.

Questions of interpretation

The difference over the references appears to be how one interprets the phrase "meaning and means of baptism"  and "expounded." Among the baptism references found in the UMC’s Book of Discipline:

“Our Doctrinal Standards and General Rules, Article VI The Sacraments. We believe Baptism signifies entrance into the household of faith, and is a symbol of repentance and inner cleansing from sin, a representation of the new birth in Christ Jesus and a mark of Christian discipleship.

“We believe children are under the atonement of Christ and as heirs of the Kingdom of God are acceptable subjects for Christian Baptism. Children of believing parents through Baptism become the special responsibility of the Church. They should be nurtured and led to personal acceptance of Christ, and by profession of faith confirm their Baptism.”

“Our Doctrinal Standards and General Rules, Article XVII—Of Baptism. Baptism is not only a sign of profession and mark of difference whereby Christians are distinguished from others that are not baptized; but it is also a sign of regeneration or the new birth. The Baptism of young children is to be retained in the Church.”

“The Ministry of All Christians, Paragraph 122: The Process for Carrying Out Our Mission—We make disciples as we: … lead persons to commit their lives to God through baptism by water and the spirit and profession of faith in Jesus Christ;”

“The Ministry of All Christians, Paragraph 126: All Christians are called through their baptism to this ministry of servanthood in the world to the glory of God and for human fulfillment.”

"The Ministry of All Christians, Paragraph 129: “… In baptism, water is administered in the name of the triune God (specified in the ritual as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) by an authorized person, and the Holy Spirit is invoked with the laying on of hands, ordinarily in the presence of the congregation.”

“Church Membership, Paragraph 216 (2) a: There are many occasions as people mature in the faith when the Holy Spirit’s confirming action may be celebrated, such as in the reaffirmation of the baptismal covenant or other services related to life passages. Unlike baptism, which is a once-made covenant and can only be reaffirmed and not repeated, confirmation is a dynamic action of the Holy Spirit that can be repeated.”

“The Ministry of the Ordained, Unauthorized Conduct, Paragraph 341 (7). No pastor shall re-baptize. The practice of re-baptism does not conform with God’s action in baptism and is not consistent with Wesleyan tradition and the historic teaching of the church. Therefore, the pastor should counsel any person seeking re-baptism to participate in a rite of reaffirmation of baptismal vows.”

More than one authority

Furthermore, the Book of Discipline isn’t the only United Methodist authority on baptism. The theological statement, “By Water and Spirit,” was adopted by the 2008 General Conference as official United Methodist doctrine. The United Methodist Hymnal and the United Methodist Book of Worship, also both adopted by General Conference, contain instructions for clergy, known as “rubrics,” on how baptism is to be administered, which can be by pouring, sprinkling or immersing with water. None of these resources is referenced in Global Methodist Church material.

These and other perceived misidentifications of UMC doctrine and organization have spurred an ad hoc group of concerned United Methodists, initiated by Reconciling Ministries Network, to engage the help of a private firm, Group Gordon, to draft a messaging framework to counteract WCA miscommunications. A draft was discussed by some two dozen interested parties during a Zoom meeting on Sept. 22. Feedback from that session will be used to revise the framework, but further details are being kept confidential for the present, according to discussion leaders.

Earlier critique reviewed

The WCA chart also comes on the heels of an earlier critique that was published in July and updated in late August. The Rev. Dr. David Morse, the Rev. William (B. T.) Gilligan, and layman Tracy Merrick of the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference gave their critique a lengthy title: “Some Notes and Reflections on The Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline of the Global Methodist Church Comparing and Contrasting with The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church (2016).”

In an Aug. 16 interview with United Methodist Insight, the Western Pennsylvania analysts stressed they hope their critique would lead United Methodists to take a closer look at the Global Methodist Church’s proposed doctrines and practices. On behalf of the trio, Mr. Merrick responded to Insight’s inquiry regarding the new GMC chart:

“After reviewing portions of the GMC's Proposed Book of Doctrines and Discipline Version 1.1, after comparing  sections of it with the GMC's Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline, and after reviewing Tom Lambrecht's thorough comparison chart, it is clear that there are many similarities between the two GMC documents, that there are some significant differences which need to be clarified, and that there are some different interpretations regarding the changes which are included in the two Global Methodist Church's documents.

“Therefore, a group of us from Western Pennsylvania will be taking a few weeks to carefully compare the two GMC documents and to expand our previously released comparison of the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline of the Global Methodist Church with The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church (2016).

“As we previously stated, our hope and prayer is that regardless of one’s theological perspectives regarding human sexuality, those considering joining the GMC would understand the polity differences between the UMC and the GMC.

“We look forward to sharing our expanded analysis in the coming weeks.”

Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.