Survey Results 3 of 4: Changes to the Global Structure

August 6, 2019

3:49 PM

This is the third of four posts analyzing the results of the Mainstream UMC Grassroots Survey that ran from June 25 to July 11, 2019. There were 28 questions total. This post covers questions 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. These questions explored the global church structure and voting autonomy for the US church. There are links below to read the other posts as they are available.

Synopsis:

Traditionalists like the current structure of the global church, primarily because the global church tends to support their views at General Conference on denying LGBTQ marriage and ordination. Centrists and Progressives desperately want change in the governance structure but are overwhelmingly open to continuing the funding under that new structure. Centrists and Progressives make up 75% of the US votes at General Conference and come from conferences that represent 78% of the total funding for the global church. The survey shows that it is time for the US church to have the same governance autonomy as the rest of the world.

Analysis:

Several of the questions in the survey explored how respondents feel about some of the unusual realities found in the relationship between the US and global Church. Some say these structures are a hang-over from a colonial structure (and others say it is colonial to even ask these questions!). How all of these questions were answered fell closely along the same polarized lines of Traditionalists and Centrists/Progressives. We clearly see things very differently. Here are the first four questions in this section.

Question 18

Question 19

Question 20

What is interesting here is the group that is benefiting from the international votes believes it is appropriate. The Traditionalists have, in every case the highest approval of these four questions with Centrists and Progressives closely aligned in opposition to all four. One wonders if the delegates outside the US were voting in a way Progressives and Centrists wanted, instead of with the Traditionalists, if these results would flip across the board? Even a majority of Traditionalists found the voting by concordat delegates inappropriate, yet, concordat voting is a traditional part of our constitution.

Based on the answers to the first four questions, it is not a surprise that the answer to the next question is equally polarized. Centrists and Progressives overwhelmingly want to change the way we relate to the global church. Considering annual conferences in the US just elected Centrists and Progressives to be 75% of the US votes at General Conference and these same annual conferences pay 78% of the global budget, this should be a wakeup call for the church. Only Traditionalists want no change, in large part because the global church overwhelmingly supports an agenda that has been abandoned in the US a generation ago.

Question 22

Finally, Question 23 asks about funding. (Editor's note: There is no chart for Question 23). It is remarkable that all three groups want to continue to fund the global church in one way or another. The Traditionalists (at 77%) believe the current funding is not a problem, so the funding presumably would be unchanged. The Centrists (at 77%) and Progressives (at 73%) are willing to continue funding the global church in a revised structure, a structure that puts the US and the global church on equal footing. Right now, the global church has much more flexibility than the US church. This should give hope to those outside the US that if/when we can find autonomy for the US church, the funding will follow. One fact is clear: allfunding for the global church is up in the air if the Traditionalists succeed in splitting the church.

Again, a big "Thank You" to everyone who participated in the survey!

Read all the analysis:

Survey Results 1 of 4: Awakening & Urgency. Posted July 30, 2019

Survey Results 2 of 4: Can We Live Together in the US Church? Posted August 1, 2019

Survey Results 3 of 4: Changes to the Global Structure. Posted August 6, 2019

Survey Results 4 of 4: Concerns About a Split. Post is available August 8, 2019

In Christ,

Advisory Board, Mainstream UMC

Comments (4)

Comment Feed

There is no right or wrong in the UMC

There is only completely different understandings of Christianity and the church’s mission. American traditionalists and Africa have the same perspective. It is only natural that they would work together. Centrist and progressives are realizing they have more in common with each other so they are teaming up. The only thing wrong with this is it has caused the UMC to become a war zone because it has degenerated into conflicting theological factions jockeying for position and control. That is the big picture problem that is not being effectively dealt with. The only reason we are angry and frustrated with each other is because we are trying to occupy the same space. Neither faction is going to change their mind or simply fade away.

betsy more than 4 years ago

Survey says

What I take away from this is that there is little difference between a Centrist and a Progressive. Not that I ever thought there was. I also find it curious that Progressives seem to think that our votes should be tied to our financial contributions. Looks like they would not mind a poll tax on our African delegates or simply disenfranchise them.

Kevin more than 4 years ago

It's the outcome, not the funding

"One wonders if the delegates outside the US were voting in a way Progressives and Centrists wanted, instead of with the Traditionalists, if these results would flip across the board?"

And I think that's exactly true - and that the Traditionalists might argue from the other side (if they were the ones supplying the funding and yet losing the votes).

Not sure what the best answer would be, because people are people. The status quo isn't sustainable for a lot of reasons.

JR more than 4 years ago

Poll results three

My first career job after college was in marketing for Fruit of the Loom during the Underoos days.

At Fruit I learned how to write effective copy. Another word for male bovine excrement.

This push poll and the "analysis" brought about the authors' intended results. I congratulate the authors you have achieved you goal. Y'all have a future in marketing and advertising.

Thank you.

Richard F Hicks more than 4 years ago