The New UMC: How Shall It Be?

Oboedire

by

 October 9, 2023

In one way or another, we are all asking this question, “How will the new UMC come to be?” I am forming responses to that question as I re-read Bob Tuttle’s excellent book, "John Wesley, His Life and Theology." In this post, I share responses to the question and point to contemporary resources for bringing them to pass.

First, the means of our being: grace. Alexander Knox was a personal friend of the Wesleys. When asked to account for the effectiveness of the Methodist movement, Knox replied, “Only by the grace of God.” John Wesley believed this. All true reformers believe it too. We affirm that “The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps” (Proverbs 16:9 NRSVue). We say with the psalmist, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1’NRSVue). Grace is the cement for our reconstruction mandate. Kenneth Carter’s book, ‘Unrelenting Grace,’ describes the primacy and nature of grace, and Elaine Heath’s, ‘Five Means of Grace,’ establishes the main ways grace comes into us and pours from us.

Second, the message of our being: love. There’s no debating the fact that Wesleyan theology is a theology of love. Charles Wesley’s hymn, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” is our musical sum of it. John Wesley’s "The Character of a Methodist" is our charter for it. My book, "Five Marks of a Methodist" brings Methodism’s charter into play in our day, and Paul Chilcote’s book, ‘Multiplying Love,’ invites us into the mission of increasing love in the church and the world. What has always been true still is, “They will know we are Christians by our love.”

Third, the method of our being: connection. The Methodist movement required a method in order to sustain itself. The method was essentially what John Wesley called “the Connection.” [1] Charles Wesley described it as “being alive and seeing each others’ face.” At the heart of the Methodist connection was the Annual Conference which gave the movement its marching orders in response to three questions: what to teach, how to teach, and what to do. This mission became operationalized through the Methodist societies, classes, and bands. Paul Chilcote’s book, "Wesley Speaks on Christian Vocation" applies the three questions to our day [2], and Steven Manskar’s book, "Class Leaders: Recovering a Tradition" offers a model for restoring accountable discipleship to Methodism today.

Fourth, the mission of our being: holiness. For the Wesleys, the spreading of scriptural holiness was the Methodist mission—the growth of both personal and social holiness, summed up in John’s admonition to the movement’s first missionaries, “offer them Christ.” Christlikeness is the one-word summary of holiness; “perfection in love” its aim. The Wesleys and the early Methodists were spent (utterly devoted) to this mission. They would want us to do the same. The multi-volume ‘"Holy Living" series published by Abingdon Press, and Michael Beck’s book, "A Field Guide to Methodist Fresh Expressions" help us to advance our mission.

I have written this post to say that the new UMC is coming into being in relation to the four dimensions I have named, and in other ways too. And…I have written the post to that we have existing resources to guide us in bringing the new UMC into being. [3] May the Lord of the harvest find us faithful in the task.

[1] I have a chapter on the Connection in my book, "Prayer and Devotional Life of United Methodists."

[2] As I write this, I do so happy to know a conversation is moving forward regarding an updated edition of Paul’s book. I’ll keep you posted.

[3] Andy Langford, Ann Langford Duncan, and Sally Langford have written "Being United Methodist Christians," an excellent casting of a vision for the emerging UMC, and connecting the vision to key areas where it is applied.