Older Man Younger Man
Looking backward doesn't always bring the perspective we seek. Shutterstock Image.
United Methodist Insight Exclusive
I found my 24-year-old self stretching a blue stencil over the drum of a mimeograph machine in the office of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Wyoming.
I introduced myself and waited for a response.
“Wow, I’ve done a lot of damage to myself in 59 years,” he said. “What happened to my hair?”
I somehow thought I would have a little more tact at that age, but I ignored the insult.
“I’d shake your hand, but I got ink all over myself,” he said. “I hope you’re better at running a mimeograph machine in 2018.”
I assured him he would be able to print church bulletins without getting ink on his fingers in 2018. Then I told him the church was going to have a special General Conference session in 2019 and I needed his perspective.
I wasn’t sure he was listening as he began to turn the crank on the mimeograph machine and church bulletins began to roll out.
Wrong about church growth
“Well, the denomination must be huge in 2019,” he said. “We have 11 million Methodists today, and we gained 500,000 in the last four years. You must have 100 million Methodists in 2018.”
I explained that we merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968, but we only have some 7 million United Methodist in the U.S. and some 5 million in Africa, Asia and Europe.
He seemed disappointed and he seemed surprised to learn there were no United Methodist Churches in South America.
Wrong about the major issues
Young Rich seemed certain our special session was going to focus on smoking and drinking.
“We’re engaged in a major debate today. When I was ordained last year, all ordinands had to promise not to smoke or drink, but a study group is suggesting that we drop that requirement. They want to ordinands to make ‘a complete dedication of himself to the highest ideals of the Christian life.’ A lot of us think that is wrong. I recently read a study saying tobacco is bad for your health. It’s a bad time to drop that requirement.”
I told young Rich smoking and drinking were not on the schedule for debate.
Wrong about female clergy
“Well, I hope that special session is going to make sure no women are ordained,” he said. “I don’t like the trend. We ordained a woman three years ago and we even have one woman in our seminary. St. Paul made it clear that women are to keep silent in churches.”
I had completely forgotten what a biblical literalist I was at age 24.
“No, that issue is not on the table in 2019,” I said, not wanting to get into an argument with my earlier self.
Wrong about the Central Jurisdiction
“What did you do about the Central Jurisdiction?” he asked. “Some people oppose a segregated system and others want to continue it as a way of ensuring the presence of Negroes on general agencies.”
I was shocked at his antiquated language and even more shocked that he thought there were any good reasons to continue a separate jurisdiction for African Americans.
“Why would anyone favor the continuation of a segregated structure?” I asked.
“Well, without the Central Jurisdiction, no predominately white assembly will elect a Negro as a bishop and the segregated system guarantees the presence of Negroes on the Council of Bishops,” he explained.
“You might be wrong about that,” I said.
I was afraid he would run his fingers through the mimeograph machine if I told him four Black women were elected as bishops in 2016.
Wrong about the president
Younger Rich was now starting to fold the bulletins. “Look,” he said. “I can’t stay around here any longer I’m going to a debate about whether the Vatican will control the action of the U.S. president if John Kennedy is elected.”
“Who did you vote for?” I asked.
I had forgotten that I had cast an absentee ballot for Richard Nixon.
“You don’t have a very good memory, do you?” he said.
I wanted to explain that I tried to forget that action, but he was hurrying out the door with church bulletins in his hands.
What I learned
I didn’t get the chance to ask my 24-year-old self any questions about human sexuality, but I did learn tht time changes minds and that I need to be less self-assured that the opinions I hold in 2018 will be the opinions I hold in the future.
I also learned that the major issues of today will be non-issues in the future.
I guess my visit did give me some perspective on the 2019 special session of General Conference.
The Rev. Rich Peck is a retired clergy member of the New York Annual Conference and a longtime United Methodist communicator.