A United Methodist Insight Exclusive
The Rev. Dr. Jeff Greenway, Wesleyan Covenant Association, Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Dear Dr. Greenway:
I recently received your invitation to join the Wesleyan Covenant Association. I don't think you really want me.
WCA logo
In fact, I was at the WCA’s Memphis meeting and heard your main address. I think you told me to "seek an honorable exit," which sounded like a not very subtle admonition to "get out" of The United Methodist Church and let you and your like-minded folk in the WCA have it.
Something like this was suggested to me once before in my life. I was on the pro-civil rights side of racial conflicts in our church the last time this happened. My answer then was, "No, you can leave, if you want, but I'm staying." I intend to stay until you kick me out, if you succeed in getting the power to do that.
I thought your "Paul and Barnabas Moment" a bit disingenuous at best. You said that Paul took Silas and went on with the mission of the church while Barnabas took Mark and went off to Cyprus and "we never heard from him again."
First, that was not quite correct. According to scriptural references, Barnabas appears in some of the Epistles written subsequent to his parting from Paul, if we can determine from the text the exact sequence of the New Testament narrative.
Granted, Barnabas never made any headlines after that but, wouldn't you say that he was never a person to seek top billing? He comes across to me as self-effacing – a "son of encouragement" to whom Paul himself owed more than your version of the story suggests.
What really happened in their parting was that John Mark went with his cousin Barnabas and started gathering the stories of Jesus' life and ministry. It was after the events you referenced that Mark gave himself (probably with some help from Barnabas) to gathering Jesus’ parables and stories to develop the first narrative of his life and work. I was taught by some pretty outstanding New Testament scholars and teachers that both Matthew and Luke were heavily dependent on Mark's Gospel. Even parts of John appear to depend on the work of Mark. You must know these things.
I can't imagine what might have happened in the history of the church if we had not had the contributions of John Mark. What if we had only the letters of St. Paul? How could we sing, "Tell me the Stories of Jesus"?
God has a way of making even "the evil that men do to praise him." God used the dispute between Barnabas and Paul to open a whole different vista of meaning for the salvation story. Both sides of this dispute played major roles in the life and growth of the early church. That is the message I get from this story. I think your "only one right way of seeing things" is narrow and small.
You say you take the Bible seriously. What about the parables that admonish us to leave the tares and the bad fish for God to sort out? The Church of Jesus Christ is a lot bigger than you or I. You don't have the authority to kick some of us out of the church even if you do succeed in establishing a new denomination for like-minded folk.
Once when you were waxing eloquently against "inclusiveness," "pluralism," and "progressives" amidst the cheers and jeers of the crowd at Memphis, one of your people shouted out, "Democrats!" It was loud and distinctive enough that I'm sure you heard it.
No, I don't think you want me. I want to be a part of a church of “Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors,” and I am not going to go away.
Yours truly,
Bishop William B. Lewis (retired)
P.S. By the way, "pluralism" was removed from the Book of Discipline in 1988 when “Our Theological Task” was updated. Wisely, I think.
Examples of Wesleyan Covenant Association emails, courtesy of Bishop William Lewis:
Committed to Christ and the Scriptures
What Is the Wesleyan Covenant Association?
UMNS Photo
Bishop William Lewis
Bishop William B. Lewis
Retired Bishop William B. Lewis served the Dakotas Area of The United Methodist Church from 1988 to 1996.