An Open Letter to the Wesleyan Covenant Association

April 9, 2018

5:11 PM

Michigan WCA Letter

A photograph of the letter sent to United Methodist clergy in Michigan by the local chapter of the Wesleyan Covenant Association. In granting permission for United Methodist Insight to publish the photo, the Rev. Keith Lenard Jr. said he posted his photo on Facebook because he believed Rev. Vaughn William Thurston-Cox's critical post "to be misleading and obfuscating what the letter was about: An invitation for discussion."

An Open Letter to the Wesleyan Covenant Association Re: Your Invitation to Join to Your Conservative Movement

Today I received a letter from the president of your Michigan Area chapter. There are probably several reasons you invited me: I graduated from Asbury Seminary (twice). I have served several very conservative congregations. I had been ordained in the Free Methodist Church. I have many conservative friends and continue to hold some conservative positions of my own. All of this said, I cannot accept your invitation for reasons I will enumerate here:

1) You claim exclusive sanctity within our connection as those who hold a high view of Scripture. I grew up being told ignorant liberals didn’t believe in the Bible at all. They didn’t believe the Scriptures were inspired, didn’t preach them, and treated them like any other book in the world. This simply isn’t true. I have had the privilege of dialogue with progressive pastors who insist on the inspiration of Scripture and its diligent study. At the same time, I have met many conservatives who engage in almost no study at all. They simply spout what they have been told must be true. You cannot claim exclusive sanctity in relation to Scripture. You only do so to smear your opponents rather than engage them.

2) You claim exclusive right to the interpretation of Scripture. The WCA doesn’t allow conversation around gender and sexuality. The conclusion is already spelled out. You can present an alternative interpretation, but it isn’t legitimate unless it comes out to the same conclusion.

3) You claim to be under attack, when it has been conservative forces that have devastated the lives of laity and clergy across our connection. You believe passionately. I get that. The fact is, though, I have never heard a single progressive threaten a traditionalist for their heterosexuality or for refusing to marry a gay couple. At the same time, I have watched as otherwise fruitful religious leaders have been drive out of ministry for marrying a single-gender couple or being married to someone of the same sex.

4) Your compromise isn’t compromise at all. It is the strengthening of your own position across the connection and expulsion of all those who disagree. There is no real dialogue. There are only your efforts to get what you want, which leaves no room for dialogue or understanding.

5) My wife, an ordained elder serving in our conference, received no such invitation. I wonder why. Is it because of her gender? Or is it because she serves on the Board of Church and Society?

6) You claim to be the exclusive inheritors of the Wesleyan tradition. Again, simply not true. I don’t know that I have met a single person or seen any organization embrace the Wesley brothers fully. They embraced the evangelical tradition AND the social justice tradition. They worshipped with sacrament and charisma. Most churches in the Wesleyan tradition tend to emphasize one, or maybe two, of these. Some embrace Evangelicalism and call that Welsey. Others embrace social justice and call that Wesley. Free Methodists, Nazarenes, and Wesleyans once celebrated the holiness aspect of Wesley. Said briefly, you are not the purist Wesleyan movement out there.

My invitation would be to dialogue. While I hold little hope our connection will hold in 2019, it might if we stop arguing positions and practice God’s command: love one another.

This post is republished with the author's permission from Facebook.

Comments (2)

Comment Feed

Open Letter to the WCA response

Vaughn's passionate posting reflects the challenges our church faces in the near term. He directs his concern exclusively at the Wesleyan Covenant Association with 7 objections (a good biblical number). He faults the WCA for claiming exclusive ownership to a high view of scripture and the right to interpret scripture. He faults the WCA for whining about non-existent persecution, neglecting to cite Shaw's comment that "martyrdom is a way to achieve fame without ability." He accuses the WCA of being rigid/inflexible, of disparaging women in ordained ministry and concludes by returning to the exclusionary WCA that claims sole ownership to the Wesleyan spirit while apparently dismissing the social holiness inherent to that vision.

In short, he describes an organization that neither I nor any of the other WCA board members from my conference would ever join were it anything like Vaughn describes. The point of my response is not item by item refutation, though I do appreciate the publication of the actual offending letter that itself offers clarity when read. My appeal is to the spirit; James makes clear that human anger does not work the divine righteousness. In the intriguing days before us, use of absolutes, impugning the motives of those with whom we disagree, overstatement/understatement, and ready use of language to incinerate or demolish colleagues in Christ serves no Kingdom cause. This is true of whatever party (liberal-conservative, progressive-traditional, Vulcan-Klingon) that may be speaking. Those with whom I disagree as a WCA conference leader are not 'the enemy,' tools of Satan, or less loved by Christ than I or any other. Our ability to model serious discussion and deep disagreement in a spirit that honors Christ will be the most powerful witness to the world, regardless of how specifics play out in days to come.

Bob more than 6 years ago

No Such Thing as a WCA Conference

That, right there is everything that is wrong with the WCA. Rather than offer any sort of biblical or academic position to support your bigotry and exclusivity, the entire propaganda movement you engage in is summed in your claim that you are a "WCA conference leader." THERE IS NO WCA CONFERENCE in the United Methodist Church. You and your entire organization are about nothing other than misrepresentation. You misrepresent who you are, you misrepresent your authority to speak on behalf of the UMC, you misrepresent the purpose of your organization, you misrepresent who funds, supports, and organized your organization, and you misrepresent the message of Christ. For God's sake...stop it.

John Masters more than 6 years ago