Wesleyan Covenant Association: Dancing on the Head of a Pin

September 7, 2016

5:55 PM

When I read the posts about the upcoming meeting of the new “Wesleyan Covenant Association”, the image that comes to my mind comes from an old theological quandary–

“How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?”

Angels on a pin

Before I explain my image, a word of explanation for my non-United Methodist readers. Our recent General Conference called for the Bishops to lead the church in discerning a “way forward” regarding the church’s stance on homosexuality. In response, the Bishops are creating a commission to bring recommendations to a special General Conference probably within the next two years. In response to that, the conservatives in the church are creating this new “Wesleyan Covenant Association” with the stated purpose to “stand together as an alliance to advance vibrant, scriptural Christianity within Methodism…committed to promoting ministry which combines a high view of Scripture, Wesleyan vitality, orthodox theology and Holy Spirit empowerment.” Their goals include “cooperating in visioning toward what a revived and authentic Wesleyan ministry could look like and empowering congregations and clergy to engage in risk-taking, bold ministry strategies to reach their communities and the world to make disciples of Jesus Christ”.

Sounds good…right? I can heartily agree with all of that. In his invitation to join, my friend Jeff Greenway says they are inviting “…like-minded, warm-hearted, Jesus-loving, Spirit-filled, covenant-keeping, evangelical, orthodox, Wesleyan Christians” to come together in Chicago in October. Well, I like to think of myself as one of those. Would I be welcome to join?

The answer to that question comes in their 9th goal: “To uphold and promote biblical teaching on marriage and human sexuality.” BINGO! All the theological, missional, ecclesiastical angels are dancing on the head of a pin. So if I agree with everything they have stated except their stance on homosexuality, am I still welcome? If I can affirm all the classical creeds they list on their website but would favor a more inclusive stance on this one issue, am I still orthodox? If I support the General Rules, John Wesley’s “Standard Sermons” and “Explanatory Notes on the New Testament” as they appear on the WCA website but would like to see the church change its position same-sex marriage, am I still a Wesleyan Christian?

Let’s be honest. The call of the General Conference, the creation of Bishops’ commission and the forming of the WCA is about one thing–the church’s stance on homosexuality. You can dance all the other issues on the head of this one pin.

In his invitation Jeff says the Bishops’ commission will “...bring proposals which will shape the future of United Methodist Church. We do not know what that will be, but we do believe that change is coming and this is the reason we launched the Wesleyan Covenant Association. As we live into what comes next, the Wesleyan Covenant Association is committed to preserving the core of what we believe as United Methodists.” Though I fail to see where homosexuality and same-sex marriage are at “the core of what we believe as United Methodists”, my read of that statement is that they expect the commission will recommend changes and they want to organized and ready to break away and become the new evangelical, orthodox Wesleyan group if they don’t happen to like what the commission recommends. You can cloak it in all the broad language of vision, mission and theology, but in the end, that is what this is all about.

And to answer my own question, no matter what else I believe,no matter how much I support their other stated goals and hopes for the church, my guess is if I am not willing to dance on the head of that pin, I am not really be welcome in the Wesleyan Covenant Association…so I don’t plan to attend.

The Rev. Jack Harnish is a retired United Methodist pastor living on beautiful Platte Lake in northern Michigan, currently serving as the Interim Pastor at Traverse Bay United Methodist Church, Traverse City, MI. This is republished with the author's permission from his blog, Monday Memo. His recent book “Do Not Be Afraid” is available fromhttp://www.ccpublishinghouse.org.

Comments (5)

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Core issues

I agree that the WCA is really about what comes next after the UMC splits, and it probably will, over the issue of the church's stance on human sexuality. In fact, the church's present stance is a very recent one, with the current exclusionary language about homosexuality only added in 1972. That language is the only language in the Discipline that singles out one group of people for exclusion from ordained ministry, and forbids those already ordained from participating in marriage ceremonies for gays and lesbians. The addition of that language was the child of the "culture wars" that coincided with rise of the Religious Right in the 70's. It wasn't the liberal advocates of diversity who put the exclusionary language in the Discipline, but rather the self-described "orthodox," "Jesus-loving," folks who are now constituting themselves as the WCA. Like the folks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who opposed evolution, and like many segregationist Christians who opposed all the civil rights legislation a half century ago, so now, despite the clearly-established fact that homosexuality is not a "lifestyle choice," but a part of a person's core identity that is innate at birth, those in the church who cannot easily accept that advances in knowledge lead to often uncomfortable, but necessary, changes in opinion and belief, insist on barring the door to extending full human rights to those who were deliberately excluded in 1972. Just as the church had to change its mind (repent) on the issue of race, when long-held notions of white superiority were no longer tenable, so on the issue of human gender-identity and sexuality, the church needs to accept that people who are homosexual in orientation are just as capable of entering into faithful, monogamous relationships and also of being called to ministry as are heterosexuals. I have worked closely with two gay colleagues in ministry who are among the finest ministers I have known. That is why, for me, the issues relating to human sexuality and gender-identity in our Book of Discipline are indeed "core" issues. Any language that is exclusionary of one particular group, is language that needs to go.

Larry R Kalajainen more than 7 years ago

The core issue in one sentence

The image that best describes the current unity of The United Methodist Church is two cats tied together by their tails!

Betsy more than 7 years ago

My perspective on the core issue

I want my naiveté re the United Methodist Church back! I just want to be able to go to church and believe that everything will be OK. But I know it won’t because The United Methodist Church became a spiritual train wreck for me; and there is a very good reason it did: The UMC began drifting from its unique message and method so far back that it has become a Big Tent housing a mind boggling array of theologies and other understandings; collectively, the people of the UMC believe nothing in particular. It has been a Big Tent for so long it has degenerated into competing/conflicting factions who are jockeying for position and control. It has been a Big Tent for so long, it is now a house divided against itself. People cannot trust each other when they are coming from completely different perspectives and understanding. Bishops cannot lead a church that is headed in multiple directions at the same time. The United Methodist Church has become about unrestrained/uncontained diversity that leaves it like water spilled on the floor; the only thing that keeps it from totally fracturing is an understanding of connection which is a mighty short dam that leaves the church a mile wide and an inch deep.

Betsy more than 7 years ago

I disagree

With your assessment that it is the WCA who is dancing on the head of a pin and making sexuality a core issue. They are only responding to the progressives who are dancing on the head of a pin and making sexuality a core issue: For over 40 years progressives have insisted that the church must change its stance on sexuality. And when that did not work they decided the issue was so important to them it justified them in ignoring the decisions of the church and striking out on their own to force a change. If you want some thoughts as to why people have banded together as the WCA, check out these two articles:

http://unitedmethodistreporter.com/2016/08/31/the-wesleyan-covenant-association-a-few-reflections/

http://teddyray.com/wca

If anybody knows that sexuality is not a core issue it is the ones who formed the WCA. What is a core issue is the decision by clergy to work outside the bounds of church polity !

Betsy more than 7 years ago

Let's try this then

Let's ordain clergy, appoint them, name them Bishops etc. on the basis of merit alone and not discuss their personal sexual orientation at all. Let's perform marriages of persons legally entitled to marry and not concern ourselves with what they do in bed. Problem solved.

George Nixon Shuler more than 7 years ago