Saturday, May 9, 1998

Church in danger of bleeding to death

By Michael O'Connor / Abilene Reporter-News

The controversy over the Rev. Jimmy Creech's actions has cost him his position in the church, a result that will no doubt please many in the United Methodist connection. But the controversy points up a serious problem within the church that may well undo nearly a century of efforts to bring the various Methodist traditions back together.

Almost from its inception, Methodism, like many other denominations, has been splitting into factions. And although the individual reasons for the splits seem on the surface to vary, they can be reduced to two basic conflicts: those surrounding the Bible and its place in the church and those concerning the authority of the church's basic 'operating manual,' the Discipline.

The fuss over homosexuality and how the church will deal with it has been smoldering for decades, and the stir has become the focal point for both the issues that have divided the church in the past. When the issue was first addressed in the discipline, the adopted statement was authored by one of the church's leading conservatives and declared homosexuality to be incompatible with Christian teaching but homosexuals to be persons of sacred worth, deserving of the ministry of the church. Many hoped the issue was settled.

But every quadrennial meeting of the national church, known as the General Conference, has struggled to define how that statement will play out. Homosexual lobbies have let it be known they will not rest until they have eliminated any restrictions on their participation in the life of the church. Should they be successful, the church will likely split, as conservatives will view such an action as the last straw.

I confess that I am surprised the church hasn't split already. The values conservatives hold so dearly have been violated repeatedly, with most decisions about homosexuality being decided in favor of the more liberal viewpoint.

The Discipline is mostly a guide book, lacking the ironclad authority it held in the days of Francis Asbury, the American founder of Methodism.

Scripture is declared by the Discipline to be Methodism's supreme guide, but the statement is only upheld by those who believe it, while those who don't have loopholes in other disciplinary statements large enough to shove a cathedral through.

An anti-authoritarian streak, emanating from conservatives and liberals alike, developed in the church years ago, reducing the power of the Discipline.

An ecclesiastical myopia has developed in which clergy and the churches they serve look mostly at what they are doing. If they are happy with that, well then, it's a pity what's going on at the national level, but they're carrying on the Lord's will so it doesn't matter.

Various attempts at renewal bring on a hope that maybe the church will change sufficiently to avoid schism.

Besides, with the rise of independent churches, members are easily able to find a theological flavor that suits them. United Methodism is bleeding slowly, taking in fewer members than it loses.

Depending on how long it takes for a split to occur, the possibility is very real that the impact will be negligible, as many of conservatives will have already left.

Methodism's originator, John Wesley, wrote that he wasn't afraid the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist, but that they would continue on, holding a form of religion but lacking its power. Given the church's condition, some might argue Wesley's fear has become reality.