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Christians, we are first and foremost connected
to God, in and through Jesus Christ, Our Lord
and Savior. Those of us who are also members of
the United Methodist Church (UMC) have vowed to
contribute our presence, service, and gifts to
the UMC. We believe in our
Doctrinal Standards
and General Rules and are governed by our
Book of
Discipline. We worship and study
together using our Holy Bible, The United
Methodist Hymnal, The United Methodist Book of
Worship, and John Wesley’s Sermons. We belong
to local churches and are located in Districts,
Annual Conferences, Jurisdictions, and Central
Conferences. We gather every four years in a
General Conference.
We are connected through the
Book of
Discipline and share a history dating
back to John Wesley, but are we united? We
share the same name, but do we share the same
Faith? We have lost millions of members and
spend enormous amounts of time and money
debating issues that strike at the root of
Christianity. Charges have been pressed, trials
have been held, and verdicts have been
rendered. Our Doctrinal Standards and
Book of
Discipline have been put on trial,
but are the issues resolved?
Events of the past few years have taken many of
us to a point where we acknowledge that our
covenant with each other as United Methodists is
broken. What options should be considered for
the future? Lyle Schaller has written a book,
The Ice Cube
Is Melting, which dares to ask some
important questions:
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Is our denomination healthy and vital?
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Is our present system the one we need to
maintain?
-
Do we have a few problems and the time has
come to patch the old wineskin?
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Are we at a place where we must face up to
the fact that the time has come to replace
that old wineskin with a new one?
Regardless of which option the UMC ultimately
decides is the right one to choose, networking
is a necessary prelude. God communicates His
will through the members of the Body of Christ.
So, whether one is merely seeking to continue
the reform battle in the UMC or is seeking to
make a new wineskin for the denomination, a
commitment on the part of the Laity must be made
to become informed and participate in the
process. Networking can be formal or informal.
Good News and the Confessing Movement currently
have informal networks, while some annual
conferences have formal evangelical networks.
We concerned, faithful laity of the UMC, agree
to provide a voice for our concern, to encourage
each other to develop connections with other
United Methodists, locally and around the world,
who are likewise dedicated to serving Jesus
Christ in faithful stewardship of our Wesleyan
heritage and are working for renewal, revival,
and/or reformation of the UMC.
We invite you to get connected more fully.
These groups throughout the UMC in the United
States have chosen to be part of The Voice
Circuit and they affirm the orthodox
understanding of the Apostles Creed. They have
resources and materials you may find helpful in
your growth as a Disciple of Jesus Christ. They
can provide a way for you to be involved in your
Annual Conference in the effort to renew and
revive the UMC. |
