Collection: "Why I'm Staying"

This will be a collection of articles and posts I discover from folks who bear witness to why they're staying with the United Methodist Church, rather than affiliating with another denomination. I will add to this as I discover other witnesses and have time to post them here.

Highlights of my own witness from this page include:

a commitment to inclusion and to Wesley's emphasis on grace. God's grace is for all, preveniently (before someone even knows God), justifying (as one comes into communion with God), and sancifying (as one grows in grace).
a commitment to the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, the method John Wesley outlined for ethical and theological reflection on issues of living: a reliance on Scripture, interpreted carefully in its historical context; Tradition, the wisdom of the sweep of Christian thought, theology, and practice; Reason, using the powers of reasoning to puzzle out all areas of human life, including scientific study and theological reflection; Experience, especially the experience of Christian believers in their journeys of faith.
a commitment to the Wesleyan Way of personal and social "holiness," a lifestyle of reflection, study, prayer, and meditation personally and expressed in action to improve the conditions of life for all people, societies, and the earth itself.
a commitment to the struggle for understanding and fully integrating those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual into the life of the church, especially The United Methodist Church. I think that the UMC and particularly the "Traditionalists" and some other conservatives have ignored or dismissed the science of sexuality, sexual differentiation, gender, and orientation, as well as the Christian Experience of LGBTQIA believers.
Even with the 50+ years of harm to LGBTQIA+ persons, which includes loss of ministerial credentials, membership, and even life itself, I find the theological method and the structure of the UMC to be a good place from which to minister to the needs of the world. [top]

Alabama-West Florida Statement

We are leaders who love the Alabama-West Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church and are praying for its hope-filled future. We believe no institution or denomination is perfect, including the United Methodist Church, but this Church has called us, nurtured us, and brought us into connection with God’s children of our conference and we will work to make it better each day.

United Methodists in southern Alabama and the panhandle of Florida have a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, and each of us has found the grace of Jesus Christ in United Methodist Churches. For us, the UMC has been a lifeboat in a chaotic world. We are committed to preaching and teaching the faith that we proclaim weekly in the creeds of the church. We affirm the traditional Methodist view that scripture is the primary source and standard for Christian doctrine. Scripture is primary to our understanding of the Triune God, the world, and ourselves, and “contains all things necessary for salvation (Articles of Religion).” We are committed to “spreading scriptural holiness all over the land (John Wesley).” These doctrines are rooted deeply in our worship, our lives, and our Book of Discipline. These are not negotiable. Read the complete statement of belief and signers. [top]

Lead pastor Rev. Dr. Mark Fenstermacher of First UMC of Auburn, Indiana, writes a blog post to his congregation about the questions he's heard from some regarding the Global Methodist Church, which launched May 1, 2022, and why "We Don't Need To Leave This Party."

Rev. Fenstermacher encourages his members to read this post by Rev. Dr. Steve Harper. He introduces it this way:

Steve Harper has long been an outstanding conservative Wesleyan scholar in the United Methodist Church. We crossed paths at Duke, and he wrote the following statement addressing the decision by some Methodist brothers and sisters to leave the UMC and form the Global Methodist Church. Steve spent most of his ministry at Asbury [Seminary] and working with some of those conservatives/traditionalists who will be a part of the GMC. I share it with you because I trust it can be helpful in lighting the way for us through this moment... [top]

Some of Steve Harper's points:

On May 1st, the Global Methodist Church will officially begin, and some congregations will disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church, the first wave of a separation process that will take years to complete. I will not be going with them, and as the GMC day of departure draws near, I am pondering why I will remain in the UMC. I offer the following thoughts as parting words to those who will disaffiliate, and also as words of witness to those who will stay.

I do not say “good bye” apart from a deep sadness. I still believe that unity is a higher biblical value than division. But I have had to accept the fact that there is a difference between a theology of religion and a sociology of religion. ... I have learned progressive theology is as credible as conservative theology... I have discovered that LGBTQ+ people live as committed Christians and devoted disciples of Jesus as much as conservatives do. They do so on the same basis as any Christian—fidelity to the covenant. [3] And they do so made in the image of God as much as anyone on the nonbinary spectrum of humanity. Read the whole piece here. [top]

Adam Hamilton, pastor of the large The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, writes a blog, which has a series on the UMC. Here are two recent articles:

What I Value about United Methodism: Intellectual Evangelicalism

I became a follower of Christ in a small and loving Pentecostal congregation at the age of 14. Two years later I heard a call to vocational ministry in that same community. I loved the passionate personal faith of the pastor and church members, and the emphasis on Bible reading and memorization, the work of the Holy Spirit and joy.

As a new Christian and a young adult, I was intellectually curious, academically serious, and passionate about following Christ. This led to questions of my newfound faith. ...

What drew me to the United Methodist Church was its intellectual evangelicalism, or what Charles Wesley once described as the union of “knowledge and vital piety.” The 18th century Methodist revival started on the campus of Oxford University among college students and was led by an Oxford professor. Those early Methodists valued the intellect and spiritual passion and the Methodist movement included reading, studying, and critical thinking as well as prayer, scripture study, and other spiritual disciplines. Methodists were not required to check their brains at the door of the church but encouraged to engage the intellect and the heart in pursuit of Christ. I loved this! ...

The dual emphasis on the intellect and the heart, on knowledge, and vital piety, is part of what I found, and continue to find, compelling about United Methodism. This faith doesn’t allow for the kind of anti-intellectualism sometimes seen among Christians. It values scientific inquiry and isn’t threatened by the latest discoveries of modern science. It reads the Bible in the light of the historical and cultural context in which scripture was written and values the role tradition, experience, and reason play, with the Holy Spirit, in illuminating and interpreting scripture. It embraces the intellect, while not neglecting the importance of a “strangely warmed heart.”... Read this part of his faith story and why he will stay UM here.

The Gracious Orthodoxy of the United Methodist Church

I joined The United Methodist Church when I was eighteen years old precisely because of the church’s foundational convictions about God. I was searching for a spiritual home after the loss of two good friends. I had checked out a copy of The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church from my university library. It was while reading the section called “Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task” that I knew I’d found a spiritual home.

I was taken by just how thoughtful, deep, and historically and biblically informed The United Methodist Church’s doctrinal statements were. I was moved by the way the Discipline described how United Methodists work out their theological affirmations – the process of “doing theology” – and how they seek to live their theology. I appreciated that United Methodists clearly state that scripture is the primary source for Christian doctrine while also recognizing the important role of tradition, experience, and reason in interpreting scripture and reflecting on its meaning for theology. There was a depth, substance and spirituality in these words about the church’s theology that resonated with me then, and still does today.

The words of this section of the Discipline reflect a gracious orthodoxy. The Discipline affirms the historic doctrines of the Christian faith as articulated in the creeds of the Church as well as our Wesleyan distinctives, but it does so with humility and a graciousness of spirit. It recognizes our utter dependance on grace and the absolute need for grace in how we live out our faith. And, it calls United Methodists to a lived faith, a faith often described as “vital piety” and “practical divinity.”

It is this combination of graciousness and orthodoxy that I value most about The United Methodist Church’s theological convictions. Read more here. [top]

This is What it Means to Me to #BeUMC, by Dianne L. Tobey, May 2, 2022

I am unabashedly a United Methodist. I have considered other denominations, but time and again I come back to the people called Methodist – where we are encouraged to use our brains to reason, our hearts to love, and where grace is paramount. I am someone who values vital piety and social action – I love the liturgy and I love that the church is called to be in the world serving others in the name of Christ. ... This is my church. To leave would be to allow it to be taken over by those I believe do not understand what it means to love a God who is by very name and nature love. I will stay, and I will continue to work for the full inclusion of ALL God’s children. That is what it means to me to #BeUMC. [top]

North Alabama Conference: "Why Stay?"

The UMC is our home: Not only did we make membership vows (and in some cases ordination vows) to support The UMC, we have countless warm memories and relational connections we just don’t want to sever....
We don't all think alike: One of the things we love most about The United Methodist Church is that we don’t all think the same. We are conservatives, moderates, and liberals who love to live and learn together. We actually like the fact that we don’t see eye to eye. The United Methodist Church has uniquely connected the head and heart, belief and action, and personal and social holiness. ...
We love the Cross and Flame: For over half a century, The UMC has built a recognizable brand in the United States and globally that is trusted and respected. Worldwide, people recognize the United Methodist Cross and Flame as a symbol of Christian love and witness. ...
We need bishops who are spiritual leaders and an annualized appointment process: ... All United Methodist Churches have a pastor, all the time and this blessing will not be replicated in the new denomination of breakaway Methodists, the Global Methodist Church (GMC). ...
We can do more together than on our own: ...we believe it is The UMC’s “connection” that has created ministries that impact the world and make disciples of Jesus Christ beyond the ability of a local church or Annual Conference. These ministries include Discipleship Ministries, United Methodist Men, United Methodist Women (now United Women In Faith), UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), VIM (Volunteers in Mission), General Commission on Archives and History, NOMADS (RV Mission Volunteers), General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Communications, Board of Global Ministries, Commission on Religion and Race, The Upper Room (including the Daily Devotional, the Walk to Emmaus , the Academy of Spiritual Formation, and related programs), Commission on the Status and Role of Women, the United Methodist Publishing House, Wespath, and hundreds of other ministries. ...
Good things are happening in North Alabama.
We value rural ministry and small-membership churches.
Women are vital leaders in the UMC.
We have important relationships with other denominations, other faiths, and other countries.
We have important relationships with other denominations, other faiths, and other countries.
We do ministry beyond the local church that is important. [top]

James Howell, pastor of Myers Park UMC, Charlotte, NC: Four Reasons United Methodists Have To Stay Together.

The Great Commission: "I am absolutely sure that a church that can’t stay together will not be able to make disciples"
Sexual Holiness: "[we need to] recover robust ways to talk about and engage in a holy sexuality, which is more than and different from which gender gets to have sex with which gender..."
The Centrality of Christ: "If you split over something that isn’t in the center, perhaps we have lost sight of the center."
The Inspiration of Scripture: "There is no un-interpreted Scripture;.... But let’s put aside the idea that some cling to the Scriptures while others dispense with them." [top]

Steve West , ARAB, Ala, Feb. 17, 2020: Why I’m not leaving The United Methodist Church

I made a promise. "I promised I would be faithful to The United Methodist Church and uphold its discipline...
I follow the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church even when I get heat for it, gently insisting that all people may participate fully in the ministries, sacraments and programs of the church (yes, that’s in there). I would not perform a same-sex marriage, but I’m passionate about inclusiveness in the church. For me, it’s the way of Jesus, but it’s also about the vows I took."
This has evolved past social issues to schism. "I am a centrist and have varied opinions on issues. The United Methodist Church is not perfect, but diversity of thought is one reason I love it."
There is too much to be lost. "...there are so many positive things to be lost by leaving."
I believe in the authority of the Bible. "Wesley... taught the importance of interpreting it faithfully through tradition, reason and experience....I read the Bible through the lens of Christ."
I am traditional and orthodox. "The schism is being planned over a set of social issues that are neither discussed in the Gospels nor addressed in the ancient creeds."
I follow Jesus. "I choose to accept people for who they are and invite them to God’s table for relationship with Christ."
I believe in grace. "I can't be a part of a new movement that insists LGBTQ people can't be Christians. I know too many that are."
I believe in the church. "We are the body of Christ ... The only people Jesus didn’t tolerate were the religious elites who were intolerant." [top]

David Field, Africa/Europe, member of Commission on the Way Forward, Interview

...And so I've really found that in many ways, this is where I belong. This is where I live. But in the Methodist tradition, I find resources for helping me deal with all sorts of complex issues in our contemporary world. I enjoy the breadth of the church, but there are differences of opinion. Because I know I need it, I need people to disagree with me and tell me where I'm wrong, where they think I'm wrong. I don't want to be in a place where everybody agrees with me because you don't grow that way. I need to learn from others, I need to learn through this process of wrestling together, living with different convictions and ideas. I need a multinational church. A church which crosses boundaries. The feature of living in Europe in the past 20 years has been the issues around migration, the number of refugees coming into Europe and just reflecting that many of the refugees coming from Africa are not just fellow Christians, but that many of them are fellow Methodists, but many of them are united Methodists. Read the whole interview here. [top]

Andrew Conard, Great Plains

I stay in the United Methodist Church because:

I believe the doctrine and general rules of the UMC are aligned with the scripture and God’s work in the world.
I have experienced the fruit of the United Methodist way of faith in my own life and witnessed it in the lives of others.
I believe that the United Methodist Church is on the brink of renewal in the United States and that I am called to be part of that renewal.
I believe the best years for the United Methodist Church are yet to come.
I believe that the spiritual DNA of United Methodists is strong and yearning to be loosed for a new generation. [top]

Don Jones, Tennessee

I am staying with The United Methodist Church. There are good reasons to remain. The church welcomed me from my fundamentalist background. It has provided places for me to minister from to communities of which I never would have gone. The United Methodist Church gets some things wrong. What we get right. We get right. Yes, I too wish we did some things differently. But we are taking positions and actions others within the denomination believe should be taken. I listen to their reasons too. I will provide my four reasons for staying. And they are not necessarily the same ones for which I joined. Read his four reasons here. [top]

Rebecca L. (Torres) Holland (See also Hacking Christianity's take below): Staying as an Act of Resistance

I applaud the desire for change, but I ask you to please take up the mantle and fight with me for inclusiveness for women, people of color, and people with disabilities. I have been fighting for my place in the world since I was a child and I won’t stop anytime soon. Sometimes, I feel exhausted and alone. There are many people who have taken up the mantle of the LGBTQIZA+ community, but there are so few of us fighting for people with disabilities.

If you want change, stay and fight with me....Either way- right now, we are a global church perfectly poised to change the world. [top]

Jeremy Smith, Hacking Christianity: Resisting is Staying

Note that this piece was written in April, 2019, calling for a "revolt" -- which was in fact happening and which led to the development of The Protocol and the Christmas Covenant. Then the pandemic derailed the GC three times, postponing it until 2024.

Last week, we published a guest blog post outlining the reasons why those seeking LGBTQ inclusion in The United Methodist Church should 'Leave' and start their own denomination. (See this page.)

This week we look at the other side of the coin: the 'Remain' movement that encourages United Methodists to stay in the Church and continue to resist the unjust laws, seeking to save the sinsick denomination from itself. [top]

Bishop Karen Oliveto -- To Those Contemplating Leaving the UMC

I write this letter with an aching heart. I have heard the pain in the voices of so many of you, wondering if it is time to “shake the dust off” and leave your local church. As your bishop, I cannot ask you to stay in a place where your soul cannot be at rest. However, I will share with you why I, as a lifelong member of the UMC and as a lesbian, choose to stay.

I stay because I know that the actions of General Conference are not a reflection of the church that has raised me, enveloped me in God’s grace, nurtured my walk of faith as a disciple of Jesus, and encouraged my call. Most United Methodists in the United States are appalled at the turn our denomination has taken. For them and for me, it is an affront to the very ethos of Methodism itself. [top]

Ed Williamson, D.Min. Retired UM minister, New Mexico. Publicly shared on Facebook.

This is my position. I have taken a sacred vow, on my honor, to be loyal to my United Methodist Church and I will do so. I have served my church for more than 50 years and though it is not perfect it is a faithful church which serves God and helps the least, the last, and the lost, normally without bigotry. I feel that I honor God this way, and though those that differ with us are often friends, in the end I value loyalty in all things, and especially among friends, but I value honor more. God bless you on your journey. [top]

Reflections on a Reconciling Ministries Gathering in Africa: Rev. Kennedy Mwita, pastor of First UMC Moheto; Rev. Benedict Odhiambo, pastor of Christ Chapel Oyani; Helen Ryde, RMN Organizer; Rev. Kimberly Scott, RMN Board Chair; and JJ Warren, Reconciling United Methodist and Executive Director of the Young Prophets Collective.

Rev. Mwita: The Church has continuously continued to ignore LGBTQIA+ people, people living with disability, people living with HIV/AIDS, people dealing with ethnic and tribal conflict, gender based violence against women, girls and children, FGM, modern slavery, and more. I realized as a pastor I have a role to play in society and in the life of the Church.

This has motivated me to keep going, knowing that I am doing what Christ expects me to do. I know it has not been easy, especially in my context where we are holding to a kind of “Christianity” reintroduced to Africa by modern missionaries. We need to deconstruct the patriarchal, dictatorial, merciless God we were taught in order to embrace the God of love, tolerance, and forgiveness. This is the Lord I preach: the God who does not discriminate, but who opens his arms wide, saying, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). First United Methodist Church has purposed to respond to this call, and that is what motivates me to continue despite opposition.

UM Church

Collection: "Why I'm Staying"