Death of the UMC: Ten Words of Caution to New Methodist Denominations

Note:

I have been working on this blog post for some time now. I have mixed emotions about publishing it. I believe these Ten Words of Caution have merit and are Biblical sound. However, I have lost the zeal to spend a great deal of time perfecting and editing them. 

I offer them as a "for what it's worth" post. I trust the Holy Spirit will put this before the eyes of those He intends to read it and speak to their hearts, anything that says that He wants to say to the powers that be.

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Introduction

Some churches and denominations are hoping to form something new as a result of the United Methodist Church schism. Groups like the Wesleyan Covenant Association have already drafted their Book of Doctrines and Discipline. As I read through their Book, I think they are sowing the same seeds that destroyed the United Methodist Church. Perhaps these Ten Words of Caution can help prevent them from perpetuating the mistakes of the UMC.

Maybe they are too close to Methodism that they can't see that they may be perpetuating some fundamental mistakes from the get-go. They are so focused on the battles over same-sex matters that they can’t see there are other more serious flaws in the UMC. I think they have been fighting the symptoms of a more profound failure of the UMC.

It is my sincere hope that this blog post will find its way to those in the Wesleyan Covenant Association and other potential denominations or local churches who are starting afresh. While I have extensive experience in United Methodism, I have been away from the denomination long enough to see some things that I believe those who have been there too long can no longer see.

In the Spirit of love, I offer these Ten Words of Caution to New Methodist Denominations 

1. Beware of the sin of Incorporation.

I might as well start with what will probably be the biggest stumbling block. I wrote about the theology behind the sin of Incorporation of Churches here. I continue to have difficulty understanding why Christians, especially pastors, so easily dismiss this theological warning. This is an area of blindness that prevails in 95% of American Churches.

However, I am compelled to speak this the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15) Any new church or denomination that joins the local expression of Bride of Christ to the State through Incorporation is in sin. It's that simple. 

The IRS recognizes that there are churches that remain churches in the tax code. You can check out the IRS criteria to determine if an organization is a church or not from its website. Yes, it is easier to be incorporated. You will enjoy some benefits that unincorporated churches do not enjoy, but that is no reason to join the Bride to the State. 

Any new church or denomination will perpetuate the primary sin of the UMC if and when they incorporate. This leads me to the next Word of Caution.

2. Beware of the business model of doing Church

I remember well my time in the UMC. I attended Annual Conferences, District Meetings, Special Meetings with the Bishop, ad nausea. If you didn't know it was a ministerial meeting, you could quickly think it was a corporate executive or a regional sales meeting. Along with most churches in the United States, the UMC has adopted a business model for running a church.

What does this look like? It becomes an organization that provides products and services for consumers. While it may use the jargon of Christianity, in the end, it's about the numbers. Be it attendance or the offering; most churches run like businesses. Don't get me wrong; churches need to be administrated. But in the Bible, the administration appears to be a small part of the Church's life, not it's raison d'être.

Both 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Romans 12:8 mention "administration" as one of the gifts of the Spirit. However, this does not mean that the Church exists as an administrative enterprise. How new denominations and churches can avoid falling into the business mentality trap goes beyond this blog post's scope. It can be done. However, awareness of this tendency is the first step in reevaluating how things are done and finding Biblical ways of understanding a local church's nature and function.

3. Beware of Quadrilateral Confusion.

I refer my reader to the article I wrote on this called Quadriladral Confusion. It appears proposed denominations such as the Wesleyan Covenant Association are poised to make the same mistake as the UMC. Twice the proposed Book of Doctrine and Discipline speaks of Scripture as being "primary":

¶ 103. HOLY SCRIPTURE 

The canonical books of the Old and New Testaments (as specified in the Articles of Religion) are the primary rule and authority for faith, morals, and service, against which all other authorities must be measured.

 202 SECTION ONE—FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES

Article II. Doctrinal Foundation—The doctrines of the Church shall be those embraced within the historic creeds of the Church, our Articles of Religion and Confession of Faith, and the core Wesleyan tradition as defined within the Doctrines and Discipline, with the Holy Scriptures understood to be our primary rule for faith and practice.

The Wesleyan Covenant Association doesn't mention the word "Quadrilateral." They do, however, use the Quadrilateral word "primary" when referring to the Bible. 

The Bible is not only "primary," it is the only authoritative standard by which any Church evaluates tradition, reason, and experience. 

The Bible is the only self-attesting Book that claims to be the self-revelation of the one and only self-existing Trinitarian God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Bible claims to be completely reliable (2 Peter 1:9), infallible (2 Timothy 3:16+17), and truth. (John 17:17).

It must be assumed that the Bible is inerrant in its original autograph and that any copying discrepancies are so infrequent and insignificant that there has been no change of meaning throughout the ages. The Bible that we hold in our hands is 100% reliable. To presuppose anything less opens the door to doubt, questions, and ultimately relativism. If there are significant mistakes in the Bible, then we cannot be sure of anything. This is contrary to the Bible's witness of itself. It not only claims to be the word of God, but it also claims to be the words of God.

To deny the truth of the Bible undermines theology, metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. If the Bible is not true, you cannot prove anything. Saying the Bible is "primary" will not stand the test of time. Mark my words, if new denominations and churches maintain the doctrine of Scripture's primacy, they will be fighting the same battles they fought in the UMC. It will only be a matter of time.

It’s time to go back to the Reformation’s call of Sola Scriptura!

4. Beware of using any lens to interpret Scripture.

One of my biggest concerns with new denominations is found in the following paragraph:

 103. PRINCIPLES OF OUR LIFE TOGETHER 

Wesley said, "there is no holiness but social." By referring to "social holiness," Wesley meant that the road to holiness was one that we could not travel by ourselves, but rather involved the community of faith at every step along the way. Our longing and hope is that our Church may:

1. Remain rooted and grounded in the scriptures and in the historic teachings of the Christian Church as defined in our Articles of Religion and Confession of Faith, and understood through the Wesleyan lens of faith. (bold and italic emphases mine)

This paragraph shows how these men and women are too close to see their potential error. The Articles of Religion and the Confession of Faith must be rooted and grounded in Scripture alone and not the other way around. There are many great Articles of Religion and Confessions of Faith, but they must be subservient to the Bible's authority. 

It is suicide to start with "the Wesleyan lens of faith." There is only one lens, and that is the Bible itself. They must submit Wesleyan theology to the authority of Scripture, not Scripture to Wesleyan theology. They must be brave to reject any Wesleyan teaching that is not exegetically found through a systematic study of Scripture.

If this denomination's purpose is to propagate Wesleyan theology or interpret Scripture through that lens, what hope is there? Wesley is only right as his theology lines up with Scripture. This is true of Luther, Calvin, or any other significant theologian of the past. 

This is an excellent opportunity for me to express something that has been troubling me. I've been out of the corporate Church for a while and was surprised to see organizations and people such as the Wesleyan Covenant Association and the Good News Magazine referred to as "traditionalists." What surprised me was that nobody seemed to object. 

Is this what new denominations and churches are about, the Tradition of Wesleyanism? If someone used this term to describe me, I would find the term "traditionalist" highly offensive. I'd rather be called a Fundamentalist associate with Dr. J. Graham Machen and Dr. Cornelius Van Til than a Traditionalist. 

I hope the new churches and denominations will prayerfully contemplate what the term "traditionalists" means and whether it is an accurate epitaph, containing the seeds of destruction. If it is accurate and you are comfortable with it, I pray God opens your eyes. Jesus Christ was not a traditionalist, and He repudiated tradition throughout His ministry. (see Matthew 15:1-20)

5. Don't Use Land Clauses.

I think the trust land clause of the UMC is evil. Any mechanism that prevents healthy separation is wrong. It is also wrong to use legal manipulations to steal or control a local church's building and property if they no longer want to be part of the denomination. 

I have written about land trust clauses here. The Wesleyan's proposed Book is vague on whether it has a land clause or not. Perhaps those with legal expertise can discern if the following paragraphs are coded legalese with the same effect as the United Methodist land clause.

Article XV - The Christian and Property We believe God is the owner of all things and that the individual holding of property is lawful and is a sacred trust under God. Private property is to be used for the manifestation of Christian love and liberality, and to support the Church's mission in the world. All forms of property, whether private, corporate or public, are to be held in solemn trust and used responsibly for human good under the sovereignty of God.

¶ 417. ADMINISTRATION OF LOCAL CONGREGATIONS.

3. A board of trustees, which shall function as the legal guardians of all real property, as well as provide for the upkeep and maintenance of church facilities, and any engagement which the Church may have in legal or other such matters.

I encourage any new church or denomination to allow local churches to maintain ownership of their property. If you don't, you or your spiritual progeny will be fighting the same battles you are fighting. The only reason you are leaving the UMC now is that God has opened a window of opportunity that has not been available to you before. You are allowed to leave because those in power want you to go. Otherwise, you would still be in the grip of the UMC Empire. Don’t do to the local churches, what the UMC has done to you.

6. Beware of Theological Pluralism (Be Confessional)

Perhaps it is in the proposed Book of Doctrine and Discipline, but I did not find any reference to Confessionalism. I saw a reference to the Articles of Religion, Normative Wesleyan Standard Sermons, and so forth. I didn't see any reference that pastors and members must adhere to a particular Confession of Faith or suffer the consequences of dismissal or ex-communication. The most I found was in 

¶ 103. PRINCIPLES OF OUR LIFE TOGETHER, Our longing and hope is that our church may:…

and then the Book lists a series of excellent desires. 

Without a stable and unified Confession of Faith based upon a Biblical Exegetical Systematic Theology along with healthy Church Trials, Theological Pluralism will creep into the Church or denomination. While this Caution may seem contrary to Caution #4, "Beware of using any lens to interpret Scripture," I assure you, it isn't. A Confession is not a lens as much as it is a unifying statement of agreed-upon beliefs that allows members to recognize when someone is preaching heresy. 

This leads me to Caution #7

7. Beware of avoiding Church Trials

It appears that the proposed Book of Discipline has a section in Part Nine called Judicial Administration. The Book seems to avoid the title "Church Trial," but it is at least a step in the right direction. I didn't see any mechanism that would cover church members' right to resolve any disputes they may have using Judicial Administration.

Paul expands Judicial Administration beyond just "administration" in 1 Corinthians 6:1-8:

When someone has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the Church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!

What if members have disputes that they don't want to bring before a Civil or State court? What if they want the Church to adjudicate contracts, legal disputes, and so on? What would they do in that instance? Isn't the Bible calling us to create and utilize an Ecclesiastical Court System? I think it is based upon texts such as 1 Corinthians 6:1-8.

8. Beware of Roman Catholic and Anglican Clergy/Laity Distinctions

Let's face it; the term "clergy" is not in Scripture. The Bible has the role of deacon and elder/pastor/overseer/bishop. These "offices" do not have the same distinction as the traditional Clergy/Laity distinctions that we see modeled in the United Methodist Church. It goes beyond this blog post's scope to flesh out the Biblical difference between the Traditions of Catholocism, Anglicanism, and Methodism clergy and the Biblical office of deacon and elder/pastor/overseer/bishop. 

If my memory serves me correctly, didn’t Wesley ordain Thomas Coke based on his belief that elder/pastor/overseer/bishop are different words for the same office and function in the Bible? If so, why would denominations based on his teaching make such distinctions?

The idea of "professional clergy" and "the unqualified laity" is not Biblical.

9. Beware of Church Hierarchies

As mentioned above, is there a distinction in the Bible between pastors, overseers, and bishops? What about the role of district superintendents? The Wesleyan Covenant's proposed Book reads very much like the United Methodist Methodist Book of Discipline when it comes to persons, offices, and committees' hierarchy.

It is a mistake to build into the polity of any new church or denomination a form of ecclesiastical classism. It goes against the Bible. Do the new proposed Books of Discipline perpetuate the hierarchies seen in the United Methodist Church? If so, perhaps this should be examined.

I will add to this point something that probably should stand on its own. The sole elder polity that most Methodist Churches adopt. It appears as if the Bible prescribes that each church should have a multiplicity of elders. God does this for many reasons, one of them being that one person should not have authority, nor does one person have the ability to carry out all the functions of pastoring a local church. I get that Methodism is not Presbyterian, but the concept of a plurality of elders could be built into the structure for the protection of both pastors and congregants.

10. Beware of Wesley's Pragmatism

Wesley did what worked. From land clauses to ordaining Thomas Coke, Wesley leaned toward a practical view of getting things done. He was, at times, restrained by his knowledge of the Bible, deep love of Jesus Christ, and pastoral care for people. At times, his innovations were brilliant and bore much fruit. However, he did sometimes do what worked over what was Biblical.

My Word of Caution here is, perhaps, more directed to his spiritual progeny. There are many things that will fill the churches. The "seeker-friendly" churches often do what works. Some churches remove all potentially offensive religious symbols from the sanctuary, put on showy Sunday morning performances that draw the people in, or suppress any offensive Biblical language that might turn off an unbeliever. 

The nature of Methodism is to do what works. I encourage leaders of new denominations not to fall into the trap of pleasing the world to fill the pews. Jesus Christ Himself, at the height of His popularity, told the adoring crowds in John 6:53-56

So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

The non-utilitarian result of Jesus' word is found in verse 66

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

Not the best way to fill the pews!

I do hope these Ten Words of Caution have some value. I have no delusions that I have all knowledge or that everything I say as gospel. However, I encourage potential new denominations and/or local churches that split off to consider and pray about these Ten Words of Caution.

The Death of the UMC: Part 8 - Help for Local Churches

The Facts

Let's be clear about the facts. The United Methodist Church is splitting or perhaps dissolving because a disgruntled section of the denomination disagrees over the 2019 General Conference's Decision No. 1378. The General Conference voted and decreed the following concerning same-sex matters:

Petition 90032 - Qualifications for Ministry - ¶ 304.3 Expands the definition of "self-avowed practicing homosexual" to include those "living in a same-sex marriage, domestic partnership or civil union, or is a person who publicly states she or he is a practicing homosexual." 

Petition 90036 - Episcopal Responsibilities - ¶ 415.6 Prohibits bishops from consecrating, commissioning or ordaining self-avowed homosexuals. (The text does not include the word "practicing.") 

Petition 90042 - Minimum Penalty - ¶ 2711.3 Mandates penalties for clergy convicted of performing same-sex wedding ceremonies. Those penalties are a one year suspension without pay for the first offense and termination of conference membership and church credentials for a second offense. 

Petition 90043 - Qualifications for Ministry - ¶ 304.5 Prohibits conference boards of ordained ministry from approving candidates not meeting ordination standards regarding sexuality.

Instead of remaining and reclaiming the denomination, the "traditionalists" are flying the coop. Those who oppose the resolutions mentioned above have agreed to an ecclesiastical no-fault divorce. 

The Local Church Suffers

As the ecclesiastical titans battle in the heavenlies, the local churches in the UMC are the ones who will suffer the fallout. As the split moves forward, each local church is going to have to make a decision. I believe the decision should be made independent of the UMC and any potential denomination. If the local flock vote that they want someone from the Conference or another denomination to talk to them, then and only then should any of the "pastors" or "wolves" (depending on your point of view) be allowed to interfere. 

Counsel for Local Churches

I offer local churches the following counsel:

1. Hold a Congregational Meeting without any pastor, district superintendent, bishop, or a clergy member from the UMC or from a potential new denomination.

2. Vote on a committee to research and provide sound information for the congregation.

3. Establish lines of communication for all the members, such as an email list or invitation-only website, so that people can get information.

4. Vote whether to remain with the UMC, join another Methodist denomination, join a different denomination, or become an independent church.

What are the Pros and Cons of Each Decision?

1. Remaining with the UMC

Pros:

• You can continue with the status quo.

• You can keep your church and property without added legal fees.

• You can keep your pastor.

• If you are an LGBTQ affirming congregation, your church will have the opportunity to have a pastor who supports same-sex marriages and maybe is married to a same-sex partner.

Cons:

• If you are not an LGBTQ-affirming congregation, your church will have to submit to church leaders who support and perform same-sex marriages and you may have a pastor married to a same-sex partner.

• If you think the UMC was theologically colorful before, you ain't seen nothing yet.

• You may not have another opportunity to leave the denomination again in your life-time.

2. Joining with a Methodist Adapted Denomination

Pros:

• The polity and structure will be very much like the United Methodist Church so that it will be familiar.

• You may be able to keep your church buildings and property at little or no legal cost.

• You may be able to keep your pastor.

• The new denomination will have much of the same Methodist theological emphases.

• From what I can see, potential denominations such as The Wesleyan Covenantal Association have a proposed Book of Doctrine and Discipline similar to the United Methodists Book of Discipline. This means, if you like all the UMC structure, you will fit right in with proposed denominations like this.

• They will have a strong stance against same-sex marriage and ordination since this is the reason the conflict came to a head in the first place.

Cons:

• Since potential denominations such as The Wesleyan Covenantal Association have a proposed Book of Doctrine and Discipline, the local church will immediately be ensconced in Methodist bureaucracy. The new apple will not fall far from the UMC tree in that regard.

• Potential Methodist denominations appear to be more concerned with perpetuating Methodism than Biblical Theology. For example, in the proposed Book of Doctrine and Discipline, states in ¶ 103. PRINCIPLES OF OUR LIFE TOGETHER

  Our longing and hope is that our church may: 1. Remain rooted and grounded in the scriptures and in the historic teachings of the Christian church as defined in our Articles of Religion and Confession of Faith, and understood through the Wesleyan lens of faith. (emphasis mine)

• As soon as a person, church or denomination is committed to the scriptures "AND" something else, they are off to a bad start. They are set to perpetuate the "primacy of the Scripture" fiasco of the UMC rather than the soul authority of the Bible encapsulated in Sola Scriptura of the Reformation.

3. Becoming Independent

Pros:

• The local church decides what they will do rather than a denomination.

• With legal help, it may be possible to keep the buildings and properties that the congregation worked hard to purchase and maintain.

• While every church has to administrate, you potentially could be released from the "death of a thousand meetings," Methodist clergy love to inflict.

• No more apportionments.

• The local church can put off joining a denomination until the dust settles.

Cons:

• Potentially there will be more legal costs to maneuver the intricacies of keeping your buildings and properties.

• If there are no strong leaders in the congregation, the decision can potentially split the congregation.

• Potential confusion, conflict, and division.

4. Join another denomination

• I will not take time to Pro/Con this option, but I want local churches to be aware that there are over 30,000 denominations in the United States that would love to have you join. 

That’s All Folks

This is the end of my series on the Death of the United Methodist Church. Please share this series with other United Methodist parishioners. Please fact-check my blogs, both with the Bible and with other resources. My desire is not to be right. It is to help and inform members of local churches.

Solo Gloria Deo

The Death of the UMC: Part 7 - Land Claws

The Source of the Problem

Forgive my play on words. This blog post is about what is referred to in United Methodist circles as the "land clause." I change it to "claws" because this is how the United Methodist Corporate Franchise prevented any church schism in the past. They did it by sinking their claws into each and every local church's deed when the denomination formed in 1968.

The Book of Discipline states in ¶ 2501: 

1. All properties of United Methodist local churches and other United Methodist agencies and institutions are held, in trust, for the benefit of the entire denomination, and ownership and usage of church property is subject to the Discipline.

In other words, the buildings and the property of local churches that were bought and paid for by the local congregations no longer belong to them. They now belong to the Corporation of the United Methodist Church. While the trust clause's language states the local church owns the property, it also says that they hold it "in trust" for the entire denomination. This means any local congregation can leave the Corporation anytime they want, but they cannot go with their own property intact. Then the UMC Corporation can then do whatever they want with this property. They can even sell it and profit from it.

Modern Denominational Scribes

Sadly, people had no idea of the legalese of a land trust back in 1968. I wonder how many people even noticed it, let alone understood what it meant. The denominational scribes of the time knew exactly what it meant and what they were doing. They are of the same spirit of the scribes Jesus described in Mark 12:38-40

Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.

Whose Property Is It?

Many a widow mite bought and paid for the land most United Methodist Churches stand upon along with the blood, sweat, and tears of farmers, factory workers, business people, teachers, and so on. The denominational leaders were smart, savvy, and deceptive by including a mechanism into each church deed that would allow them to maintain an iron grip on local congregations for over fifty-two years.

The Wesley Connection

Before I place too much blame on the modern denominational UMC scribes, I need to be fair. Enter the founder of contemporary United Methodism, the pragmatist John Wesley. He was a religious utilitarian. In other words, he did what worked, whether it was right or wrong. Back in 1750, Wesley hired three lawyers to construct the "land claws" into the deeds of three Methodist preaching houses in England. He didn't want to lose control.

Wesley was an Anglican minister and had no ecclesiastical authority to ordain anyone. The rebellious Wesley defied Church authorities by ordaining Thomas Coke and sent him over as a pastor to the defiant colonies in what is now called the United Methodist Church of America. Following Wesley's lead, Coke ordained Francis Asbury. 

While in America, Asbury and Coke revised Wesley's land clause back in 1750. The 1796 General Conference approved the trust "claws" that is still in effect today. If my understanding is correct, the United Methodist trust claws have never lost in court, but perhaps the "times are a-changing."

The Sinking of the UMC Titanic

I believe the coming split is a God-given lifeboat for the people to abandon the sinking of the United Methodist Titantic. I also suspect that the UMC Empire will exert a tremendous amount of spiritual, emotional, and corporate pressure to keep churches from leaving. I think the denomination is going to make leaving the denomination as difficult and as painful as possible. How will local congregations respond? That is yet to be seen.

I have pastored or served in over 11 different United Methodist Churches. I have visited dozens more. My experience is that most United Methodist Churches are made up of honest, hard-working men and women who have no taste for all these denominational conflicts. They have little time or tolerance for land trust clauses and such. They want to come to church on Sunday, see their friends, worship, have an occasional pot-luck dinner, and go home. 

Part of the Solution or Part of the Problem?

These pew sitters are often indifferent about Theological Pluralism, matters of same-sex marriage or ordination of same-sex pastors, whether or not their bishop worships Sophia, or is a shaman. There is little I can offer them except Paul's exhortation in Ephesians 5:14

Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Indifferent churches like this are part of the problem. They are already dead and have contributed to the death of the United Methodist Church.

If you don’t care what your pastor believes, whether same-sex marriages take place in your church, whether your pastor is married to a same-sex partner, whether the denomination promotes theology and programs contrary to Scripture, then you should stay in the denomination.

If these things matter to you and your church, read on.

What You Can Do

Here is my advice to the faithful United Methodist Remnant:

1. “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Joshua 3:5

Too many of you have been lulled into passivity and complacency. Many churches are tired. Perhaps you have allowed sin to permeate your lives. Maybe your theology has deteriorated throughout the years. How is your relationship with Jesus Christ? If you are not ready to die for Him, do you really follow Him?

The United Methodist Church is part of the cultural revolution that is happening all around us. God is calling His people to prepare themselves for whatever may occur in our government and our churches.

To consecrate means to declare yourself and your church as sacred unto the Lord. It is time to make Jesus Christ first and foremost in every area of your lives. God demands nothing less.

2. Remember the Battle is the Lord's so you must fight His way.

God spoke to His people in 2 Chronicles 20:15:

And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.

He also reminded us in Ephesians 6:12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

There is no way to win in the physical realm if the spiritual work hasn't happened.

3. Gather for prayer with other like-minded people.

This is a follow-up of point 2. The way to do spiritual battle is to pray:

Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18

If you are not praying, both individually and with other like-minded people, there is little that you will accomplish in the spiritual realm. The future of your local church is in your folded praying hands. 

4. Do your homework.

The time is over for the people in the pews to hide their heads in the sand. There is work to be done, and you have a responsibility to find out what your options are. Perhaps forming a study group will help. You have the internet at your fingertips. I suggest you start googling.

Why not be brave and share this blog post along with my whole series with your United Methodist friends and neighbors?

I advise local churches to consult attorneys who specialize in land trust clauses, such as Dalton and Tomich in Detroit, Michigan.

5. Invest your time, money, and energy.

If you are not willing to invest your time, money, and energy, the battle is already lost. May I suggest that instead of giving your tithe money to your local church, you pool that money and use it to consult or retain legal help? Even if you have pledged money to your local church, I do not see any conflict using that pledge to help your local church. It is God’s money, not yours and certainly not the bishop’s. Why let it go to a church or denomination that will use that money to work to keep your church in the denomination. But whether you use pledge tithe money or your own cash, that is between you and the Lord.

6. Speak up and oppose.

I was going to quote verse 7 of Ecclesiastes 3, "a time to keep silence, and a time to speak," but I think it is appropriate to quote verses 1-8

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

My friend, what time is it for you?

This may mean speaking out against your pastor. This is not disrespect. It is what Peter said in Acts 5:29

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”

Anytime anyone asks you to do something contrary to God, you must obey God and not man. The very heart of being a Protest-ant is we believe in the God-given responsibility to challenge governmental and ecclesiastical authorities when they wrong. It’s time to make your pastor uncomfortable if he or she is going against the Bible.

7. Try to leave with your property intact.

By now, you know my bias. I think the land claws are a demonic mechanism that corporate United Methodism has used to control the local church. Those in power did NOTHING to purchase your buildings and property. It does not belong to them. It belongs to the Lord, and He has made you stewards over it. Do not let the UMC corporation steal your land through the legal system.

8. If unsuccessful, then leave.

What more can I say than what God said to the Corinthians through Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:15-18

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

"I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,

    and I will be their God,

    and they shall be my people. 

Therefore go out from their midst,

    and be separate from them, says the Lord,

and touch no unclean thing;

    then I will welcome you,

and I will be a father to you,

    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,

says the Lord Almighty."

The Death of the United Methodist Church: Part 6 - UMC Pastor Emanuel Cleaver's Gnostic Prayer

Lest any United Methodist doubt what I wrote in Part 3, The Gnostic Connection, I present to you the closing remarks of United Methodist pastor Emanuel Cleaver the II’s prayer:

May the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us and give us peace. Peace in our families. Peace across this land and, dare I ask...oh, Lord...peace even in this chamber now and evermore. We ask it in the name of the monotheistic God, Brahma, and gods known by many names by many different faiths. Amen and a-woman. (emphasis mine)

Forget the “a-woman” part. So many are focused on that, that they miss what’s really going on. Isn’t that like the Gnostics? Another name for modern Gnosticism is Perennial Wisdom which is ultimately the synthesis of all religions into One.

In Biblical Christianity, we close our prayers in the “name of Jesus.” We do this because Jesus said in John 14:16:

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Biblical Christianity is founded upon the self-revelation of the one and only self-existent God who exists as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We know this because God has spoken through His self-attesting Bible. This Book tells of the salvation that God the Father has given to us through the crucifixion of the Second Person of the Trinity who became flesh in history and physically rose again on the third day. God the Father applies the atonement of God the Son, Jesus Christ, to His elect children through the ministry of the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, as we place our faith and confidence in Christ alone.

Why am I so careful in my description? Because Gnosticism uses the terminology of Biblical Christianity as a parasite feeds off its host. These Gnostic pastors can easily fool you if you are not careful. The United Methodist Church is loaded with them.

As a side note, my first article in this series entitles Corporate Pluralism outlines the fact that one of the main reasons the United Methodist Church is dying is because they have adopted the Perennial Philosophy of Theological Pluralism. Because of this, the United Methodist Church as no disagreement with Cleaver’s words, “the monotheistic God, Brahma, and gods known by many names by many different faiths.” I can assure you, no church trial is going to ensue for these blasphemous and apostate words. What an affront his words are to the True Church and to faithful Christians in the UMC.

Paul writes in I Timothy 6:20-21:

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and vain babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. (emphasis mine)

In Jesus Name!

Amen

Part 4 - A Living Tribute to Pastor George D. Smith

Why hasn't the United Methodist Church not been on the verge of a split before this? I believe it is because of godly and faithful pastors such as Rev. George D. Smith. I write this blog post in appreciation and honor of a man who profoundly impacted my family and me.

I first met Pastor George when my parents left the Torrington Methodist Church back in the 1970s. A revival broke out in the United Methodist Church through the Lay Witness Mission during that time. Many people who were saved through that revival and could no longer remain in liberal churches that rejected the move of the Holy Spirit. My family was one of them.

I know it was a difficult and painful decision for my parents because the Patterson family went back generations in the Torrington Methodist Church. It deeply hurt my grandmother Patterson and my Aunt Carol, but we needed to leave. I believe people like my mom and dad were shown the door just as the "traditionalist" are being pressured to leave the UMC now.

Just down the road was a pastor who was very different than the ones I was used to. He was an athletic rugged-looking man who loved Jesus Christ with all his heart. I was used to the more liturgical worship of the Torrington Methodist Church. It was something of a culture shock when Pastor George descended out of the pulpit and preached on the level where the people were, often with guitar in hand.

When Pastor George preached, I felt like Cleopas and his friend after they talked with Jesus unawares in Luke 24:32, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" Pastor George preached the gospel of Jesus Christ with passion. I remember leaning forward as he would grow red in the face as he proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ. During that time, listening to him gave me a glimpse, perhaps, of the early Methodists such as George Whitefield and John Wesley as they open-aired preached to the masses.

And what was George's message? I still remember some of the sermons he preached back in the 70s, messages like "He must increase and I must decrease" and "The necessity of the Cross in Christianity." His message really had one theme, Christ and Him crucified.

The dynamic power of his ministry came out of a man who had a disciplined prayer life. Pastor George would get up early every morning to spend time with his Beloved Savior, Jesus Christ. He always emphasized that we Christians needed a private prayer life, and he demonstrated this continually in his own life. He indeed practiced what he preached.

Who didn't love when Pastor George pulled out his guitar and sang? I can still sing by heart many of the songs he wrote. One of our favorite moments was listening to Judy accompany Pastor George on the piano and harmonize, enhancing his song with a sweet thread that made the tapestry of his music all the more beautiful.

He was a different kind of pastor than I ever met. He was the pastor that I, and many of us needed. I know I am not alone when I talk about his pastoral care. I was blessed beyond measure when he came to watch me play football at Torrington High School. He was a former football player himself, so he knew what it was like to battle on the football field.

How many of us were blessed by the Easy Peddlers? Can you imagine a pastor who didn't cloister himself in his ivory tower? I had the blessing of going on several Easy Peddler trips. We would bike all day and sing by night. I was pretty strong back in those days, a football captain weightlifting at the YMCA three times per week, but I can tell you, even us tough guys didn't mess with Pastor George.

He would play basketball and would even get a little angry on the court. I appreciated that because he was real. Every Thursday night during the summer, tons of us would show up to play volleyball. Later on, as he got older, he led Hike Trips instead of Bike Trips. I never had the privileged of going on any of these hikes, but I’m sure those who went loved spending time hiking with Pastor George D. Smith.

I remember Pastor George's pastoral presence in times of crisis. Anyone who attended the Bakerville UMC can share my heartfelt appreciation of his pastoral care. He visited the sick and sat all night with people in crisis while their loved one lay dying in the hospital. I learned more about pastoral ministry from watching Pastor George during these times of crisis than have from any other pastor I know.

I believe Pastors like George were salt and light in the United Methodist Church. One of the reasons he remained so long at the Bakerville United Methodist Church was because, I think, they didn't know what to do with him. The uppityups couldn't fire him because he was a member of the New York Annual Conference. Besides, Bakerville paid their church tax (“apportionments” is the official name) every year, which was more than many other Methodist churches could boast.

I loved Pastor George because he refused to pay the full amount demanded by the Conference. He would not send the part of the apportionment that supported United Methodist Seminaries. He would not allow the hard-earned money of Bakeville to go toward the neo-gnostic, liberal, neo-orthodox United Methodist Seminaries. I admired his chutzpah. For all those years, the Bakerville UMC didn't get the certificate from the Bishop that commended churches for paying their full tax because he would not compromise on this issue.

Instead, Pastor George and the Bakerville United Methodist Church sent that money to missions and seminaries like his alma matta Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. While Asbury was a Methodist seminary, it was not a United Methodist Seminary. It was the seminary he attended and that I was to attend later on. Other people from Bakerville also attended Asbury like Pastor John Roy, much to the Conference's chagrin. For the three years I attended Asbury, Pastor George was sure that the church financially supported me.

I have felt a call to pastoral ministry ever since I was a boy. As I grew into a man, Pastor George worked with me and prayed with me whether this calling was of God or not. He gave me a copy of Lectures to My Students by the famous baptist reformed preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I will never forget the time he took to pray with me and help me discern God's calling.

He was one of my most ardent supporters when I decided to enter the ministry of the United Methodist Church. I could go nowhere else but the seminary that Pastor George went to. It was thrilling to have some of the professors that he had. Granted, they were much older by then, but it was cool, nonetheless. Attending this seminary and having some of his former professors and meeting men that knew and loved Pastor George gave me an understanding and appreciation of him that I would not otherwise have had.

As I progressed through the process, I had many conversations with Pastor George about the United Methodist Church's state. I was somewhat sheltered from the reality of just how apostate and hostile the upper echelon was of Biblical Christianity because I attended Bakerville and Asbury. However, I was aware of the theological conflict that was brewing in the denomination. After all, the Good News Magazine was located and published out of Wilmore, Kentucky not far from the seminary.

My dream was to pastor a church just like Pastor George. I prayed I would be placed in a parish in Connecticut to carry out my calling, raise a family, and minister to God's people, much like my mentor had for all those years. I imagined myself working with pastors like George to bring renewal and change to the ever dying United Methodist Church and the New York Annual Conference.

God works in mysterious ways. I don't understand why He does what He does, but I trust His sovereignty and His goodness. It didn't take me long to realize that the path God was taking me was going to be vastly different than the one He gave to Pastor George.

In 1987, I was refused ordination in the New York Annual Conference on the brink of graduating from Asbury. I was devastated. My dream of having a ministry like Pastor George was shattered. This blog post is not about me, but about my appreciation of pastors like George D. Smith so I won’t linger long on this.

To make a long story short, I eventually left the United Methodist Church even though I was an elder in good standing in the denomination. Even after all this, Pastor George welcomed me as an assistant pastor at Bakerville without the New York Annual Conference's approval and blessing. There was the chutzpah yet again. I served with him for over seven years. When he had a heart attack, I had the honor of pastoring the Bakerville Church until he recovered.

I can't say I always saw eye to eye with Pastor George. In retrospect, I realize how much he blessed my family and me during that time. He not only affirmed my calling as a pastor, but he put his "money where his mouth is" by encouraging and supporting my ministry at Bakerville UMC. He blessed and supported all my pastoral endeavors, and for that, I am deeply grateful.

The United Methodist Church was a lesser Church when Pastor George retired in 2005. I believe one of the reasons God has withdrawn His hand from this denomination is because pastors like George are now few and far between. While the rest of the denomination was conjuring up yet another social program or irrelevant district meeting, Pastor George was preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Pastor George, I love you and appreciate your love, care, and faithfulness throughout your years of service. I thank God for how He used you in my life and in the lives of so many other people. I know the United Methodist Church and the Bakerville church was and is a better place because of pastors like you. I know a crown of glory is waiting for you on the other side.

The Death of the United Methodist Church: Part 3 - The Gnostic Connection

Introduction

I am wrestling with how to present this next analysis. What I am about to write has contributed significantly to the United Methodist Church's demise. It is perhaps the real reason the UMC is dying. 

In my first blog post, I identified Corporate Pluralism as a significant contributor. In my second blog post, I link this concept with the Wesleyan Quadrilateral where Tradition, Reason, and Experience slay Scripture as United Methodist "do" theology.

Background

Anyone involved in the United Methodist Church knows the tension, even hostility, between the theological left and the conservative right. I saw this as a young man when I attended the Bakerville United Methodist Church in New Hartford, Connecticut. I had the honor of knowing Pastor George Smith as a teenager and was blessed to serve as an assistant pastor for several years.

I remember talking with Pastor George at length about the direction of the UMC and what can be done about it. I was familiar with the Good News Movement and personally knew men like Rev. Riley Case, who worked relentlessly to bring truth to the UMC. There was a great divide back then, with a long ugly history. This hostility continues to this day, and the fruit is the "traditionalist" (an interesting characterization, to say the least) are being politely but forcefully told to leave. 

For years I couldn't understand what was happening in the UMC. At times, I experienced anger and outright hostility toward those of us who held to the truth of Biblical Christianity. I think I understand now what was going on.

The Clergy/Laity Divide

There is, and always has been, a great divide between clergy and laity in the United Methodist Church. You cannot find this distinction in the Bible. The Scripture indeed reveals that the role of elder/pastor/overseer is God's will. However, there is no elitism associated with ordination in the Bible, especially the kind you see played out in the UMC.

The term "clergy" comes from old French words that mean those with "learning, knowledge, and erudition." "Laity" comes from the Greek word "λαϊκός, laikos," which means people. In essence, the UMC has adopted more of an Anglican and Roman Catholic understanding of church leadership than the Reformed pastoral view. There is a great chasm between those who are ordained in the UMC and those who are not. This divide is where, I believe, Gnosticism has entered the UMC. 

The Development of Gnostic Clergy

Gnosticism comes from the Greek word for knowledge. It is the belief that knowledge, particularly esoteric knowledge will bring about spiritual enlightenment and salvation. This knowledge is given to the initiated, not just anyone. Many of our institutions of higher “education” are becoming more and more gnostic in orientation, this includes colleges, universities, and seminaries.

Much of the theology that United Methodist clergy learn and study in UMC seminaries is so esoteric that it is almost impossible to understand. I challenge my readers to pick up a book by Karl Barth, Jürgen Moltmann, Emil Brunner, Rudolf Bultmann, and Friedrich Schleiermacher, to name a few. These theologians are routinely taught in United Methodist seminaries. Try and understand the intricacies of Process Theology, Liberation Theology, Feminist Theology, and Neo-Orthodox Theology. Those theologies are just the tip of the Gnostic iceberg. 

Paul writes in I Timothy 6:20-21:

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and vain babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. (emphasis mine)

I have an undergraduate in Philosophy and a Master's degree in Divinity. I have been studying theology much of my life, and I still have difficulty understanding these various theologies. These theologians and theologies are examples of true Theological Pluralism, i.e. Gnostic Theology. I have, of late, undertaken a study of Karl Barth. Because of my Philosophy background, I can understand some of what he wrote. My knowledge of existentialism and Kantian philosophy helps, but to be honest, I am often lost. I guess I am not bright enough to receive enlightenment.

These theologians and theologies have one thing in common; they are all based upon esoteric knowledge*. The hideousness of Gnostic belief is that it uses familiar terms. The meaning of these terms to the uninitiated is vastly different than what we would expect. 

We see this same manifestation of Gnosticism in Freemasonry, for example. Only as you rise higher in the ranks, are you granted more light on the true meaning of the various words and concepts. It is no different for the seminarian as he or she advances through the ranks of United Methodism. As you advance, you are taught the “true” meaning of the Bible.

Another way to explain the new religion behind the UMC, many mainline denominations, even those in government is Perennial Philosophy or Perennial Wisdom. Essential, it is the belief that all religions are One. We may have different expressions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and so on. Understand this, and you will understand much of what is happening in the Church and in our Government.

While there are clergy men and women in the UMC who consciously espouse the gnosticism behind Theological Pluralism, many are unaware that they have replaced the true faith in exchange for a lie. (Romans 1:25) Many new seminarians and pastors blindly swallow the poison their mentors and professors feed them. These leaders disparage and mock Biblical Christianity by labeling it fundamentalist, traditionalist, and narrow-minded. Unless a new candidate understands the manipulation, they ingest the poison.

The Uninitiated Laity

The problem is, the poor unsuspecting, and uninitiated person in the pew is duped into thinking their Gnostic clergy-person is a Christian in the Biblical sense of the word. Nothing can be further than the truth. Most United Methodist pastors are Gnostics and are adept at teaching the Gnostic religion.

Gnostics can use Biblical terminology while meaning something significantly different. For example, the Gnostic catechism question on Gnosis.org asks:

7. Is God a Holy Trinity?

Yes. The Gnostic tradition has always affirmed the existence of God as the Holy Trinity consisting of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I assure you what a Gnostic means by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is vastly different than what the True Trinitarian God has revealed about Himself in the Bible. Would you be surprised to learn that what most UMC pastor’s mean by the Trinty is significantly different as well? Remember this next time your pastor calls God Mother.

The average person in the pew could ask his pastor if he or she believes in the Scripture's infallibility, the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, whether there is any other way of salvation outside of Jesus's death on the cross, and so on. I guarantee the Gnostic pastor will affirm every one of these doctrines and more. However, because the meaning of the words and theology is vastly different than sound Biblical theology, the person asking the question will never suspect. And unless you are aware of Gnosticism and how to bring it to the light, the Gnostic pastor will have you convinced they are just as Christian as you are. I assure you, they are not.

Signs of a Gnostic Clergy

These Gnostic clergy will occasionally slip or purposely push their uninitiated congregants toward Gnosticism with various "buzz words." Some of the signs of a Gnostic pastor are those who pray to Mother God, push for tolerance for same-sex marriage, insist on inclusive language when it comes to God, and much more. Once confronted, they will feign contrition, but it is only an act. They are taught to be patient because uninitiated laity have a long way to go to achieve enlightenment.

The Remnant

The truth is that there are very few Pastors like George Smith once was. What few are left are being driven out. I see many dedicated, trusting, and unsuspecting “laity” in the UMC. Many of this remnant have been in the UMC most, if not all of their lives. They are men and women who sincerely love Jesus Christ and were taught to respect their Elders and submit to their authority. Because of this, Gnostic pastors have walked unconfronted in most local churches. These faithful servants in the pew have given thousands of hours of service and tens of thousands of tithe money to their local church. Their money pays the salaries of Gnostic pastors to go on to further heights of enlightenment by paying for their “education.” These faithful people have been worshipping together for years in their local churches and they don’t want to lose their church. For these reasons, the sin perpetrated against these loyal members is all the more troubling.

Gnosticism - An Ancient Heresy

The early church had to combat Gnosticism in many forms. The epistles of John, for example, are masterpieces that fight against this age-old heresy. For instance, Gnosticism believes there is a little bit of good in evil and a little bit of evil in good. Sound like the Force of Starwars and Darth Vader? Perhaps you are thinking of the Ying and Yang symbol of eastern religions. Can anyone say Carl Jung? The idea that the Bible is both the infallible word of God but contains error is another form of this mixture of light and darkness. 

The apostle John speaks against this ancient heresy in 1 John 1:5-7:

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Words of Encouragement to UMC Members

If you are a United Methodist Church member, I have a few words of encouragement to give you.

First, you are not crazy. Your heart has been telling you for many years that something is significantly amiss in the UMC's pastoral leadership. Most pastors, district superintendents, and bishops are steeped in Gnosticism. But remember, the nature of Gnosticism is to hide in the darkness.

Second, the decline of your local church is not your fault. There has been a systematic Gnostic infiltration into the ranks of the clergy for decades. This infiltration is by design. The ultimate goal is not propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ, but the advancement of pseudo-Christian and pro-Gnostic values. This is not the first time Gnosticism has infiltrated the Church and, until Christ comes again, it is not the last.

Third, you are stronger than you think. God always calls us to be humble, but He never calls us to compromise. If you are in a United Methodist Church and recognize Gnosticism either in your pastor, district superintendent, or bishop, you are not out of line to speak out and confront the darkness. You should educate yourself more on this heresy, otherwise, you will be tricked or bullied into submission.

Forth, pray for your Gnostic pastor and witness to him or her. If they don't repent, demand a pastor who is thoroughly Christian. Educate yourself on the subtleties of Gnostic expressions amongst the clergy. Part of the beauty of Protestantism is our belief that we have a right to question the clergy and have a duty to do so. Members of the local church have been systematically trained to be passive, to not question authority. This time is over. 

Fifth, realize that if and when the United Methodist Church splits, your local church has a once in a lifetime opportunity to leave the apostate denomination with your buildings and land in tact. I doubt this opportunity will happen again. I would encourage all United Methodist local churches to pray and think long and hard about this opportunity. I will write more about this in the near future.

Sixth, be faithful to Jesus Christ and not a denomination. If the time comes to leave, wipe the dust off your feet, and don't look back. The judgment does indeed begin in the house of God. If the United Methodist Church's clergy do not repent and leave Gnosticism behind, God will judge them severly. 

Seventh, trust in the sovereignty of God. The Church is His Bride, and He will bring about His holiness and righteousness in Her. You are that Bride. Do all you can to remain faithful to Jesus Christ and His holy Word.

*I am well aware that there are true Christian theologians that may sound esoteric. I think of men such as Dr. Cornelius Van Til, Dr. Greg Bahnsen, and Dr. Peter Jones, for example. There is a significant difference, however. God gifts these types of theologians not only to understand esoteric Gnostic Theology, but they are blessed to refute them as well.

---

Note:

If any of my readers, especially those who are part of the United Methodist Church, would like to verify what I am saying or know more, I suggest reading or listening to Dr. Peter Jones. Dr. Jones holds an M. Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a Th. M. from Harvard Divinity School, and a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He taught New Testament at Westminster Seminary (Escondido, CA) until December 2002. He now directs truthXchange (www.truthxchange.com), a non-profit which emphasizes reaching college and university students who often encounter the "new spirituality" on their campuses.

A few quick resources may be beneficial such as, Gnosticism in the Mainline, Neopaganism Inside the Church, and A Gnostic Gospel should be enough to point you in the right direction.

The Death of the United Methodist Church: Part 2 - Quadrilateral Confusion

Introduction

One of the core methodological tenants of United Methodism is what is called the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. To outsiders, "quadrilateral" is a geometric term describing an object with four equal sides. In essence, this definition helps us understand the Wesleyan Quadrilateral.

If I had a nickel for every time someone mentioned the Quadrilateral throughout my seminary and pastoral days in the UMC, I would be a wealthy man. The Quadrilateral is at the heart of United Methodism understanding and interpretation. It's how Methodists "do" theology.

I don't know if it is accurate to say that the Quadrilateral is a UMC doctrine. As I mentioned earlier, it is more a method of “doing” theology. And, as the name of the denomination suggests, Methodists love methodology. 

What is the Quadrilateral?

United Methodist Church's (UMC) Book of Discipline 2016 edition states on page 103,

Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason.

The official website of the UMC states:

The phrase which has relatively recently come into use to describe the principal factors that John Wesley believed illuminate the core of the Christian faith for the believer. Wesley did not formulate the succinct statement now commonly referred to as the Wesley Quadrilateral. Building on the Anglican theological tradition, Wesley added a fourth emphasis, experience. The resulting four components or "sides" of the Quadrilateral are (1) Scripture, (2) tradition, (3) reason, and (4) experience. For United Methodists, Scripture is considered the primary source and standard for Christian doctrine. Tradition is experience and the witness of development and growth of the faith through the past centuries and in many nations and cultures. Experience is the individual's understanding and appropriating of the faith in the light of his or her own life. Through reason the individual Christian brings to bear on the Christian faith discerning and cogent thought. These four elements taken together bring the individual Christian to a mature and fulfilling understanding of the Christian faith and the required response of worship and service. 

While UMC.org clearly states, "For United Methodists, Scripture is considered the primary source and standard for Christian doctrine," the reality is that practically speaking, the Scripture ends up taking a back seat to tradition, reason, and experience. If you don't believe me, read what the Book of Discipline states on page 102 and 103 of the 2016 edition:

But, even as they (United Methodists) were fully committed to the principles of religious tolerance and theological diversity, they were equally confident that there is a "marrow" of Christian truth that can be identified and that must be conserved. This living core, as they believed, stands revealed in Scripture, illuminated by tradition, vivified in personal and corporate experience, and confirmed by reason. They were very much aware, of course, that God's eternal Word never has been, nor can be, exhaustively expressed in any single forms of words." (emphasis mine)

In my article on United Methodist Corporate Pluralism, I showed how Theological Pluralism is nothing more than pagan relativism. While allowing for "religious tolerance and theological diversity" sounds innocent enough, this has lead to the decline of the UMC and the inevitable church split where "traditionalists" are politely but forcefully being kick out of the denomination. The truth is, Theological Pluralism is the most intolerant form of "theology" there is. 

What is Scripture?

It is the self-revelation of the one and only self-existing Triune God who has revealed Himself as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The self-authenticating Bible claims countless times to be the very words of the Christian God. It reveals God's plan of salvation through the Second Person of the Trinity, the God/Man Jesus Christ, who is the only mediator between God and man. The Bible is infallible and inerrant in the original autograph. The Holy Spirit has preserved the integrity of any copies so that any discrepancies are insignificant, easily detectable, and do not change what God intends to communicate to us.

Contrary to what the United Methodist Book of Discipline says, God’s Word does give an exhaustive revelation of everything we need for correct faith and practice. There is nothing more that God intended to communicate to us this side of eternity. Of course, no mere words can exhaustively convey the majesty and immensity of God, but even in heaven, God will not contradict what He has communicated in the Bible.

Why do I take so much time to outline the doctrine of Scripture? It is because, practically speaking, United Methodism slays the Bible on the altar of tradition, reason, and experience. I have seen this repeatedly in my time as a member and pastor in the United Methodist Church. 

Tradition

Tradition must be subject to Scripture. Jesus Christ was adamant that tradition was a dangerous method to use when understanding the word of God. In Matthew 15:1-20, Jesus condemned tradition. Tradition has no place or authority in Biblical Christianity. Why, because eventually, tradition will take the place of Scripture.

Reason

Reason must be subject to Scripture. I could write volumes on this. People think that faith and reason are mutually exclusive. Many Christians believe that faith takes over where reason leaves off. They believe faith and reason, while friendly towards one another, live in different spheres. As such, reason often trumps Scripture. 

The truth is that reason is not possible apart from the revelation of the Truinue Christian God as revealed in the Bible. Take away the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and you cannot prove anything. Logic, reason, and science is not possible apart from the Trinity. Without the God of the Bible, there is no way to account for the immaterial laws of logic, the consistency of rationalism, and the cause and effect necessary to do science. All are founded upon none other than the self-existing Trinitarian God.

We know who God is, how He holds the universe together, and His holy character because of His self-revelation in the Bible. As the Bible says, "In Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28). It also claims that all things happen "according to the counsel of His goodwill." (Ephesians 1:11) These two verses alone account for logic, reason, and science, but there are many more besides these.

Experience

Finally, I consider experience to be the worst member of the Quadrilateral. It is interesting that John Wesley added this to the Anglican Church’s “trilateral.” Human beings have all kinds of bizarre experiences. I've heard people testify to astral projection, encounters with aliens, and visitations of angels, even visitation to heaven. People experience sexual desire for anything under the sun. However, for the very reason experience is so strong, human beings will try to explain or justify it to the best of their ability. Paul drove this point home in Galatians 1:8, for example, even if you experience an angel from heaven preaching another gospel, let that messenger be accursed. 

Conclusion

We have many traditions that are contrary to Scripture. Atheistic reasoning often presents itself as contrary to Scripture rather than seeing Scripture as necessary for reason. Experience is so powerful that people seek explanations outside of Scripture or contrary to Scripture.

The United Methodist Church is splitting and dying because it has compromised the authority of Scripture. While it claims Scripture is "primary," practically speaking, everything but Scripture has ultimate authority in the UMC.

As I was finishing my Masters in Divinity at Asbury Theological Seminary, I was going through the process of ordination in the New York Annual Conference. I remember one of the questions in my examination asking what I thought about the Quadrilateral. Even back in 1987, I said that I do not hold to it. I told them that according to the Bible, there is no other standard by which we determine or understand truth. Tradition, reason, and experience must be absolutely subject to the Bible. Needless to say, they denied my ordination. It doesn't take a lot of thought to know why.

The Death of the United Methodist Church: Part 1 - Corporate Pluralism

A Son of Methodism

Before anyone judges me for blogging about the United Methodist Church, I must say that I have a legitimate ax to grind. My family belonged to the Methodist Church, long before the "United" replaced the "Episcopal" in the name in 1968. My great-grandparents raised their children in the Torrington Methodist Church. My grandparents did the same, as did my parents. There stands in the narthex of the Torrington Methodist Church a memorial to my grandfather Harold S. Patterson to this day.

I am a son of the UMC. I was born and raised in the Torrington UMC. I went to Sunday School, sang in the Junior Choir, attended worship, and was confirmed there. After we moved down the road to the Bakerville UMC, I went through the ordination process. I was married in the UMC to my first wife, as were two of my children. All of my babies were baptized in Methodist Churches. I attended Asbury Theological Seminary which was named after the Methodist minister Francis Asbury.

After seminary, I was ordained a deacon in the Northern Indian Conference and was ordained an elder in good standing in the Central Pennsylvania Conference. I served in over 11 different Methodist Churches throughout my tenure as an ordained pastor in the UMC. I eventually surrendered my ordination to the Central Pennsylvania Conference many years ago. I served in several pastoral positions in the UMC even after I left the denomination. My parents still belong to a UMC and my mother even pastored the Bakerville United Methodist Church in New Hartford, Connecticut for several years.

The Coming Split of the UMC

The United Methodist Church is on the verge of a split. The Liberals, Neo-Orthodox, Shamans, Wiccans, Gnostics, and Pagans are showing the "traditionalist" the door. While the Conservatives claim it is over same-sex disagreements, the divide goes deeper than that. The Conservative Traditionalists are starting their own denomination. Sadly for them, they are potentially taking with them destructive seeds from the UMC that will, if left unrecognized, bear the same ugly fruit.

There are two significant flaws in the UMC that is causing its demise and will result in the death of any offshoot denominations that spring from it. The first is what I call Franchise Churchianity, and the other is the Lack of Confessionalism and Church Discipline.

Franchise Churchianity

As a clergy member, I often criticized the United Methodist Church's business mentality. That it is a franchised business, there can be no argument. From the cross and flame logo to the 501(c)3 business not-for-profit incorporation status, the United Methodist Church is just another Brand.

A Bishop of the UMC gave a teaching to pastors and church leaders last year. He said that they must understand that the United Methodist Church is a franchise just like MacDonald. And just as you expect a Big Mac to taste like a Big Mac in whatever MacDonalds you go to, so you should be able to go into any United Methodist Church on any given Sunday and find what is offered is uniform throughout the denomination. This was not the first time I heard such talk. It was a common theme in district pastoral meetings, though they didn’t blatantly talk about MacDonalds.

I have often used this illustration to criticize the UMC. I was both vindicated and deeply saddened to hear a bishop of the church not only admit it but use it to help church leaders to understand the vision of Big MacMethodism. What is even sadder for me is that if and when the Church splits, those who leave, steeped in franchise Methodism, will go and repeat the same error yet once again by forming a new 501(c)3 nonprofit franchise. And so the madness continues.

Theological Pagan Pluralism

John Wesley’s Legacy

The second criticism I have of the United Methodist Church is perhaps more important than Big MacMethodism. The seeds of the destruction of the United Methodist Church were sown by John Wesley himself long ago. Few Methodist realize that John Wesley was a disobedient clergyman who often put pragmatism before sound theology. Few remember that the "holy club" of the original Methodists were thoroughly Reformed in theology. The current Calvinist Methodist Church bears witness to the roots of true Methodism.

John Wesley was the one who deviated from Methodism when he published his infamous sermon, "Free Grace." George Whitefield tried to call the rebellious Wesley back to the true faith. Sadly, Wesley spurned correction and continued to promote the pragmatism which eventually blossomed in the failing United Methodist Church. While I do not doubt that God used Wesley to bring many to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, I also believe Wesley planted the seeds for the dying UMC church.

What is Pluralism?

The heart of United Methodism is Theological Pluralism. Pluralism is a fancy name for relativism. In other words, the United Methodist Church has no backbone. It has no foundation other than human opinion and the whims of church democracy. The opposite of Theological Pluralism is what is called Confessionalism.

Confessionalism is an agreed-upon statement of faith that one must adhere to be a pastor and a member. There are many famous Confessions of the Church, such as the Westminster Confession, the Savoy Declaration, and the Heidelberg Catechism.

To take a stand on nothing means you open the door for anything. While a Confession of Faith does not have equal status with the Scripture, it is a way to unify the Church around theological standards that are Biblically based. The alternative is the relativism of Theological Pluralism.

The United Methodist Church sowed the seeds of destruction when it adopted Theological Pluralism. I will say it more forcefully; the UMC adopted a Neo-Pagan Confession of Faith, ultimately holding that there are no ultimate theological absolutes. The United Methodist Church has ordained shamans, Sophia worshippers, self-proclaimed pagans, freemasons, and people who openly endorsed sexuality that is condemned by the Discipline of the United Methodist Church.

The lack of Confessionalism has made it impossible for the UMC to carry out Church Discipline. While there is a procedure for Church Discipline in the United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline, it has no real value or power. Because of this, there is no way to rid the pastoral ranks or the people in the pews of unrepentant heretics or sinners. The key word in that last sentence is “unrepentant.” There is no way to keep the church pure from the leaven that spoils the whole lump. (1 Corinthians 5)

The irony of the Church split is that the Progressives, or whatever you want to call them, are practicing a form of Church Discipline by cleaning the ranks of those who they consider to be out of line with their faith and practice. They are even willing to pay twenty-five million dollars to be rid of them.

Having a Church that is not a 501(c)3 not for profit corporation is no guarantee that it won't fall into the trap of a business mentality. Being a Confessional Church that practices Biblical Church discipline will not ensure the Church will remain faithful to Jesus Christ. However, both of these go a long way to help a Church not deteriorate to the point that the United Methodist Church has presently declined.

Teach Sound Doctrine

Paul wrote to Titus in chapter 2 verse 1, saying

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.

The Bible is clear; there is a true gospel and sound theology that must be proclaimed in the Church and by the Church. The Scriptures contain sound doctrine that can and should be part of the Church. It outlines the reason, the need, and the procedure for Church Discipline. The United Methodist Church has ignored the Bible in favor of Pagan Theological Pluralism. It has been hijacked by men and women who no longer hold to even John Wesley's theology. And it has no way to test and discipline those who have left the true faith.

My Personal Experience as a UMC Pastor

When I write these things, I am speaking from personal observation and experience. I had to leave the United Methodist Church because of the growing hostility to sound teaching. Seminarians holding to sound Biblical doctrine have systematically been weeded out. In every church I pastored, I battled against liberalism, paganism, corporatism, and neo-orthodoxy both with my District Superintendents and fellow clergy. In every church besides Bakerville UMC, I was pressured by the freemasons to join or be harassed. I was subject to hostility and hate by influential pastors of large churches. I was even denied ordination by the New York Annual Conference in 1987, though I had no problem being ordained in two different Conferences. So, I know what I am talking about.

The Church Victorious

I have complete hope in Jesus Christ, the great Bridegroom of the Victorious Bride, His Church. The gates of Hell will not hold back the power and dynamism of the True Church. The United Methodist Church is quickly leaving the True Church if it hasn’t already. Sadly, too many people in the pews either don’t care, don’t know how bad it is, or just refuse to leave a church that they attended for most, if not all of their life. I don’t blame the last group. For these people, my heart is truly sad. Your church has been stolen right from under your nose.

Until or unless the UMC rejects Theological Pluralism and becomes a Confessional Church that practices Biblical Church discipline, there is little hope that this denomination will revive. And if the offshoots from the split don’t learn the mistakes of the UMC, they will suffer the consequences of repeating the cycle yet again.

What will happen with the church split remains to be seen. I remain eager to see how it plays out.