"Stay UMC" Lacks Strong Support

"A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV)

The website, Stay UMC defines itself as a "coalition of North Alabama Methodists working to stay in the UMC". The primary editor and content creator is a current pastor within the UMC serving in North Alabama. The site further explains, "Our purpose is to work against the idea of the annual conference voting to leave our denomination, should the Protocol for Grace and Reconciliation through Separation ever pass at General Conference".

Stay UMC Lacks Overwhelming Support

The Stay UMC position does not appear to have majority support. The website reports that at this time, a total of 169 North Alabama clergy/pastors have signed the commitment (of the more than 650 pastors throughout our Conference). Those numbers also appear to be inflated as well over a dozen of the signees are now retired from our Annual Conference and not actively serving a local church. Taking the full Stay UMC count of 169 pastors though, that represents less than 30% of North Alabama clergy serving within the Conference now. At face value, the Stay UMC movement does not have widespread support among North Alabama clergy or churches. The site also says it is comprised of a "large group of traditional, centrist, and progressive" UMC pastors in North Alabama. I've come to know a lot of North Alabama UMC pastors having first been a preacher's kid for 40 years and since becoming a UMC pastor myself. I realize "large" is a subjective term, but I just don't see the evidence from the list of names on the website to support the claim of that statement by Stay UMC.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:14-16 (NIV)

Stay UMC Reasons for Staying Aren't Strong Enough

The Stay UMC website published 10 primary reasons it believes local churches should strongly consider remaining within the UMC denomination rather than voting to disaffiliate. Overall the list is very thin theologically with no references to Scripture to support their views. Further, a number of the reasons are weak for the Stay UMC position as they are commonly held beliefs among many Christians of many denominations and not exclusive to pastors or laity within the UMC. One such example is listed Reason #8 on the Stay UMC site, "Women are Vital Leaders". Modern Methodists of many backgrounds to include the Free Methodists, Global Methodists, and those representing Independent Methodists churches all hold this same view and will continue to support and advocate for woman in ministry and leadership. You can read for yourself statements including the role of women in ministry and see the very visible women in ministry now among those groups. Unfortunately, this reason may be cited to help instill fear in the hearts of those who might choose to leave the UMC.

We'll now discuss more in depth the Top 3 reasons cited by Stay UMC for not disaffiliating from the UMC.

#1- "The UMC is our home"- Many Methodists across North Alabama have roots in Methodism which can be traced back several generations. However, I'm finding more and more, this is no longer true and many of our churches are very diverse in terms of the denominational backgrounds of our churchgoers. UMC local churches today are in fact comprised of many who grew up as Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, and others. My mom grew up in the Holiness church and yet was a United Methodist for my entire life. Simply put, many have not been lifelong Methodists as I have, and they have been motivated to leave a denomination as it doesn't fully support or reflect their theological views (especially related to marriage). The ongoing divisiveness and constant debating of an issue which has been settled in numerous General Conferences has become too much to endure. In other words, the UMC may be our home now, but there are 70+ other Methodist or Wesleyan-streamed denominations which share very similar values and theology. While we don't pretend any denomination is perfect, very few could be said to have the same crippling and constant gridlock many UMC churchgoers have come to witness across our denomination as a whole since at least 2016.

#2- "We don't all think alike"- This is very true, and I couldn't agree more! However, it's not a reason that will motivate people to remain in the UMC as no two people think alike. The implication offered by Stay UMC is that if you leave the UMC, you will be joining another church or denomination in which there is uniformity. Yet ask any pastor of any denomination (or in any non-denominational church for that matter), and they will quickly help correct this myth. No church has uniformity in non-Creedal beliefs. All future versions of Methodism and those which pre-date the creation of the UMC (such as the Free Methodist Church) will continue to express diversity while maintaining common agreement among crucial Biblical and Christian teachings such as those related to marriage.

#3-"We love the cross and flame"- I'm not sure this warrants discussion, but I truly do not understand how a logo or a "brand" would ever be a basis for joining a local church. This might be fine for those wishing to make a shoe purchase or even possibly for your next vehicle, but why would anyone choose a church on the basis of a logo? Even those concerned about logos or brands would still perform their due diligence to determine if the shoe or car were a good "fit" for the individual. Is it reliable...will it endure? Many have made the decision that the UMC simply no longer "fits" them. There are far too many "mechanical" problems. This reason cited in the Top 3 on the Stay UMC site paints a very clear picture as to the primary issue facing many of our churches. We seem to have forgotten our core mission statement given to the disciples by Jesus just before He ascended to the Father in heaven. We may know it by heart, but is it truly a guiding force and principle in the daily life of all of our churches?

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.- Matthew 18:18-20 (NIV)

We have "missed the forest for the trees". Just this week I received an email complaint from a church member asking about signs we recently purchased and placed outside of the church worship space in order to welcome first-time visitors. The sign reads, "Welcome! We're Glad You're Here". We have a worship team which helped review various signs and designs in the weeks leading up to the purchase. Without sharing too many details, the church member was extremely concerned and clearly upset as this welcome sign did not mention the UMC nor did it have the cross and flame logo on it. I can't be sure, so I'll merely ask the question, could this be one of the biggest reasons our local UMC churches are in significant decline today? We'd prefer to focus on "human concerns".

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns. Matthew 16:23 (NIV)

Furthermore, I wish this statement from the Stay UMC site were true, but I believe it is overly optimistic and reflects a lack of critical "self-reflection" from the denomination; "the UMC has built a respectable brand". A simple Google search for 'UMC news' or 'UMC church split' will provide any prospective visitor to our churches a wealth of disheartening and troubling news coverage of the disarray and unravelling of the denomination. This was the case long before 2022 as our recurring debates at General Conference every four years painted a clear picture of our ugly and very public inability to move past this core issue as a denomination. The UMC is in the middle of a major church split and it likely won't be resolved or completed until at least 2024. The UMC "brand", unfortunately, will be more of a hindrance than a help in the days ahead for any local church wanting to reach the least, the last, or the lost in our communities. Honest, sobering soul-searching is warranted at this time for all people who currently call the UMC home for now.

Overall, the reasoning provided by Stay UMC is just not strong enough Biblically or theologically to cause very many within the church to change their conclusion: they are leaving the UMC. In fact, many already have. I really like the cross and flame logo myself. Yet it will not cause me to "Stay UMC".

I'm so grateful for your prayers and encouragement. Please continue to stay tuned to Methodist Revival Now for more content in the days ahead. My prayers remain with you and your local churches wherever the Lord may lead you in the days ahead.

May the Lord continue to bless and keep you,

Wes