You can’t read the Bible the same way you always have. The Bible only says what we say it says. We have to know who we are.
–Rev. Althea Spencer-Miller, a “gay Jamaican pastor” and assistant professor of New Testament at Drew Theological School, at the liberal “Sing a New Song” conference for United Methodists
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September 2, 2011 at 8:23 pm
I know – isn’t it pathetic? Actually I don’t think that they’ve read it at all lately. Some churches just avoid the bits that they don’t like, dropping those awkward verses completely out of the lectionary.
My heart is greatly troubled for my church – yes – I’m a reluctant methodist. I pray for my denomination daily to find the Word again, and fall in love with it and Him again.
September 2, 2011 at 8:36 pm
I can sympathize–I was a Methodist for nine years.
September 2, 2011 at 9:17 pm
A Gaymaican!
September 3, 2011 at 12:35 am
Although heard it before many times both in academic circles, and by those who are enamored by academic circles, or as Saraspondence says in 1, by those who haven’t read it at all and rely heavily on witty sayisms from false teachers of any stripe, this turn of phrase is interesting because of self-fulfilling truisms.
But to engage this person beyond (or perhaps “previous to”) what can only be classified as an anti-biblical statement, we might try the response, “When?”
September 4, 2011 at 9:58 pm
Pastor Dave & Saraspondence,
I am a Methodist and I share the same frustration that you have about the UMC. I am temporarily attending a different denomination but I kept longing to go back to the UMC if only they will make a lot of changes Today, I spoke wit 2 persons who are “wanderers” like me at the church parking lot after the worship service. . I told them about my desire to start a movement for the reform of the UMC from the grassroots level with the involvement of the laity along with like-minded pastors. They were enthusiastic and they will help by giving me a list of email addresses of their UMC friends. Both claim that the UMC preachings are very dry.The other one’s beef is about theological differences.
Many pastors desiring for the UMC to be renewed have started renewal movements but sadly, it has not ignited a firestorm THe UMC is still languishing and shriveling in numbers. Perhaps, launching a grassroot movement from the laity with the help and support from like-minded pastors will push reform and renewal to the forefront and capture the attention of the UMC establishment.
I am not exactly a Wesley fan. I believe that many man-made doctrines should be discarded and the scriptural ones retained.I strongly believe in eschatology which was lost in the UMC because of allegorical interpretation of the scriptures. I strongly believe that God will keep its covenants and promises to Israel. I am not a Dominionist. I am a pre-milliannist. I am neither a calvinist or an armenian. My theological leaning is in- between. There was a time when I was a regular at Times Square Church in NYC ( non-denominational) on Tuesdays, regular on Fridays at a Messianic congregation with a Jewish pastor on Fridays and a faithful Methodist involved in evangelism on Sundays.
Pastor Dave, I would like to ask if you are willing to be one of the advisers and a friend of this movement. We need all the support we can get from anyone who is willing to help this cause with their voice and with their time if this movement will catch fire at all. I will start the movement with emails in the USA and hopefully to the Phillipines and Africa as well whose General Conference delegates are very conservative.
Of course, as I said in Saraspondence’s website, this movenent will benefit from your prayers and encouragemen to which I will be most grateful.
I am hesitant to involve like-minded UMC pastors with a current UMC parish assignment for fear that they may get ostracized or worse, get de-frocked. I don’t want to wish that on them. But you, Pastor Dave, does not have that kind of problem. You had been a UMC pastor for 9 years. As a previous UMC insider, you know the inner workings of the establishment. You are getting a lot of traffic in the Reformed Pastor website and you are a prolific writer. Your opinion alone is like a megaphone that will inform and attract like – minded people to this movement. You can be one of the many voices and mouthpiece for reform and renewal of the UMC.
The tentative title of my email is, “I have a dream- I am dreaming of a Reformed UMC.”
I am ready to develop an elephant skin. I am ready to be ridiculed, be called a trouble maker, a rabble-rouser and a toxic and poisonous influence. I guess there will be lonely days ahead for me if I decide to go through with this cause.
And lastly, Pastor Dave, can we know more why you decided to go to the UMC after you were born-again and why you decided to leave the denomination after 9 years. Pastor Dave, can we get a detailed testimony?
I have to apologize that I am not a writer. My mother tongue is not English. BTW, I am also from New Jersey.
God bless,
Adely
Sunday, 9/4/11 10:51 PM ET