With the election of a self-avowed,  practicing homosexual bishop and the resolutions of non-conformity to the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church by five annual conferences and two jurisdictional conferences, schism in the UMC is almost a certainty. The bishops commission on a way forward will meet later this year to try and hold the denomination together, but the chances are getting slimmer with each act of disobedience by individuals and conferences.

I want to encourage you to be in prayer for the UMC. Division will not be easy, especially at the local church level.  Our church is unique, in that there will probably not be a lot of controversy when it comes to choosing which direction we will go.  The Fount is strongly biblical and traditional in its theology.  But not all churches are, and most are deeply divided within.  So prayers are needed to help United Methodists in the US prepare for what is probably inevitable.  Pray, also, that United Methodists will not lose faith in God through all of this.

Let me invite you to join with other faithful United Methodists to #PrayUMC every Monday until the next General Conference, which I hope will be in 2018 to address this division.  You can search the hash mark to see others who are lifting the church up in prayer on Mondays every week, and join with them.  I am considering hosting a prayer meeting each Monday during the day for those who would like to gather together for prayer, so let me know if you’re interested.

Whatever happens, God is still God and Jesus Christ is still on the throne! We can add our “Hallelujahs” to that and commit ourselves to hold our sisters and brothers in the faith in prayer. Just as we ask God to “heal our land” in this contentious political season, so we must implore God to “heal our church” so that we can return to the ministry of Jesus Christ, for which the world desperately longs.

In the Hope of the Gospel,

Pastor Glen