My First, EVER, Disclaimer Regarding Joining the United Methodist Church

For the first time ever, I had to offer a disclaimer to some youth who chose to confirm their faith in worship on April 28, 2019. 

Today, April 28, 2019, through vows that they are going to asked to affirm they will become members of Christ Universal Church:   

• In the first vow they are asked, "Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness and reject the evil power of the world and repent of their sin.  In other words, do they turn away from anything that would distract them from loving and serving God. 
• They are then asked, "Do you accept the freedom and power God gives (we don't have to depend upon our own resources, God provides) them to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves"--and I encourage them to remember their answer to this vow.) 
• Then they are asked, “Do you accept Jesus as your Savior and promise to serve him as your Lord in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations and races?”  
• And finally, they're asked, “Will you remain faithful members of Christ’ holy church and serve as Christ Representatives in this world?”

These ancient vows are asked of every follower of Christ, and as they affirm them they become part of the church universal.    

Next, together with the people gathered we will reaffirmed our faith as contained in the Old and New Testament by reciting the Apostles' Creed.  While our denomination isn't creedal (meaning we do not have to sign on to specific statement of beliefs into order to be a member of our denomination) we do use the Apostles' Creed as a statement of faith in our hymnal and occasionally in our worship services.

The highlight of the service is when we invite the youth to be confirmed to come forward and we (pastors, families and mentors) will lay hands upon them and pray that, "The Holy Spirit to rest upon them that, having been born through water and the spirit, they will be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ."  I celebrated that at this moment there will be “Amens” and clapping as we welcome these newly confirmed into Christ’s Church.  

Everything up to this point has focused on Christ, Christ's Universal Church and their commitment to this new direction in their life!  I then explained that at the end of the confirmation rite, they, as members of Christ Universal Church will be asked two more questions. 

Now, back in the day, we were asked ,“As members of Christ’s universal church will you remain loyal to the UMC and do all in your power to strengthen its ministries.”

Full disclosure now!  I am glad that we no longer ask this question in this format.  Over this last year, we have had conversations that our UMC is undergoing a particularly difficult season.  None of us know what the UMC will look a year from now when I will stand before a new set of confirmands.  For you see, we have people who disagree how some interpret scripture, doctrine and understand God’s grace, openness and inclusion of all persons to enter in the full of opportunities including marriage and ordination in the UMC.  Specifically, we are excluding LGBTQAI persons from these opportunities.

      

Now we ask, “As members of Christ universal church will you be loyal to Christ through the UMC and do all in your power to strengthen its ministries.” 

The difference is subtle but important.  We are asking if they will be ”loyal to Christ through the UMC”, and not “loyal to the UMC.”   We aren’t encouraging them to be disloyal to the UMC but to understand that when we are loyal to Christ that sometimes it is necessary to disagree with the denomination in order to strengthen the ministries of the Church.      

This is not without precedence, At one time the people called Methodist supported slavery.  And it was nearly a century after the civil war ended, in 1968, when the Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren that resulted in the merging of the Central Conference into the Jurisdictional conferences in the United States which abolished a previously racially segregated conference structure.  And while women were awarded the right to vote in the United States in 1920, the Methodist Church didn’t ordain its first clergy woman until 1956 and the consecrate the first female bishop until 1980.  Today, one quarter of ordained clergy are female and nearly one quarter of the active bishops are also female.

As you can see, it takes a long time for change to take place in the church. And it takes people a long time to bring about change even when society has made the move in that direction and the church lags behind.  Therefore, I want you to understand that your loyalty, our loyalty is first and foremost to Christ and the universal church and that where there remains injustice and oppression of a people (which you said you would resist in the second vow of joining Christ Universal Church) in the denomination our loyalty to Christ trumps our loyalty to our denomination.  We need to understand that just because something is “the way it is now” doesn’t mean that “it will stay that way forever.”  It takes time for change to happen but when people put their hearts and minds and trust in God to guide them on the way that change will come and the ministries of the church will be strengthened. 

My friend, our newly confirmed sisters (we only had young ladies this year) in Christ, this is why it is so vital for you to say, “I will “ to this vow.  Your voice matters!  You can't change the structure and dynamics of the church if you choose to remain outside of the membership.  Therefore, having made this full disclosure, I hope that you will say yes to being Loyal to Christ through the UMC and together we can continue to strengthen the ministries of the church.