The Confessing Movement of the United Methodist Church held their annual conference in September. Out of that conference came a new statement which seeks to address the causes and remedies for the disunity that exists within the UMC. Here's the press release that was distributed:
“Unity in Christ, That the World May Believe” is a new statement adopted by the Confessing Movement Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio September 24, 2005. The statement is an attempt to address the church on the basis on which the Confessing Movement believes unity in the denomination can be recovered.
According to the statement sustaining unity requires:
- A new appreciation of the necessary role of official doctrine in the intellectual and spiritual life of the denomination.
- The careful teaching of the apostolic faith by bishops, pastors, and seminary professors, including its call for personal and social holiness.
- Diligently maintaining the beliefs and standards of The Book of Discipline as a covenant of trust.
The statement also speaks of practices that contribute to disunity:
- Neglect of Scripture and disobedience to our Doctrinal Standards,
- Claims of new sources of revelation that set aside the authority of Holy Scripture and the tested moral standards of the church,
- Capitulation to lifestyles that are inconsistent with Christian discipleship.
The statement will be accompanied by some additional notes so that it can be the basis for discussion and study. Persons attending the conference offered a number of helpful suggestions in the formation of the document. The full document is available on the Confessing Movement website: www.confessingumc.org
Any movement toward church unity must involve conversation, discussion, dialogue, and debate. While the church talks much about conversations, very few conversations are taking place that involve evangelicals and the institutions of the church. A major breakthrough of sorts took place on September 21, 2005
or www.umc.org and link to the article: “Church Women’s Forum Brings Basic Differences to Surface.”
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