This blog was written prior to Annual Conference - a meeting that will be filled with decision making. This year is distinctive as we are trying to process the outcomes from Special General Conference and how we will collectively act on those outcomes.
So what is a Christian to do?
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
John Wesley trusted the Bible above all else. However, he believed we need to interpret and apply the Bible based on Christian Tradition as well as Experience and Reason. We in the UMC are not dogmatic about every verse to be taken literally. Our faith has provided a way forward for all people to be welcome into the church; our faith has allowed for divorce; and our faith has allowed for women clergy, even as the Bible, taken literally, forbids women from talking in church or holding leadership positions. Pray the Holy Spirit inspired our Christian conferencing and decision making.
Pastor Curtis