The split in the United Methodist Church is widening.
A group of 16 bishops and some other leaders have written a document outlining “reconciliation through separation” to solve the problem created by America’s embrace of the Homosexual Agenda.
The Methodists, the second largest protestant denomination in the country, have two schools of thought. The orthodox branch holds to the Bible and its condemnation of homosexuality (in both the Old and New Testaments). Homosexuals should not be ordained and Methodist ministers should be disciplined if they perform homosexual marriages.
The liberal Methodists want to throw out the literal interpretation of the Bible and their own church doctrinal statements in favor of welcoming practicing homosexuals, ordaining homosexual ministers and celebrating homosexual marriages.
Methodist churches in Tulsa are split.
Asbury Methodist prefers orthodoxy while Boston Avenue Methodist is full-tilt liberal. First Methodist is taking a wait-and-see attitude. The issue won’t be solved until the denomination holds meetings later this year. A split seems inevitable.
A major concern for orthodox Methodists is that a split wouldn’t spawn lawsuits over ownership of church assets. This was a giant problem several years ago when Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian left their former denomination over the same controversy.
Here’s the key issue. What should a Christian do – follow the winds of progressive social change or hold fast to the truth embedded in the Holy Bible?
A split seems to be the best answer until the progressives see the error of their ways.