Bishop: Fear does not have to divide the United Methodist Church

Bishop James G. Nunn
·3 min read
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Christian cross between two opposite heads. Forgiveness, communication, difference, contradiction and tolerance concept. Flat design. EPS 8 vector illustration, no transparency, no gradients
Christian cross between two opposite heads. Forgiveness, communication, difference, contradiction and tolerance concept. Flat design. EPS 8 vector illustration, no transparency, no gradients

It has been difficult. It has been troubling.

However, in the past few years, I am encouraged by the strength and resilience of the United Methodist Church in Oklahoma. There are many examples of ministries that express compassion, create community and inspire hope throughout the church.

In the midst of the pain is unshakable faith, strength and service.

Our denomination has been struggling with the issue of human sexuality, focused on a paragraph in our Book of Discipline from 1972. Progressive voices want it removed. Conservative voices want it to stay. Moderate voices want to find other solutions.

In the divisiveness, the United Methodist General Conference, our worldwide governing body, established a process that allows local churches who wish to sever relationship with the UMC to depart gracefully. That action passed by a slim majority.

I did not choose this. I don’t want any church to leave the UMC, whether it’s a large church like St. Luke’s United Methodist Church or a small church family like we have in small towns in almost every county in the state.

This has damaged lifelong relationships, and we’ve lost focus on our mission to transform the world through Jesus Christ.

And the division is not one-sided.

Whether it is the progressive or traditional congregation, it is driven by fear. There is fear of what might happen in our Book of Discipline in the next year — that the language will change or that it won’t change. And there is fear of the unknown in our local churches.

I can’t predict what might happen when our general conference meets in 2024. But I have faith. With that faith, I am confident that the UMC will remain a vibrant, world-changing family full of a variety of voices — progressive, moderate and traditional.

More:St. Luke is pursuing split from the United Methodist denomination, here's why

I know this because it is not the first time our denomination has faced a divisive issue and come out strong. We’ve made it through many challenges since our founding in the 18th century.

Every community is different, so diversity in our churches is important. That’s how we meet and serve all the people in our contexts throughout the state.

There is not unanimity at most churches. We’ve seen it over and over as churches have voted to stay or leave. We will see it next week at St. Luke’s, at Claremore and other locations. Relationships will be strained or broken, no matter how the votes turn out.

That breaks my heart.

Some people think that unity is a landing strip — a place where we all have to end up ― agreeing with one another.

But, in The United Methodist Church, unity has always been a launching pad — where we start together. It is rooted in the balance of connectional unity and local freedom. From there, we launch into our ministries. Our local churches transform their communities and the world for Jesus Christ in their own unique ways.

More:Why we stay: Preachers explain why they won't cut United Methodist ties

Today, I am asking churches to have faith, not fear. God doesn’t want our denomination to be “liberal” or “conservative.” God wants and needs us to seek the same mission — creating followers of Christ.

I encourage you to stay with 12 million of us and focus on why we are here.

I pray for a great future where this church thrives, grows and introduces generations to come to the love of Jesus Christ.

Bishop James G. Nunn is the episcopal leader for the Oklahoma Area of The United Methodist Church.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: United Methodist bishop: Fear does not have to divide us