Confessing Movement issues statement on unity
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The Rev. Maxie Dunnam |
Sept. 28, 2005
By Daniel R. Gangler*
CINCINNATI (UMNS) - The Confessing Movement within the United Methodist
Church has issued a proclamation welcoming "serious attention to the
denomination's unity and the basis of that unity."
The proclamation was approved Sept. 24 by the more than 300 participants
at the Confessing Movement's national conference. According to the
two-page document, "Unity in Christ, That the World May Believe," the
proclamation came as a reaction to discussion at the 2004 General
Conference - which adopted a unity resolution - and the appointment of
the Unity Task Force by the Council of Bishops.
The document was introduced by the Rev. Maxie Dunnam, chancellor of
Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky., and vice president of the
Confessing Movement, on behalf of the group's board of directors.
The document rests on three convictions held by the movement:
- "There is no authentic unity in the church apart from agreement on the truth of the gospel.
- "Our (United Methodist) constitutionally protected Doctrinal Standards are foundational to our agreement in the gospel.
- "There are inadequate proposals for unity to be named and critiqued."
Doctrine is central to the document,
according to Dunnam. "We don't want this to be a strident doctrine," he
told the conference.
The proclamation is "not an action plan but a platform for action," he
said. The Confessing Movement board members are preparing a letter to
the Council of Bishops asking for the integrity of the United Methodist
episcopal leaders, he said. A commentary will be written that might
suggest actions to be taken, he said.
The document states, "Genuine unity in the church is not secured by
religious sentiment, sincere piety, dead orthodoxy, tight property
clauses or appeals to institutional authority and loyalty." It defines
genuine unity "as a precious gift of the Holy Spirit … rooted in the
gospel of Jesus Christ, witnessed to in Holy Scripture, summarized in
ecumenical creeds, celebrated in worship and sacraments, demonstrated in
common mission, articulated in our teaching, lived out in love, and
contended for by the faithful."
The document proclaims that unity requires official doctrine, careful
teaching of the apostolic faith by the leaders of the church and the
maintaining of the denomination's Book of Discipline as a covenant of
trust.
The document also cites "practices that contribute to disunity,"
including neglect of Scripture, disobedience to the church's Doctrinal
Standards, claims of new sources of revelation that set aside the
authority of Scripture and the tested morality of the church, and
"capitulation to lifestyles that are inconsistent with Christian
discipleship."
The proclamation says dissent is inevitable. "Principled dissent is to
be tested in Christian conferencing by its congruence with Scripture and
the church's Doctrinal Standards."
The document affirms the Confessing Movement's mission to reform and
renew the United Methodist Church by advocating doctrinal unity in
Christ and the church's mission of making disciples. The document closes
by stating that the movement prays for all United Methodists to "join
in this holy work of recovering our unity in Christ."
Several participants at the conference said the section on dissent
needed strengthening, but Dunnam said those drafting the final statement
"did not want to send any kind of a warning or threat to the church."
One participant appreciated "the sweet spirit" and said it was important
to keep that. Another said, "We need a goal-line stance. I'm tired of
being on the defensive. I'm not afraid to talk about 'amicable
separation'" - that is, allowing the breakup of church membership and
property because of theological differences.
Dunnam reminded the group of its vision of unity. "We are not divided
from the church," he said. "We are living the book. … We will deal with
the 'what ifs' when the 'what ifs' come along. ... We will bear that
cross."
After the proclamation was confirmed, the Rev. Robert Renfroe, a
Confessing Movement board member and associate minister at the Woodlands
United Methodist Church near Houston, addressed the conference. "We
need to listen as first steps toward unity. Listen to others; listen to
God," he said.
"Homosexuality is not the issue," he said, referring to a topic that has
been a focal point of theological debate in the church. "There are
deeper problems." He outlined those as the nature of moral truth,
authority of Scripture, revelatory words of Scripture, and the
uniqueness of Christ as supreme Lord and Savior of the world.
"These are the issues that divide the United Methodist Church. They must be addressed," Renfroe said.
The Indianapolis-based organization is an unofficial United Methodist
caucus supported by 1,526 congregations, 5,025 clergy and 661,804 laity,
according to the group's data.
*Gangler is director of communication of the United Methodist Church's Indiana Area.
News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
Video Highlights
Unity Resolution: "We reaffirm our commitment to work together."
Resources
United Methodist Church affirms its unity
Commentary: General Conference shows church's will for unity
Conflict mediators explore communion's role in healing schism
United Methodist panelists discuss 'nature of church'
Resources
Confessing Movement
Asbury Theological Seminary
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