Inside this issue:

Volume 16, Issue 4 July/August 2010

Stepping Around Scrip- 1-2
ture & Discipline Stepping Around Scripture and Discipline—Again!
Rev. Greg Stover By Rev. Gregory D. Stover
You Americans Are So 1,3
Smart nance and Administration sist CFA and the Conference
(CFA) chose Mr. Brownson to address the financial con-
When Christian Values 2 from over fifty applicants for straints that are threatening
Are Missing
Editor the position. The news re- our mission capacity … I am
lease announcing his nomina- fully cognizant that some per-
Our Radical General 4
Board tion emphasized his sons will seize upon my par-
Editor Rev. Greg Stover “financial experience, integ- ticipation and support of
Respectability & the 4-5 rity, proven strategic planning Bill’s nomination as advocacy
UMC Stepping around Biblical abilities and dedication to an of a homosexual lifestyle. The
Editor
teaching and the firm stance effective ministry of financial only agenda I have had in the
Call to Action Steering 5 of our United Methodist Dis- management and administra- entire search process has
Committee cipline proponents of full tive responsibilities,” It also been for a financially chal-
Editor
inclusion for practicing gays included a brief reference to lenged West Ohio Conference
An Urgent Call to Evan- 6 and lesbians gained another his homosexual lifestyle: to have a superior CFO.”
gelical Laypersons
Editor victory at the 2010 session of “Originally from Northwest Despite a process carefully
the West Ohio Conference. Ohio, Mr. Brownson is a planned by the Conference’s
A Call to Action for Evan- 6-7 th
On Monday, June 7 mem- member of King Avenue UMC Unity Task Force to ensure
gelical Pastors
Editors bers of the West Ohio Confer- and lives in Columbus with fair, informed, and civil de-
ence elected Mr. Bill Brown- his life partner of 20 years ...” bate, many believe the deci-
Read a Good Book 7 son, a self-avowed, practicing In a letter to all conference sive factor in the debate was a
Lately? gay man, as the Conference’s members supporting the elec- seemingly intentional strategy
Editor
new Treasurer and Director of tion of Mr. Brownson, resi- crafted by the CFA outside
Administrative Services by a dent Bishop Bruce R. Ough the agreed upon debate proc-
thin margin, 948 to 920. wrote, “He was the only can- ess. These actions included:
West Ohio’s Council on Fi- didate ready right now to as-
(cont. on page 2 )

“You Americans Are So Smart!”by Rev. Ryan Barnett

A few years ago on one of my trips to Rwanda, I had the opportunity to sit down and
talk about the nature of the worldwide church with a Rwandan pastor in the Anglican
Church. Being a part of the Episcopal connection, he was well versed in the particular
challenges of American Christianity. In fact, he travels frequently to America to visit the
churches here who have detached from the American arm of the Anglican sea over the
ordination of a practicing homosexual bishop. In a search for the opportunity to live out
an orthodox practice of their faith, these churches have placed themselves in African dio-
ceses.

With his tongue squarely planted in his check, my friend quipped, “You Americans are so
smart. You have figured out how to have time to argue about everything. We Africans
barely have enough time to tell our people about Jesus.”
(Continued on page 3)
 Page 2
(Stover, Cont.)
• Presenting Mr. Brownson
to lobby with youth and
young adult members of
the Conference prior to
the vote with no provision
for presentation of an
Jesus reached to opposing view.
• Using the Conference
all of us who sin, Treasurer’s report to re-
peatedly affirm and en-
and most especially dorse Mr. Brownson.
The Conference Treasurer
those who were re- compared the Conference
to an airliner flying in a
jected and marginal- storm on one engine.
ized with a gracious Without Mr. Brownson’s
election, the last engine
and balanced would be gone and disas-
ter would be certain.
Gospel of love • Although the Conference
suspended the normal
and accountability, rules of debate, the Chair
of the CFA was permitted
repentance and the customary closing
forgiveness, speech after debate had
concluded in addition to a
transformation lengthy nomination
speech.
and reconciliation.
While acknowledging Mr.
Brownson’s professional
abilities, prior to the Confer-
ence, evangelicals worked
both behind the scenes and
publicly to oppose the nomi-
nation and election. Before
the close of the conference,
evangelicals presented a letter
signed by over 100 clergy and
laity, including three district
superintendents, protesting
CFA’s actions and the elec-
tion of Mr. Brownson.
Groups are organizing across
the conference to channel the
anger and frustration of
United Methodists across
West Ohio.
Supporters of Mr. Brown-
son’s election stressed that the
Discipline contains no spe-
cific statement forbidding the
election of self-avowed prac-
ticing homosexual laity to
positions of significant spiri-
tual leadership in the annual
conference. The irony of this
argument is found in the fact
that the whole spirit and tenor
of the Discipline provides a
different sense of the will of
the General Conference. In
addition to the foundational
statement in the Social Princi-
ples that “the practice of ho-
mosexuality is incompatible
with Christian teaching,” the
Discipline denies ordination
to self-avowed practicing ho-
mosexuals, forbids the per-
forming or blessing of homo-
sexual unions (an offense for
which clergy can be charged),
and refuses funding for the
promotion of homosexuality.
Proponents of full inclu-
sion of practicing gays and
lesbians have long argued that
specific statements about the
matter in the Discipline are
legalistic and unnecessary.
Then with further irony, these
same proponents continue to
use every silence in the Disci-
pline to further test the church
and promote their agenda.
The Scripture clearly
teaches an inclusive Gospel -
“Whosoever will may come.”
Jesus reached to all of us who
sin, and most especially those
who were rejected and mar-
ginalized with a gracious and
balanced Gospel of love and
accountability, repentance and
forgiveness, transformation
and reconciliation. Evangeli-
cals believe that Jesus’ bal-
ance was lost in the West
Ohio decision.
Once again, the clear
teaching of the Scripture and
our own covenant as United
Methodists has been set aside
in the interests of practicality
and a flawed interpretation of
inclusiveness.
Rev. Gregory D. Stover is Senior
Pastor of Armstrong Chapel UMC
in Cincinnati, a former District
Superintendent, and four time
delegate to General Conference.•

WHEN CHRISTIAN VALUES ARE MISSING

By: the editor

The Associated Press reported on April 23, 2010 that China’s top health body announced that Chinese
health workers who improperly dispose of dead babies will be “severely dealt with.” This followed an inves-
tigation into the dumping of several bodies along a river in eastern China. During the previous month, 21
bodies of babies and fetuses—some with hospital identification tags around their ankles—were found
washed ashore on the Guangfu River. One was stuffed into a yellow bag marked “medical waste.”
In China, most families are permitted to have only one or two children. A traditional preference for
sons remains strong, and the abandoning, aborting, and killing of newborn baby girls is still common in rural
areas.
Part of the radicalness of Christianity is its declaration that every person is made in God’s image and is
therefore of extreme importance. Every baby, born or unborn, is of awesome value in the sight of God.
But when Christian values are missing, human values sink like a rock in a lake. Then people are evaluated
on a utilitarian scale and can be discarded as waste.•
 Volume 16, Issue 4 Page 3

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Church.•
(Barnett, continued)
His point is well and truly made. In the midst of our arguments at Conferences, people
are perishing apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s like we are arguing over the best cold
remedy for someone who is having a heart attack. In my mind, there is only one way to
move forward.

It is time for us to reframe the debate. When we debate whether or not homosexuality
is a sin, we are not debating the inherent worth of homosexuals – or at least we should-
n’t be. Every child of God is of inherent and sacred worth. Likewise, we should not be
debating over whether someone can be “born gay.” It is a non-issue. That’s like suggest-
ing that because I was born a sinner, sinning must be God’s best intent for my life! Argu-
ing within this type of framework is a chasing of the wind – totally futile. And in the end,
it is not really what we are arguing about.

If we are very honest, the heart of our disagreement in Methodism centers around two
fundamental issues. First, do we believe that the Bible is authoritative? If we do, we
should be arguing over how to best promote Biblical literacy in our communities. In-
stead, we debate as though the Bible is subject to changing cultural norms.

Second, do we believe that Jesus is the Savior – the only way to the Father? If so, then
our time should be spent arguing over how to most effectively distribute our time, tal-
ents, and treasures in a way that will save the most number of souls. Instead we plow
countless resources into activities that reveal a belief that Jesus is not the One and Only,
just one of many.

We Americans are so smart. Somehow we have managed to amass a level of affluence

that affords us the opportunity to forget the urgency of our mission. Somehow we have
become so entrenched in our own arguments that we have lost sight of what we are
really arguing about. We have the ability to offer people the authoritative Word of God
– a true and trustworthy love story of a jealous God who never changes and never re-
lents. Moreover, we can offer them Christ – the author and perfector of our faith! We
Americans are so smart. Wesley was right to remind us that we have nothing to do but
save souls. If only we would listen.

Rev. Ryan Barnett is the Worship Pastor at University United Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas. A
34 year old graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and Asbury Theological Seminary, Ryan is the
preacher of one of the fastest growing contemporary services in Methodism. He is married to Kim, who Rev. Ryan Barnett
shares his passion for growing the Kingdom at home and abroad through evangelism, mercy, and justice.
Ryan is also a Confessing Movement board member. His email is: ryan@uchurch.tv•
 Page 4

Our Radical General Board

By: the editor

The General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) is United Methodist’s official $5 million a year
political lobby, funded by the contributions of all United Methodists.

GBCS has earned the reputation as our radical general board. Consider the following actions of
GBCS and ask yourself if this board is representing most United Methodists.

• As a member of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) the board pushes for un-
restricted and government funded abortion on demand, despite the fact that the official United
Methodist position on abortion (Paragraph 161J) is very different.
• GBCS pushed hard for Obama care and socialized medicine.
• GBCS promotes the agenda of the homosexual lobby, in direct opposition to the standards of the
UM Book of Discipline.
• Prior to and during the 2008 General Conference, GBCS tried to persuade the church to redefine
marriage, setting aside the biblical definition of a lifelong covenant between one man and one
woman. GBCS proposed that marriage be defined as a covenant “between two consenting adults.”

Now GBCS is attacking the biblical idea that single people should be sexually celibate. For the
second time in less than a year, GBCS has published an article arguing that sexual relationships outside
the covenant of marriage are not necessarily improper. This latest article, written by an anonymous
United Methodist elder, was published on June 7th as part of the “Sex and the Church” series in the
board’s weekly newsletter. The article asserts that the exchanging of covenant wedding vows is not
necessarily “a dividing line between moral and immoral” sexual relations. This suggestion in the
GBCS newsletter is made despite the fact that any United Methodist clergyperson could face formal
charges and possible de-frocking if he or she is found guilty of “not being celibate in singleness or not
being faithful in a heterosexual marriage.” (Paragraph 2702.1, Book of Discipline)

In launching the “Sex and the Church” series last year, Bishop Deborah Kiesey, President of GBCS,
and Jim Winkler, the board’s chief executive, issued a joint statement saying the series would “help
provide needed education to our children and ourselves.”

If you want to express your opinion to Bishop Kiesey and/or Mr. Winkler, their e-mail addresses are:
Bishop Kiesey—bishop@dakotasumc.org, Jim Winkler—jwinkler@umc-gbcs.org •

Respectability and The United Methodist Church by: the editor

Methodism began as a poor man’s movement in
England and America, dominated by coal miners,
farmers, and common laborers. John Wesley,
Francis Asbury, and the early Methodists in-
vented the camp meeting, those rousing field-
preaching events of the 1700s. But as Wesley
predicted, when people receive the gospel and
are born again, they tend to develop good habits
and a strong work ethic. Then they become
prosperous. But with that prosperity came re-
spectability. Methodism moved “uptown.” Edu-
cation and refinement made field-preaching
seem uncouth. As Wesley observed, “Riches
naturally beget pride, love of the world, and
every temper that is destructive of Christianity.”
Volume 16, Issue 4 Page 5
(Respectability, Cont.)

When the great reformer William Wilberforce
was a child, he was deeply influenced by the
Methodism movement. As an adult he led the
battle to abolish the slave trade in the British
Empire. He was also instrumental in beginning
missionary and Bible societies, all done in the
name of Jesus. But later his two sons, Samuel
and Robert Isaac, both clergymen, were embar-
rassed by their father’s evangelicalism. They
wrote a whitewash of a biography, “The Life of
William Wilberforce,” toning down their father’s
evangelical leanings in order to make his great
parliamentary work more “respectable.”
Jesus won no awards for respectability. Andree
Seu, writer for World magazine, observed that
Jesus went to all the wrong parties (Luke 15:2)
and missed all the right funerals (Matthew 8:22).
He ate when he was supposed to fast (Mark
2:18), came to dinner with unwashed hands (Mark
7:2-3), and once at the table gave His attention to
all the wrong people (Luke 7:36-50). He let His
disciples eat free-standing grain on the Sabbath
(Matthew 12:1). He made a scene in the Temple
(John 2:13-17). His own mother was embarrassed
by His behavior (Mark 3:20-21).
Ms. Seu added: “I want to be like the blind man
on the Jericho road, who was told by the crowd
to shut up, and who kept crying out to Jesus
anyway, because he was too desperate to be
ashamed.”
(By Dr. Bill Bouknight, with credits to Andree
Seu and World magazine)•

CALL TO ACTION STEERING COMMITTEE

By: the editor

When the Council of established the Call to churches in the United

Bishops met in May, Action Committee of States have been rated
2009, it was clear that twelve persons, led by and categorized as high,
the UMC in the United Bishop Gregory Palmer, medium, or low vitality
The decline States and Western to manage this project. It churches. Churches in
in Europe was continuing to is funded up to $500,000 each category will be se-
decline. The latest mem- from the Connectional lected at random to study
apportionment bership figures (2008) Table. Part of that and determine factors
payment, showed a loss of 1.1 per- money has been used to that drive vitality. The
exacerbated cent. The decline in ap- hire three consulting Call to Action Commit-
portionment payment, firms. Some of the spe- tee will make its final rec-
by the exacerbated by the cific ideas being consid- ommendations to the
worldwide worldwide economic cri- ered are elimination of Council of Bishops and
economic crisis, sis, has created pressure the guaranteed appoint- Connectional Table in
has created across the Church. ment for clergy and re- 2010. The results of the
Therefore, in May, 2009, structuring of the church. surveys listed above can
pressure the Council of Bishops All the bishops have been be found on our website.
across the established the Call to asked to host
Church.. Action Steering Commit- “conversations” in their
tee “to refashion and re- respective areas on the You can also follow the
position the church for subject of reordering the progress of the meetings by
the 21st Century.” That life of the church. All visiting our website at
www.confessingumc.org.•
Steering Committee then 33,850 United Methodist
Page 6

An Urgent Call to Evangelical Laypersons

By : the editor
Are you a layperson who wants the United Methodist
Church to be more faithful to the Bible? Do you long for
a reformed and renewed church? If so, you can help by
making sure that your local church elects excellent mem-
ber(s) to your Annual Conference’s 2011 session. That
session will perform two critical functions: electing dele-
gates to the 2012 General Conference, and voting on
proposals to be forwarded to General Conference for
action.
Here are the steps to take:
• Talk with other pro-reform friends in your local
church. Find out who is on your local church’s Com-
mittee on Lay Personnel (nominations committee).
Every local church or charge elects at least one lay
member (and an alternate) to Annual Conference.
Pick out several of your most respected evangelical/
orthodox laypersons (and that could include you!)
and have your friends recommend those names to
members of the Committee. If your local pastor is
evangelical/orthodox, make the recommendations to
him/her too.
• The election of church officers for 2011 usually
takes place in the fall of 2010 at the annual Charge
Conference. Find out the date of that meeting and
be sure that you and your like-minded friends at-
tend.
• If the Committee does not nominate your sugges-
tions, you can make nominations from the floor dur-
ing the Charge Conference. Request that voting be
by secret ballot. That request must always be hon-
ored. Don’t be discouraged by resistance or criti-
cism. Be firm but winsome. To continue United
Methodism’s return to Christian faithfulness, many
more Biblically-minded, pro-reform lay members of
each Annual Conference are urgently needed.
• Consider and pray----Are you willing to serve as a
member to Annual Conference? This position will
be so vital in 2011 that it would be worth your taking
several days of vacation in order to be present. If
you are willing, tell your like-minded friends and
have them inform the Committee on Lay Leadership.
Also, contact your District Superintendent’s office
and offer to serve as a district at-large member if
needed.
• Once you have been elected as a member to An-
nual Conference, pray about whether or not you
should seek to be elected as a delegate to General
Conference. General Conference is the only body
`
that can speak officially for the Church and make
final decisions on all important matters. The next
General Conference will meet for about 10 days in
the spring of 2012 in Tampa, Florida. Getting
elected to General Conference will require some
time and effort, making contacts and writing letters.
If you want guidance in how to wage a successful
campaign, please contact the Confessing Move-
ment.•

A Call to Action for Evangelical Pastors

By : the editor

(In less than a year, United Methodists will elect delegates to General Conference and vote on resolutions to send to General Con-
ference. Here are seven steps I am urging evangelical pastors to take over the coming months. Dr. Bill Bouknight)

1. Imitate John Wesley by observing A PARTIAL FAST on Fridays, skipping the noon-time meal and using that time to
pray for a renewed United Methodist Church.
2. PREACH AT LEAST ONE SERMON PER MONTH WITH LOST SOULS IN MIND. They are in every congrega-
tion. Proclaim the core truth of the Gospel:
A. All people in their natural condition are lost souls who need salvation.
B. The only way to be saved is to repent of sin and trust in Jesus Christ as one’s personal Savior and Lord. Then let’s
give people an opportunity to respond in faith.
3. Let’s make sure that our local congregations GIVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO AT LEAST ONE OF THE UNITED
METHODIST REFORM GROUPS.
4. Starting now, let’s be intentional about working a plan to ELECT OUR MOST ABLE EVANGELICALS, LAY AND
CLERGY, AS DELEGATES TO THE 2012 GENERAL CONFERENCE.
5. When your Committee on Nominations and Leadership Development meets later this year, MAKE SURE THAT THE
PERSON YOUR CHURCH SENDS TO THE 2011 ANNUAL CONFERENCE IS AN OUTSTANDING EVANGELI-
CAL.
6. During the 2010-11 Conference year, REVIEW THE PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE
FROM THE COALITION OF UM REFORM GROUPS. Select at least one to promote in your Conference, asking the
Volume 16, Issue 4 Page 7

Conference next summer to affirm it and forward it to the General Conference of 2012 for consideration and approval.
7. On at least an annual basis, TEACH OR PROVIDE A CLASS IN YOUR LOCAL CHURCH ON THE ARTICLES
OF RELIGION AND THE CONFESSION OF FAITH.. Or, preach a series of sermons on the six beliefs that John
Wesley called “essentials” or the “main branches” of Christian truth: original sin, the deity of Christ, the atonement,
justification by faith alone, the work of the Holy Spirit (including new birth and holiness), and the Trinity. (From
“John Wesley’s Theology Today” by Colin Williams)•

A NEW BIOGRAPHY OF BONHOEFFER

By: the editor

A new and perhaps definitive biography of the great German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer has
been written by Eric Metaxas. Entitled “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy,” Metaxas tells
Bonhoeffer’s story with passion and theological sophistication, often challenging revisionist accounts
that make Bonhoeffer out to have been a humanist or a pacifist.
Deeply influenced by Karl Barth, Bonhoeffer had a high view of Scriptural authority. For him, the
challenge was to deliver the Word of God as purely as possible, without any need to help it along or to
dress it up. The Word alone had the power to touch the human heart.
Bonhoeffer earned a doctoral degree in Germany and then spent the year of 1930-31 at Union
Seminary in New York City. His impressions of American Christianity are still instructive. At that
time Riverside Church had just been established by John D. Rockefeller as America’s premier pulpit
for Harry Emerson Fosdick and theological liberalism. Bonhoeffer was deeply disappointed by the
liberalism he encountered at Riverside and at Union Seminary. Bonhoeffer preferred the more or-
thodox preaching of Dr. John H. McComb at the Broadway Presbyterian Church. Referring to Dr.
McComb’s church, Bonhoeffer declared, “This will one day be a center of resistance when Riverside
Church has long since become a temple of Baal.”
Approximately fifteen years after he made that statement, the young evangelist Billy Graham was
conducting a crusade in the New York area. After visiting Riverside Church he admitted that it “was
impressive in a pagan sort of way,” but he noted that it was devoid of any Christian symbol, even a
cross. (“Just as I Am,” p. 96)
Bonhoeffer anticipated the current struggle between liberalism and orthodoxy. He wrote, “Many
Christians want to talk about God’s love and acceptance. They don’t like talking about Jesus’ death on
the cross to satisfy divine wrath and justice.”
Some of Bonhoeffer’s American friends begged him to remain in America rather than returning
to the turmoil of a Nazi-controlled Germany. But as Bonhoeffer explained in a letter to theologian
Reinhold Niebuhr, “I shall have no right to participate in the reconstruction of Christian life in Ger-
many after the war if I do not share the trials of this time with my people.”
Though prior to the war, Bonhoeffer leaned toward pacifism, he recognized that Hitler had to be
stopped. He wrote, “Only at the cost of self-deception can observant Christians preserve a façade
of private blamelessness clean from the stains of responsible action in the world.” Bonhoeffer often
used the example of a drunken driver killing pedestrians by driving up onto sidewalks. While it is no-
ble to care for the casualties of this wild driver, someone has to stop him. For Bonhoeffer, Adolf
Hitler was that wild driver. Therefore, Bonhoeffer agreed to participate in a plot to
assassinate him.
Bonhoeffer was arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned for two years. On April 8,
1945, just a few weeks before the end of World War II in Europe, Bonhoeffer was
executed by hanging, on the express orders of Hitler. The prison physician who wit-
nessed the hanging said, “In the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have
hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.”•
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Officers Board of Directors Staff

Honorary Co- Executive
Chairmen Turner Arant Mickey Ellis Dan Moore Director
Maxie Dunnam Ryan Barnett Ira Gallaway Joy Moore Patricia L. Miller
Tom Oden Larry Baird June Parker Goldman Donna Schlitt Associate
President James Buskirk Judy Graham Jim Smith Directors
Gregory McGarvey Bob Collins David Jenkins David Stanley Bill Bouknight
1st Vice President Edwin Cooper Tom Junk Gregory Stover Riley Case
Larry Baird Mary Daffin Joe Kilpatrick Jeff Switzer Secretary
2nd Vice President Sam Daffin Charles Kyker Phil Thrailkill Heather Catlow
Judy Graham Wendy Deichmann John Ed Mathison Stephen Wende Bette Grubaugh
Secretary Maxie Dunnam Gregory McGarvey Steve Wood Bookkeeper
David Jenkins Bonnie Petrow
Treasurer
Tom Junk
Advisory Council: William Abraham, Frank Alegria, John Case, Tom Dyer, Gail
Asst. Treasurer
Harrelson, Godfrey Hubert, Diane Komp, Evelyn Laycock, Liz Meyer, Randell
Joe Kilpatrick
Editor, Mickler, Elizabeth Moreau, J. D. Phillips, Jeff Spiller, Budd Sprague, Harry Wood
We Confess
Bill Bouknight