The Methodist church prides itself on being a broad church,
including all manner of opinions. It sees
it as one of its strengths. For me it
became a stretch too far. I have always
known I was at a far end of the scale, whether right or left I would not know.
I began life in a country Baptist church and belonged to that church until I
was fifty. At that point I left my first
husband for another man and felt unable to continue in that church. I was shunned by various churches but
welcomed by my local Methodist church. I
will always be grateful to them for helping me at a difficult time. My problem is not with the ordinary members
of the churches in my circuit, instead it is the attitude to doctrine and the
Bible that filters down from higher up in the denomination. I have pondered
staying in the denomination for the sake of the folk in the pews, but I now
feel i need to make this break as a warning to them that things are not as they
should be and their beliefs are more likely to be undermined by some who lead
them.
The new paper, the Connexion illustrates the sort of thing I
find myself unable to stomach. For
instance several chaplains give accounts of the work they do. These people would call themselves
evangelicals but all I can find is a social gospel with very rare mentions of
Jesus, where debt management is more important than presenting the gospel to
people. It is good to give the social
help but not at the expence of leading people to know Jesus. For me knowing
Jesus and the forgiveness He gives is the central most important thing in my
life and I would wish others to find this. I believe John Wesley would support
me in this desire. More importantly it is what my Sovereign God desires.
I love the people I
am leaving and pray God has wonderful things in store for them.
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