What Does Global Methodism Need?

An undivided church. I recently sat in on several international consultations of Methodists and United Methodists. All spent some time discussing informally the upcoming Special Session of the General Conference. And those conversations reminded me of nearly 30 years of listening to conversations of, and living among, Methodists who were in some way marginalized in the larger social context. 

Such marginalization can take many forms. In most of the world Methodists, like Christians in general, are a minority, often a tiny minority. This is true in India, China, Japan, and across the dominantly Muslim world. Methodists in these societies live at best in continual insecurity, and sometimes under constant attack.

Even when Christianity is the dominant religion of a society Methodists are often a marginalized minority, even seen as an unfortunate sect. This is true across Europe, where small Methodist communities struggle for acceptance in societies for which Lutheranism, Catholicism, or Orthodoxy are considered the cultural norm. And it remains true in much of Latin America, where Catholicism still dominates the social consciousness and public institutions. 

And even when Methodists are numerous and growing, as in Africa, they may be socially marginal in relation to far longer established churches whose long ties with post-colonial governments, and independence movements that preceded a Methodist presence. 

Regardless of the situation of marginalization, Methodists have benefited greatly from their participation in a global Methodist, or even United Methodist movement. Even the smallest Methodist churches have an enhanced social significance because they participate in a global movement that can mobilize significant resources in their aid. And these resources are not merely financial. 

A global Methodist church can, and has mobilized political resources to support oppressed communities. It can develop social institutions such as schools and hospitals that raise the profile of local Methodists. And it can provide a theological education for pastors and church workers that strengthen local congregations and contribute to their distinctive sense of identity and mission.

These benefits simply are not available to loose confederations of independent congregations, or even to what are essentially branch churches of American or European denominations. A global church is, next to Christ’s Spirit, the greatest guarantor that the most oppressed and marginalized Methodists can not only endure but carry out their mission of preaching the gospel. 

This is why I saw representatives of European, African, and Asian church literally shed tears over the possibility of a division in United Methodism. No fragment of the current UMC, however doctrinally unified or conversely broad minded can replace for these churches what the current UMC provides. I also heard, quite clearly, the view that the division of the UMC will the imposition of a problem created by and for Americans on a global church. It will be the last and most destructive act of the colonial era - an ecclesial smallpox against which Methodists world-wide have not spent 60 years developing immunity. 

How we can learn to live together isn’t clear. But it is vastly irresponsible that we would even begin to contemplate division.