“Just As Is” Methodists

There are 3 sides: the conservatives or traditionalist side, the progressive side, or the status quo-- “just as is.”

In preparation for the 2022 General Conference**, the three sides having been meeting, making decisions on their own terms; many suggesting they are drafting proposals to bring to the General Conference.

During this pandemic-induced wait, there has been evident calm within the UMC, mainly from the moratorium on charges related to the LGBTQ clergy. No one is filing complaints.

A group of General Conference delegates brought the question forth of a future church and map out a document “Out of Chaos, Creation: Imagining a Better Way of Being United Methodists.”

“We are committed to being the Church together, despite our differences,” the vision map says. “We each have a place at God’s table.” Following founder of Methodism, John Wesley’s three general rules in leading Christians to living a faithful life: “Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God.”

They call to “stop the harm” by continuing the moratorium.

“Do good” by having dialogue with each other instead of filing charges.

And “Stay in love with God” as Job wrote we "find our moral direction, our wisdom, our courage, our strength to live faithfully from the One who authored us, called us, sustains us, and sends us into the world as witnesses who daily practice the way of living with Jesus."

We are as open to criticism and opinions as we are to who takes communion. Everyone gets to participate at the table. God’s house has many rooms for everyone.[18]

They also point out that the UMC claims about 12.6 million members worldwide, including nearly 7 million in the United States.

The UMC’s demography is illustrated by the apportionment of voting delegates for the 2022 General Conference: About 56% come from the United States, 32% from Africa, 6% from the Philippines and most of the rest from Europe.

Looking closer at the numbers, 3 to 1 UMC members are against the conservative schism. It has become clear if the General Conference delegates were made up only of Annual Conferences within the United States, the all-welcome of LGBTQ peoples would have passed. It was the African and Asian delegates that voted with the conservative Methodists from the United States that bought their theology and schism in the winning.

In other words, within the United States, the majority are the Progressive Methodists. This knowledge comes by the Progressive Methodists taking a stand stating they would not leave their church and continue the discussion.