2014 UM Polity Series – General Boards and Agencies

        In the last article I talked about General Conference which is the highest legislative body of the global, not just national, United Methodist Church.  You may remember that I said that the United Methodist Church as a whole does not legally exist; it is not incorporated as such and there is no single headquarters. 

The work of the United Methodist Church at the general level is carried out by the general boards and agencies.  Each is separately incorporated as a legal entity, each is independent of one another, and each receives the mandate for its work from, and reports directly to, General Conference. You may also remember that there was a move during General Conference 2012 to switch to a smaller structure including a central governing board and central office.  This was ruled by the Judicial Council (more about them in a future article) as unconstitutional, per the UMC Constitution, because it required the general boards and agencies to directly report to another body other than General Conference.

There are 12 general boards and agencies.  Each has a Board of Directors of varying size and make-up as directed by General Conference in the Discipline, but each includes bishops, representatives from each Jurisdiction and Central Conference, (more about these later) and others to insure diversity and expertise.  Each has a president, traditionally a bishop, and a staff headed by a General Secretary.

            General Council on Finance and Administration cares for the overall financial, legal, and administrative concerns of the general church and provides resources and advice to local churches.  Each of the general boards and agencies handles its own funds under the guidance of GCFA.

            General Board of Church and Society leads the church in response to social issues, provides resources to local churches on social issues, and communicates the UMC position on social issues to political leaders, the media, and all of society.  Only the General Conference can adopt official positions on social issues on behalf of the whole UMC and does so through the Social Principles in the Discipline and in The Book of Resolutions.  GBCS is charged to put forth only the official position of General Conference.  If GBCS wishes to address an issue that has not been addressed by General Conference, it may only do so in its own name and not in the name of the UMC.  Any other United Methodist individual or group addressing a social issue may only do so in their own name and not in the name of the UMC unless they are simply stating the official position adopted by General Conference.

General Board of Discipleship provides leadership and resources to the church in the areas of Christian education, evangelism, worship, stewardship, spiritual formation, ministry of the laity, discipleship formation, age-level and family ministry, adult and older adult ministries, and ministry with young people.  Upper Room Ministries (publishers of The Upper Room Daily Devotional) is under the GBOD umbrella but is funded by its own sales and donations.

General Board of Global Ministries is the mission and relief arm of the UMC.  It is responsible for world evangelism and for the deployment of missionaries, deaconesses, and home missioners in the US and elsewhere.  It is also responsible for congregational development in the US and elsewhere.  Through UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) it provides disaster relief and recovery and development throughout the world.  UMW (United Methodist Women) is still related to GBGM but it is now a completely separate organization.

General Board of Higher Education and Ministry oversees and resources the policies regarding certified, licensed, commissioned, and ordained ministries and oversees United Methodist related colleges and seminaries.

General Board of Pension and Health Benefits provides pension, health insurance, and other benefits for clergy and lay employees of the UMC.

The United Methodist Publishing House is the printing and publishing arm of the church which publishes all of the official books of the church.  Abingdon Press and Cokesbury are also part of UMPH.

General Commission on Archives and History cares for the history and the historical records of the church.

General Commission on Communication/United Methodist Communications (UMCom) provides communication resources to the whole church including news service, public relations, websites, and advertising.

General Commission on Religion and Race provides leadership for race relations, the elimination of racism, and the full inclusion of people of all races in the church.

General Commission on the Status and Role of Women provides leadership for the full inclusion of women in all aspects of the life of the church.

General Commission on United Methodist Men provides leadership for United Methodist Men.

The Connectional Table is made up of the leadership of all the general boards and agencies and other members from around the church and provides coordination of mission and ministry among the general boards and agencies.  Remember, each general board and agency reports directly to General Conference.

2014 UM Polity Series: General Conference

For 2014 my articles will be focusing on United Methodist polity. (Polity is a fancy word to describe the way in which the church is organized, structured, and governed; it comes from the same root as politics.)  I have to confess that I am a polity geek; I really get into this stuff.
Today we start at the top with General Conference.  General Conference is the highest legislative body of the United Methodist Church.  General Conference is the only body that can speak for the entire United Methodist Church.  (An interesting piece of legal trivia: The United Methodist Church does not legally exist in that it is not incorporated and does not have a headquarters.  Our general agencies, institutions, annual conferences, and local churches are all incorporated and legally exist, we will say more about these in the future, but the United Methodist Church does not.)  The United Methodist Church only really exists during the 10 or so days every four years when General Conference is in session.
General Conference meets for approximately 10 days every four years (Presidential election years in the U.S.) during April or May and the location is rotated among five U.S. regions called Jurisdictions, more on these in a future article, and there has been talk of including locations outside the U.S. in that rotation.  The last General Conference was held on April 24-May 4, 2012 in Tampa, Florida.  The next General Conference will be held on May 10-22, 2016 in Portland, Oregon.  Arrangements for General Conference are mad by a committee called the Commission on the General Conference and a committee from the host annual conference.
The Constitution of the United Methodist Church sets the number of delegates to General Conference to be at least 600 and no more than 1,000.  In 2016 there will be 850 delegates, a significant reduction from 2012 in order to save money.  Each annual conference is awarded an equal number of clergy delegates (elders and deacons) and lay delegates based on its number of members.  At annual conference meetings prior to General Conference clergy members elect clergy delegates and lay members elect lay delegates on separate ballots.
It is of absolute importance to keep in mind that the United Methodist Church is a global church, not simply a U.S. church, therefore, General Conference is a global gathering.  The United Methodist Church is large and growing in Africa and there are United Methodist Churches in Europe and in the Philippines.  The number of delegates to General Conference from outside the U.S., particularly Africa, is growing.  It is projected that, 30% of delegates in 2016 will be from Africa, 58.3% from the U.S., 4.6% from Europe, and 5.8% from the Philippines, with the remainder from the Concordat churches.  (Concordat churches are other churches that exchange delegates with us, such as the British Methodist Church.)
General Conference receives and acts on petitions to make changes in the Book of Discipline and Book of Resolutions, or any other policies of the United Methodist Church.  Any individual United Methodist or United Methodist group can make a petition to General Conference.

2013 Doctrine Series #12 – Last Things

This is our last article in this year’s doctrine series and so this time we will deal with last things, well, last. 

This subject can get touchy because it can be scary for some and because faithful Christians disagree about many features of this doctrine.  First, I would like to state the core doctrine concisely:  Jesus will one day return to earth to set up his perfect and eternal kingdom, the dead will be raised and judged, and the faithful live in Christ’s kingdom, God’s new creation, forever.  That is the doctrine but there are many views within Christianity about how all of this will play out.  I am going to outline these views in this article.  Each of you may have a view with which you identify and each of you may have a view that you reject, but you have to promise me that you will remember that people who hold these views are all your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Also, I will need you to promise me that you will look up the Scriptures I cite for yourself since I will not have space to quote them here.

As we begin we need to define some terms…

Rapture - Jesus returns to resurrect those who have died in the faith and give new bodies to those who are still alive.  (Ezekiel 37:1-14, Daniel 12:2-3, 13, Matthew 24:40-41, Luke 17:34-35, 1 Corinthians 15:51-54, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Tribulation – A period of intense suffering on earth prior to the return of Jesus, during which according to many the Antichrist will rule the world.  (Often said to be seven years, either literally or figuratively.)  (Daniel 9:27, Daniel 12:1, Joel 2:31, Matthew 24:21, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, several passages in Revelation)

Millennium – Literally or figuratively, a thousand year period during which Jesus rules the earth. (Revelation 20:1-10)

New Heaven and New Earth (The Eternal State) ­­– God’s new creation in eternity.  (Isaiah 65:17-25, Revelation 21:1-4)

Now we will look at the various views that various Christian believers hold about how all these pieces fit together…

Pre-Millennialism – Jesus will return and rapture believers before the millennium and will rule on earth in person for one thousand years.  After the thousand years will come the resurrection and judgment of non-believers and the eternal state.  Pre-Millennialists are divided into three sub groups based on when they believe the rapture will occur. 

Pre-Tribulationists believe that the rapture will occur before the seven year tribulation period.  Believers, body and soul, will wait out the tribulation in heaven.  Non-believers will go through the tribulation during which they will have an opportunity to come to faith.  At the end of the tribulation Jesus returns to earth with the raptured church, those who came to faith and died during the tribulation will be resurrected, and the millennium will begin.  This is a popular view and is the view that is seen in the Left Behind series of books.

Mid-Tribulationists beliefs are similar to the pre-Tribulationists except that they believe that the rapture will occur sometime during the tribulation perhaps at the half way point, at three and half years, when things get really bad.

Post-Tribulationists believe that the church will go through the tribulation and the rapture will occur after the tribulation, at the beginning of the millennium.  Christians, those who died before and during the tribulation, will be resurrected at the beginning of the millennium; non-believers will be raised and judged at the end of the millennium.

Post-Millennialism – Jesus will return, the dead will be raised, and the eternal state will begin after the millennium.  The millennium is a period of peace on earth, literally or figuratively one thousand years, that is brought about by the church.  Originally this was envisioned in terms of total global evangelization, however, more recently, from the late 19^th century, it has been seen in terms of social change and activism.  This has been a very popular view of Methodists, both in its early version and more recently.  John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, held this view in its evangelical variety, believing that the whole world, not necessarily every person, would become Christianized.  However, there are Methodists that hold to all views.

Amillennialism – Means “No Millennium.”  The time we currently live in is figuratively both the tribulation, because it is a time of trouble and evil, and the millennium, because Christ rules in his church.  All the events described above occur at once when Jesus returns to commence the eternal state.  This is the official position of the Roman Catholic Church and of many mainline Protestant churches.  This was the position of St. Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Calvin.  However, many, if not most, denominations, including the United Methodist Church, do not have an official position on any of these views.

In closing, I would like to offer a final Scripture verse and a funny story in order to alleviate any anxiety this topic may have cause. 

The Scripture is very last verse in the book of Daniel.  These are God’s words of comfort to relieve Daniel’s anxiety after all the visions he had seen.  “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.” (Daniel 12:13) 

The funny story is about a preacher I once heard.  He was asked which of these end times views he believed in.  He said he was a “Pan-Millennialist.”  He said he believed everything was going to pan out in the end! 

2013 Doctrine Series #11 – What Happens after We Die?

This is one of the great question of life and religious faiths of all kinds attempt to answer this question.  Even atheistic/materialistic evolution has an answer for this question: we rot!
Christianity has a unique view of life after life that all too often gets mushed up with other views and our own imaginations, so we need to get some clarity.
First, the Christian doctrine of the afterlife is based on the belief that human beings possess something that other creatures do not: an immortal soul.  This is based on what we read about the creation of Adam in Genesis.  All of the other creatures God simply spoke into existence, but God “formed” Adam and “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Gen. 2:7)  There is a part of us that will continue to live on somewhere after this earthly life.  (In case you are thinking reincarnation, Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment.”)  So, we are all going somewhere after we die, the question is, where?
The Bible says that it will be one of two places.  These two places go by various names in the Bible but we most often refer to them as heaven and hell.  The Bible does not describe either of these places in much detail.  Most of what we have come to think about them has actually come from human imagination.  However, the Bible does tell us enough to want to go to heaven and not go to hell.  So the question is, how do we get to heaven?
Some people think that everybody just automatically goes to heaven.  However, Jesus himself says that there is a hell and people will actually go there.  (See Matt. 25:31-46 and others)
Other people think that one can get into heaven by being good.  The problem is that heaven’s standard is not merely good, it is perfect.  Nobody is good enough to get into heaven.
So how do we get into heaven?  Or, as the crowd asked Peter on the Day of Pentecost, “What should we do?”  Peter’s response is, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:37-38)  We get into heaven by being forgiven for our sins when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior by faith.  However, this does not mean that we simply get away with what we have done.  We will be judged and held accountable, but will not be condemned.  (1 Corinthians 3:12-15 and others)
At the moment of our physical death our spirit leaves our body and goes to heaven.  2 Corinthians 5:8 says that to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord.  But heaven, as wonderful as it is, is not the end of the story.  We also look forward to the resurrection of the body, which we will talk more about next time.
The greatest thing about heaven is the ultimate hope that it gives us.  Physical death is the very worst that this world can do to us but, because of our faith in Christ and our hope of heaven, we face death with courage and even with joy.  Jesus said, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more.  But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”  (Luke 12:4-5)  
 

2013 Doctrine Series #10 – The Holy Spirit and Sanctification

Most of us are familiar with the story of the Holy Spirit coming on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.  However, for many people the Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood person of the Trinity.
Perhaps I should take a moment here to at least define, if not explain, the Trinity. (It would take an entire article, in fact a series of articles, to even try to explain it.)  The doctrine of the Trinity (Tri-Unity) states that the Father is God, the Son, Jesus Christ, is God, and the Holy Spirit is God united in such a way that the three are distinct, unique, and equal persons but that there is still only one God.  The Trinity is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  This is one of those things we believe even though we do not completely understand it.
All three persons of the Trinity are present and active in all the works of the Trinity, however, we do often speak of certain person of the Trinity doing specific things, so the work of the Holy Spirit is, among many others…..
• Drawing people to God.  (John 6:44)
• Convicting us of sin.  (John 16:7-11)
• Helping us to understand and remember Scripture and the teaching of Jesus.  (Luke 24:45; John 16:13; James 1:5)
• Comforting us.  (John 14:16)
• Helping us pray.  (Romans 8:26)
• Gifting and empowering all of us for ministry.  (1 Corinthians 12)
o There are a variety of gifts.  Each of us has gifts.  There are given for the good of the church and the mission.
• Producing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.  (Galatians 5:22-23)
o Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
• Sanctifying us or Making us holy.  (1 Peter 1:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:3)
o Sanctification is a distinctive of Wesleyan/Methodist theology, and other theologies as well.  Sanctification or, as Wesley called it, Christian Perfection, is a state which is attainable in this life in which a person commits no known and willful sin.  However, there are two important facts to keep in mind:  First, Sanctification is not something we do or earn, it is the work of the Holy Spirit in us.  It is not about trying hard nor is it something to have pride about, that would be sin.  Second, Sanctification does not free us from mistakes, misunderstandings, or limitations.  It strictly deals with the idea of known and willful sin.  Sanctification is something we should pray for and allow the Spirit to work in our lives; it is a process.
Before closing I would like to take a moment to lift ups another distinctive of Wesleyan/Methodist theology: the three types of grace…
1. Prevenient Grace – The grace that goes before.  This is the grace that is active in creation and providence but it is also the grace that opens our eyes to our need for God and his forgiveness and draws us toward a relationship with God.
2. Justifying Grace – This is the grace that was revealed in the life and ministry and the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.  This is the grace we receive when we put our faith in Jesus and receive him as our Lord and Savior.  This is saving grace.
3. Sanctifying Grace – This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives empowering us and making us holy.

2013 Doctrine Series #9 – Ascension

            After Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday he remains with his disciples for another forty days.  After that he ascended into heaven.  The book of Acts tells the story this way in Acts 1:3-11.

3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

           Jesus is in heaven right now, seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again one day.  (I will say more about this in a future article.)  However, he is still busy.

• He is still with us, watching over us.

18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."  Matthew 28:18-20

• He is praying for us.

34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.  Romans 8:34

• He is preparing a place for us in heaven and, one day, he will come to take us to be with him.

1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”  John 14:1-3.

           Just as Jesus is busy in heaven watching over us, praying for us, and preparing a place for us, he expects us to be busy until he returns being his witnesses and making disciples.

2013 Doctrine Series #8 – Resurrection

Last time we left Jesus crucified, dead, buried in the tomb.  That was Friday evening, Good Friday.  But on Sunday morning, Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead.
All four gospels tell us the story of an empty tomb and a resurrected Jesus.  The gospels tell us that Jesus had a body that could be touched (John 20:27) and that he could eat, (Luke 24:40-43) but he could also do things like suddenly appear in a locked room. (John 20:19)  The Apostle Paul calls this a spiritual body.  (1 Cor. 15:44)
For the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation for everything else in Christianity.  Without the resurrection, Christianity simply falls apart.
Paul says that Christ’s death for our sins and his resurrection are of “first importance.” (1 Cor. 15:3-4)  Jesus appeared alive to over five hundred people. (1 Cor. 15:6)  If Christ has not been raised, “then our proclamation has been in vain, and your faith has been in vain.” (1 Cor. 15:14)  If Christ has not been raised then, Paul and all of those who preach, including me, are found to be “misrepresenting God.” (1 Cor. 15:15)  If Christ has not been raised our faith is futile and we are still in our sins.  (1 Cor. 15:17)  If Christ is not raised those who have died, and we who will die one day, have no true hope for salvation and eternal life, they have “perished.” (1 Cor. 15:18)  Finally, if Christ is not raised, we who have faith in Christ are, in a word, pitiful.  (1 Cor. 15:19)
Back in 2007 news broke that an ossuary, a bone box, had been discovered with the inscription “Jesus son of Joseph” on it.  Speculations began as to whether this box contained the bones of Jesus, never mind that Jesus and Joseph (and Mary) were very common names at the time.  A Discovery Channel documentary was released in March of 2007.  Let’s just say that most archeologists and Biblical scholars were not impressed with this discovery and the claims that were being made.  And, by the way, when they opened the box, it was empty.
Around the time this news broke I was in chapel at seminary when one of our professors, in jest, said, “The body of Jesus has found, all classes are canceled, and the seminary is now closed.”  That is what is on the line for us as Christians.  If Jesus has not been raised from the dead, the church is out of business.  The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the very core of the Christian faith.  Without these we have nothing.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ also points to our own resurrection at the end of time, but we will not be talking about that until toward the end of the series.