by Jay Therrell
August 30, 2022
Last year I started a reading project that will no doubt take me a while to complete. I’m attempting to read a major biography of all 45 U.S. presidents. Currently, I’m on John Quincy Adams, which means I’ve completed books on all five of the “Founding Fathers” who became president: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. I started this project as a leadership exercise to see what I could glean from the victories and mistakes made by those who have led at an extremely high level.
I’ve learned that these men were extraordinarily complicated. There is much to be admired, and like me, there are significant flaws to observe. Some had a deep faith. Others could be said to be deists at best. An unexpected, serendipitous benefit to this project has come from the first five presidents as I’ve grown a deeper understanding of everything they sacrificed in their struggle to separate from Great Britain and found the United States. It has given me a greater insight on our traditionalist struggles to separate from The United Methodist Church and found the Global Methodist Church.
The founding fathers and mothers were bold people! They put their very lives on the line for the cause of freedom. Great Britain would have hanged every one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Throughout the fledgling years of the American republic, these brave women and men put their families and fortunes at great risk (and in many cases sacrificed) to serve the people they led.
All of this led me to think about our own movement. The Methodists were founded with a holy boldness. John Wesley, an Anglican priest, knew his church had lost its way and had to be reformed. He spoke up at great cost. Almost every local Church of England forbade him from preaching in their buildings. The only way he could preach at his home church was to stand on his father’s grave in the adjacent cemetery. He had things thrown at him. He was run out of towns. People constantly threatened his physical well-being. Yet, he persisted because he knew what God was calling him do was of utmost importance.
Today, many of us are threatened. Church leaders say untruths about us. Clergy are warned they might be brought up on charges for sharing accurate information about the state of The United Methodist Church. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to reassure pastors that their pensions aren’t at stake after they’ve been told they could lose them. Some licensed local pastors have lost their pulpits.
All of what I just mentioned is unconscionable. Yet as unconscionable as it is, we need to recover the holy boldness upon which the people called Methodist were founded. I say this from experience. I personally resigned from the cabinet of the Florida Conference and then withdrew my ordination from The United Methodist Church after being doggedly pursued by progressive leaders in my own conference. The harm to my family was egregious. Yet, we persisted because we felt this cause is that important. I share none of that for a pat on the back – please don’t! I share it because I want you to know that I know how difficult this is. I understand the fear and sacrifice. But I can also tell you this: God is faithful!
Until we stand up to ecclesial bullies and shine light on the darkness, the darkness will continue. Until we stand up with righteous anger like Jesus, Peter, and Paul demonstrated at times, and say we will not support this injustice, the attacks will still come.
We need to say no more! Inspired by the holy boldness of John Wesley, Francis Asbury, and many others, we need to be willing to risk all that we have trusting that God is always faithful. We need to hold on for dear life to Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount when He said in Matthew 5:10-12
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Might we lose our jobs, our salaries, and buildings? We might. Will we gain our souls? We will. Will we be blessed? For certain we will.
It’s challenging and startling to read, but Jesus clearly taught in Matthew 16:24-27
Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
We have no choice but to obey. We must follow Jesus even when it costs us.
The Wesleyan Covenant Association stands ready to assist you as you boldly stand up for Jesus and advocate for the authority of scripture and Lordship of Jesus. Your regional chapters have Godly women and men who are ready, willing, and able to offer their help. The global WCA is proud to stand with you and for you. To find your regional leader, go to www.wesleyancovenant.org and click “contact us.” Scroll down and find your chapter’s contact information.
The great hymn Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus is one of my favorites. It was written by George Duffield, but the story behind it is terribly compelling. The hymn was inspired by the Rev. Dudley Tyng. Reverend Tyng was forced out of his Episcopalian church because he rightly took a stand and preached against slavery. During a sermon to 5,000 people at the Philadelphia YMCA Tyng famously preached, “I would rather that this right arm were amputated at the trunk than that I should come short of my duty to you in delivering God’s message.” Sadly, in a freak farming accident about a week later, Tyng’s arm was badly hurt, and he died from his injuries.
On his deathbed, Tyng was asked if he had a message to the people that attended that fateful sermon and he is reported to have said, “Tell them, ‘Let us all stand up for Jesus.’” His friend, the Rev. Dr. George Duffield was inspired by his dying words to compose the hymn and it spread quickly from there.
Our movement needs to be filled with people who have a holy boldness. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us filled with it. It’s our duty to carry that torch. I’ll give George Duffield the last words:
Stand up! Stand up for Jesus! The trumpet call obey; forth to the mighty conflict in this His glorious day. Ye that are men, now serve Him against unnumbered foes; Let courage rise with danger. And strength to strength oppose. Stand up! Stand up for Jesus! Stand in His strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you; ye dare not trust your own. Put on the Gospel armor, and, watching unto prayer, where duty calls, or danger, be never wanting there.
The Rev. Jay Therrell is president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association.