October 17, 2023
By Rev. Dr. Scott Field
During its seven-year history, the Wesleyan Covenant Association has generally confined our communications to address matters relevant to the internal conflict within the United Methodist Church. In this WCA Outlook, however, I want to encourage you to look outward at what is happening in the Middle East, but also to look deeply within.
Do not avert your eyes from the mission of the WCA.
The Wesleyan Covenant Association is committed to helping UM congregations through this season of denominational change to their prayerfully discerned and preferable future. These are churches that want to contend for God’s Word.
What does that have to do with hostilities in the Middle East?
In the long game of human flourishing, the WCA remains focused on the gospel mission of redemption through repentance and surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord. The power of sin can be broken. The love of God in Christ can transform the human heart. Instead of planting and cultivating seeds of hatred in the souls of others, we want to plant and cultivate seeds of grace and truth.
The WCA works to support the development of Christian congregations who, standing firmly on the written Word of God, are sent together, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, for the healing of the world in Jesus’ name. We will not settle for anything less…to the glory of God and the blessing of all people. This was the calling of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and, as children of Abraham, the blessing of the world is our concern, too (Galatians 3:29).
We unequivocally condemn the violence against the Jewish people and fully support Israel’s right to defend itself against further bloodshed. We stand unified in calling the attacks against the Jewish people sinful and repulsive.
We are keenly aware that Jews around the world may well be heartbroken by the attacks in Israel and fearful of the days ahead. We, too, are heartbroken and apprehensive, particularly with the outbreak of demonstrations against Jews in general and Israel in particular. Those of us with friends, neighbors, and colleagues who are Jewish should contact them directly to express our support, concern, and prayers.
Even more, we pray for the people, Israeli and Palestinian, as well as their leaders, for wisdom, comfort, protection, and peace. We pray for God’s protection of all the people of Israel and Palestine. We invite you to continue in prevailing and travailing prayer for the families who have suffered from the recent attacks in Gaza.
But do not avert your eyes.
While attending to the immediate, we continue to be committed to the eternally important. We are focused on our mission: supporting the development of Christian congregations who, standing firmly on the written Word of God, are sent together, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, for the healing of the world in Jesus’ name. That mission holds the promise of life-changing impact not only for the present but for generations yet to come.