December 20, 2024
By Rev. Dr. Scott Field
No Introduction Needed for Keith Boyette
Here is # 4 in our “boxful of Christmas editions” for the WCA Outlook. We’re winding down WCA active operations on December 31. So far, we’ve shared voices you may not have heard before: Simon Mafunda, our Coordinator in Africa, Rev. Dale Shunk, Coordinator of the WCA International Intercessors Prayer Network, and Elizabeth Chryst, Chair of the WCA Global Council. 
Today, Rev. Keith Boyette, the founding president of the WCA, shares his retrospective on the birth and development of both the Wesleyan Covenant Association and the Global Methodist Church. What an excellent reminder of the path we have been on and the Holy Spirit-given trajectory that is carrying us into the future!
Here’s an encouraging word from Rev. Keith Boyette:
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
By Rev. Keith Boyette
The late pastor, Eugene Peterson, described discipleship as “a long obedience in the same direction.” The phrase is an appropriate description for those who have aligned with the Wesleyan Covenant Association from its inception. As the WCA concludes its active operations on December 31, 2024, now is a good time to look back and celebrate what God has done.
In October 2016, more than 1800 people gathered in Chicago, Illinois, to launch the WCA. None of us could have predicted what would follow over the next eight years. Trusting God, those who became part of the WCA set out initially to accomplish three primary objectives – 1) to contend for the Christian faith as delivered to us by the apostles and those who followed them including John Wesley, emphasizing the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the primacy of Scripture as our authority for the Christian life, 2) to encourage those who were committed to such an orthodox and evangelical faith in The United Methodist Church, and 3) to prepare for a faithful future.
In April of 2017, I became the President of the WCA, a position in which I served for the next five years. By November 2017, I was joined by the Rev. Walter Fenton as Vice President, and Teresa Marcus, as our executive secretary. God used this small team and many servants globally to accomplish the initial goals of the WCA.
Strong chapters were organized in every annual conference of the UMC in the United States and ultimately in most of the annual conferences globally. The chapters were on the front line of encouraging clergy and laity amid the dysfunction of the UMC. Walter and I had the privilege of traveling individually and sometimes together to many chapter gatherings where we witnessed the passionate commitment of rank-and-file Methodists to a vibrant biblical faith and witness.
The WCA’s Outlook e-newsletter was launched, weekly making the case for Jesus’ lordship, the primacy of Scripture, and the necessity of United Methodism’s commitment to the orthodox and evangelical faith. The WCA gathered annually in 2017-2019 and 2021-2022 for global gatherings featuring excellent speakers who shared testimonies of God’s gracious provision, encouraged perseverance and faithfulness for congregations and their pastors, and cast vision for a spirit-filled movement of Methodism. Delegates from each of the annual conference chapters met annually in global legislative assemblies, adopting resolutions advancing the WCA’s advocacy within the UMC and articulating our hopes for the future. Significant behind-the-scenes work occurred to think deeply about important issues facing our movement.
The WCA Global Council and its task forces prepared a draft Doctrines and Discipline for a new Methodist movement to be launched should the UMC special general conference in 2019 change the church’s historic teachings on marriage, ordination, and sexual ethics. Working in close partnership with Good News, the Confessing Movement, and UMAction of the Institute for Religion and Democracy, we informed delegates to the UMC special general conference of the critical decisions they were invited to engage. We celebrated the special general conference votes to reaffirm the UMC’s historic teachings on marriage, ordination, and sexual ethics.
The 2019 special general conference of the UMC had been promoted as an effort to resolve finally conflict over the UMC’s teachings on marriage, ordination, and sexual ethics; however, in its immediate aftermath, disobedience to the decisions of the general conference and the UMC’s Discipline increased, and it was evident that the conflict which had existed for more than 50 years in the UMC was only intensifying. The UMC leadership demonstrated it had no intention of complying with or upholding the decisions of the special general conference on marriage and ordination. Chaos ensued and continuing conflict was assured. Meanwhile, the witness of the UMC was weakened and its unity threatened.
Given the unwillingness of UMC leadership to enforce its Discipline and not wanting to participate in the further dilution of the UMC’s Christian witness, the WCA began to pursue persons from across the UMC who would prepare in good faith for amicable separation. These efforts ultimately led to a series of mediation sessions in which I represented the WCA, resulting in the proposal of the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation. The Protocol, if adopted by the UMC general conference, would have provided a way for theologically conservative churches to depart amicably from the UMC with their property and a share of UMC assets. The Protocol envisioned the formation of new Methodist denominations, one of which would have been theologically conservative. The Protocol was to have been voted upon by the delegates to the 2020 UMC general conference.
Based upon the likelihood of the Protocol being adopted, the WCA immediately began to assemble a broad coalition of theologically conservative leaders to launch a new movement which ultimately became the Global Methodist Church. From March of 2020 to March of 2022, a leadership team composed of persons affiliated with the WCA and other orthodox and evangelical leaders developed a Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline for the GM Church, using the WCA’s draft Doctrines and Discipline as a template.
WCA annual conference chapters held numerous events to inform United Methodists of developments in the UMC and to share about the Protocol and the emerging GM Church as it was being formed.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 general conference was postponed initially to 2021 and then to 2022. The WCA worked to remove barriers to the holding of the postponed general conference in 2022. Together with Good News, the Confessing Movement, and UMAction, the WCA organized an effort to ensure that non-US delegates to the general conference received vaccinations and obtained visas to participate in the general conference.
Despite these efforts to remove barriers to attendance by non-US delegates, the 2020 general conference of the UMC was postponed for yet a third time in March of 2022. The leadership team envisioning the GM Church, including WCA representatives, decided to launch the GM Church on May 1, 2022. The WCA transferred $1,000,000 from its Next Methodism Fund to the GM Church as seed money for the launch of the new denomination. The WCA served as a mid-wife assisting in the birth of the new denomination.
Effective May 1, 2022, I became the transitional connectional officer of the GM Church, its chief executive and administrative officer, and my tenure as president of the WCA concluded. However, the work of the WCA continued under the able leadership of Jay Therrell and later Scott Field.
There is much to be grateful for because of the existence of the WCA. So many of you gave generously, even extravagantly, in support of its mission and to fulfill its goals. Countless hours were invested by individuals at times at great personal risk to contend for the orthodox and evangelical Christian faith. God has used the WCA to ignite a passion for sharing the Gospel with those who have been far from God – to refocus our vision on Jesus as our Savior. Through the WCA, God has rekindled John Wesley’s vision for a vibrant spirit-filled disciple making movement. I praise God for His grace and mercy poured out upon us.
Rev. Keith Boyette recently retired as the Transitional Connectional Officer of the Global Methodist Church at the conclusion of its convening general conference. Rev. Boyette served as president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association from 2017-2022.
What now?
I hope, having read this brief overview, you are – like I am – wonderstruck by what the Lord has done and continues to do. Pause to offer praise and thanksgiving!
…the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
(Psalm 118:23-24 NIV)
Thank you for your partnership with the Wesleyan Covenant Association to contend for, celebrate, and share the “faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3-4) for the glory of the Lord, the healing of the world, and the blessing of many.
Yours in the Matchless Name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer!