by Jay Therrell
November 29, 2022
Dear WCA Family,
These days are a mix of joy and frustration. The joy is in the season. Ever since I was a little boy, the period from Thanksgiving to New Year’s has been extremely special to me. When I was young it was because of the decorations, food, and presents. As I grew up, I realized it was because of the significance these holidays bring to our lives. We gather together to give thanks to God our Father for His blessings in our lives. We then turn to Christmas and celebrate the greatest gift that has ever been given: the birth of Jesus Christ. We reflect on the year that was and stand boldly, arm-in-arm, with the Holy Spirit depending on Him to guide us through the next 12 months.
As I said, the joy is in the season, because this season is all about Jesus. But there is also frustration. Earlier this month, all five U.S. jurisdictions in The United Methodist Church elected new bishops. With these elections, all pretense toward a “big tent” ideal has been abandoned. These bishops are by far the most liberal elected to date (not one traditionalist was elected).
Beyond their liberal take on issues related to human sexuality is the shockingly cavalier way in which this new Council of Bishops has reinterpreted orthodox Christianity. A newly elected bishop in the North Central Jurisdiction has publicly said that it is not necessary that we all agree on who Jesus is. These new bishops want to change the ordination standards to violate 2,000 years of Christian orthodoxy. They want to remove all the accountability provisions passed at General Conference in 2019. For years bishops and other UMC progressive leaders have said there is room for everyone, that no one needs to leave. These elections prove otherwise. With the election of progressive thinkers in every corner of our continent, there is no more masking the obvious. The United Methodist Church is a thoroughly progressive denomination.
It is time to complete this separation and move on. And now more than ever, we need your help.
Much like the season, there is both joy and frustration in this work of reviving Methodism. God has worked among us in mighty ways this year, and we give thanks for every blessing. On May 1, the Wesleyan Covenant Association launched the Global Methodist Church. We are her proud parent, and we are grateful for how God has already been glorified through this new movement. In the seven months since that launch, hundreds of churches on four continents (soon to be five) have joined in the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ that worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly. Moreover, the WCA has laser-focused its mission on helping churches to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church while holding UMC leaders accountable to ensure they don’t hold double standards – one set of rules for progressives and another for traditionalists. That work has borne fruit, as Annual Conferences have loosened their grip on the requirements for disaffiliation. More churches have access to an exit door today.
These signs of progress are cause for joy, and yet we also feel the frustration of churches and pastors as we press against a system unwilling to let churches depart in peace. As we look to 2023, our mission is clear, and the clock is ticking. By December 31, 2023, there will be no more exit ramps for churches to leave the UMC. Recently, a senior leader in the UMC Council of Bishops shared with me that he did not expect any new exit ramps to pass the General Conference in 2024 and while that remains to be seen, conventional wisdom tells us this is the likely future.
We need your help on this Giving Tuesday. With a narrow timeline and mounting pressure, your support is critical to helping every church that wants to exit to have the best option for doing so. Help us finish the good work begun through the WCA six years ago. Help us resource churches and regional chapters, as they both move toward exiting and begin to dream about re-forming as provisional annual conferences for the Global Methodist Church. Friends, this is the last leg before the summit. The next stop will be General Conference. Let’s work together now so we can finish strong and turn our attention to the exciting work ahead.
My family has a tradition at Christmas. Whatever the most expensive gift is that we buy for someone, we give a greater gift to the ministry and mission of Jesus. I’d like to challenge you to do just that giving generously to the WCA this year and helping us complete the mission we’ve been given — to honor Christ and his Church by contending for the faith delivered to us by the saints.
Give online today by logging on to www.wesleyancovenant.org, then click “give.”
As we celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus, I bid you the same words sung by the angels announcing the world-changing gift of Christ, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14, NIV)
All God’s love,
Jay Therrell
President