December 31, 2024
By Rev. Dr. Scott Field
We loaded up your email box with WCA Outlook issues in December. We have one voice that says so well the secret of the WCA’s influence and impact: Rev. Jay Therrell, the second President of the WCA.
Honestly, Jay had prepared this piece at Thanksgiving time (he’s an on-time kind of leader). Other events pushed around our original timeline for distribution, so here is an important word both from Jay and from Scripture that captures how the Lord has used a network of committed believers to accomplish the unimaginable.
Jay was at the WCA helm during the tumultuous “season of disaffiliation” in the USA – holding regional equipping meetings, accessing legal and financial resources for churches seeking to disaffiliate, helping loose networks become organized for collective action in so many annual conferences, and traveling widely as a wise encourager. He was a key player, too, in the preparations for the launch of the Global Methodist Church and now leads the Florida Annual Conference of the GMC. He brought the gifts, passion, and faith to lead the WCA in an extraordinarily active season of its mission. We have all benefitted from his leadership!
Jay took the time to share his perspective on the impact of the WCA:
The Secret to Our Success
by Jay Therrell
“As I write this, it’s the day before Thanksgiving. I just finished the brine for our turkey and have the “bird” soaking in all the wonderful spices and dried fruits. I’ve started making the cranberry sauce so it can chill overnight with all the flavors combined for a sweet and tart treat.
“Along with all the goodness of the food we will have tomorrow, I am sitting at my computer writing this article with an enormous sense of gratitude for all that God has done in our midst over the past few years.
“This past season was extremely hard for most of us. We watched the foundations of our faith, like the authority of scripture and the Lordship of Jesus, erode. We felt betrayed and lied to by institutional leaders, and when we tried to hold them to account, we were gaslighted. Denominational officials, in many places, worked overtime to prevent congregations from disaffiliating and to censor pastors from leading their flocks. They threw up obstacles that were, in some cases, cruel and devastating.
“Yet, despite all of what I just wrote, God has done a new thing, and it’s beautiful to watch! A new Wesleyan movement, the Global Methodist Church, is well over two years old. It has approximately 5,000 congregations across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Without exception, everywhere I travel, I see congregations springing to new life. In some cases, churches that haven’t had a baptism in years are now rejoicing with people coming to faith. Churches are starting new ministries to meet people at their point of need and offer them Jesus. Entire countries full of churches are declaring their intent to join this movement. It’s powerful good!
“In the United States, over 25% of the churches in The United Methodist Church were able to disaffiliate. With all the obstacles thrown at us, we freed millions of people to pursue Jesus according to the historic, orthodox faith. When compared to other separations in the Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Episcopalian denominations, well over double the number of churches and people were able to find freedom. It was historic! Those numbers don’t begin to factor in churches that have departed the UMC in Africa, Asia, and Europe, and it will likely be sometime before accurate numbers are known as our former denomination is refusing to release them. That tells you how big the numbers are likely to be!
“Do you want to know the secret to our kingdom-success? The secret is simple and is what the Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 1. I’m first reminded of what Paul said in Colossians 1:3-6 as a prelude to sharing the secret.
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.
“And then Paul let the proverbial cat out of the bag in verses 26 and 27. He announced the secret – the very same secret to our movement’s kingdom success: “…the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
“The secret was and is: Christ in you, the hope of glory!
“The secret was that we have Jesus Christ inside us through the Person and Power of the Holy Spirit!
“The secret was that we rested in the knowledge of that Power of Jesus described in Romans 8:31-39
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“The secret was that we held tight to what Billy Graham used to say, “I have read the Bible from cover to cover, Genesis to Revelation, I know how the story ends: God wins!”
“The secret was dedicated laity, church leaders, pastors, leaders of Good News, leaders of UMAction, leaders of the Confessing Movement, and leaders of the WCA relying on the power of Jesus. Those who stood against us never had a chance!
“As we give thanks to God for all our many blessings (and struggles for God redeems them by making us stronger), I pause to give deep gratitude to Jesus for never abandoning us and for His victory on Easter over sin, evil, and death.
“I also give thanks for you. I give thanks for your faithfulness. I give things for your Holy Spirit-driven perseverance. I give thanks for your generosity of resources. I give thanks for your unwillingness to compromise the authority of scripture and the Lordship of Jesus Christ – our Lord and Savior.
“Christ in you and me – the hope of glory! It’s always been the secret to our kingdom-success.
“It always will be.”
The Rev. Jay Therrell is the superintendent of the Florida Conference of the Global Methodist Church and served the Wesleyan Covenant Association as its second president.