A newsletter for United Methodists working for Scripture-based reform in our denomination. GOOD NEWS: Africans May Outnumber Americans in Despite Protests, Liberal UMC UMC within a Decade Seminary Honors Prominent Evangelist UMAction continued from page 5 declined, remaining at just below one half of one UMAction Briefing percent of the church. be retracted. Candler students and faculty staged an obnoxious Briefing At the 2016 General Conference, 58 percent anti-Fox protest. Student and protest organizer Zebulun Treloar of delegates will come from the U.S., down from expressed hope that this would intimidate the Candler Alumni The Institute on Religion & Democracy 61 percent in 2012. Thirty percent will come from Board into establishing a pro-homosexuality litmus test for all 1023 15th Street NW, Suite 601, Washington, DC 20005-2601 Africa, 4.6 percent from Europe, and 5.8 percent future awardees. The Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) 202.682.4131 • umaction@TheIRD org. from the Philippines. (Europe and the Philippines self-servingly invited Candler to right its alleged wrong by for- www TheIRD. org. UNPRECEDENTED: Council of Bishops are disproportionately represented thanks to each mally becoming an RMN-affiliated “Reconciling Seminary.” Rebukes, UMW Honors Talbert annual conference, however small, being guaran- Candler’s dean, Jan Love, who is hardly conservative, teed at least two delegates.) decided “[a]fter careful consideration” to still honor Fox at the IRD PRESIDENT n October 26, Melvin Talbert, the long-retired former bishop of San Fran- Winter 2014 Mark Tooley The total 2012 UMC lay membership of September awards ceremony, noting that “Fox represents the cisco, traveled to the Birmingham, Alabama, region to stage a publicity stunt 12,518,936 includes 7,390,691 Americans, 4,852,976 overwhelming majority of [United Methodist] church members” UMACTION DIRECTOR of becoming the first United Methodist bishop to officiate at a same-sex “wed- Inside: and insisting that “Candler’s task is to continue to facilitate an O Africans, 216,326 Filipinos, and 58,943 Europeans. John Lomperis ding” ceremony. He did so in open defiance of both the biblical standards of the UMC ‘Biblical Disobedience’ Update: Three If American United Methodism continues open, vibrant community of conversation created with people Book of Discipline he vowed to uphold and the public protests of the resident bishop, Pastor Exit UMC Ministry as DS ‘Marries’ STEERING COMMITTEE losing 90,000 members annually while African who hold stark and different perspectives.” Debra Wallace-Padgett, and the executive committee of the Council of Bishops. Two Lesbian Pastors . 2 Sara Anderson Jane Bonner William Bonner United Methodism gains 170,000, Africans will ACTION: Write to Dr. Jan Love to thank her for not succumb- Dixie Brewster Janice Crouse Rev . Dan Fuller During a tense November 11–15 meeting, the global United Methodist Council UNHINGED: Liberal Activists within UMC withhold Prayer, Promote ‘Open outnumber Americans by 2022. ing to pressure to rescind the Rev. Fox’s reward, and to urge Betsy Kersey Gerald Kersey J . Robert Ladd of Bishops called for formal charges to be filed in our denominational accountability Bathrooms’ . 2 The increasing Africanization of the UMC is her to make Candler more inclusive of conservative, evan- Charles Miller Rev . Martin Nicholas Jim Otjes system against Talbert. Such a public rebuke by the Council of Bishops of one of its own The National Choir of the West African nation of the Ivory Coast singing during worship widely credited with shifting our denomination gelical faculty and students: Dr. Jan Love / Candler School of Leo Scholl William Smallwood David Stanley is likely unprecedented in modern United Methodist history. Wesley Studies Scholar and UMAction at the 2012 UMC General Conference (Photo: Mike DuBose / UMNS) in a more biblical, theologically orthodox direc- Theology / Emory University / 1531 Dickey Dr. / Atlanta, GA Jean Leu Stanley Helen Rhea Stumbo John Stumbo While this move was supported by a clear majority of active UMC bishops, Bishops Advisory Board Member Promotes Humble Christian Approach to Politics . 3 tion, to the consternation of liberal church activ- 30322 / [email protected] Sudarshana Devadhar (New England), Sally Dyck (Northern Illinois), Grant Hagiya ADVISORY COMMITTEE ecent membership statistics show that United Method- ists. After the 2012 General Conference, Bishop Despite Protests, Liberal UMC Seminary Karl Baumgardner Rev . Karen Booth Riley Case (Greater Northwest), and Robert Hoshibata (Desert-Southwest) publicly dissented. ism is shifting away from American liberal Protestantism Awards Prominent Evangelist . 4 Minerva Carcaño (now of the California-Pacific Annual Con- Rev . Ken Collins Rev . Walter Fenton Rev . Ira Gallaway Talbert has long been notoriously disdainful of non-liberal United Methodists and Rtowards a new global identity. ference), an outspoken activist for the LGBT cause, infamously Rev . Tom Oden Rev . Bob Parrott Rev . Edmund Robb has become increasingly aggressive in encouraging renegade UMC clergy to defy our GOOD NEWS: African sMay Outnumber Between 2009 and 2012, while United Methodism lost roughly lashed out at African United Methodists, saying she was “won- T . Terrell Sessums Faye Short Glen Spann church’s biblical policies on sexual morality. Americans in UMC within Decade . 4 280,000 lay members in the United States, UMC congregations in dering when our African delegates will grow up.” Rev . Don Wildmon Three weeks later, the Scarritt-Bennett Center, a retreat venue run by United Meth- Your Opinion, Please! . 5 Sub-Saharan Africa gained nearly twice as many members. odist Women (UMW), held a ceremony to award Talbert alongside anti-death-penalty In 2012 African membership grew to 39 percent of UMC FOR REFLECTION: Revelation 7:9–10. UMACTION STAFF Alexander Griswold activist Sister Helen Prejean. United Methodist News Service reported that Jocelyn D. laity while Americans’ share dropped to 59 percent. Another 1.7 ACTION: Praise God for the growth of his kingdom through Briddell, the center’s director, explained that Talbert was selected for his promotion of percent of lay United Methodists are Southeast Asian, reflect- our church in Africa. Keep informed about issues affecting “inclusiveness regardless of race, gender and sexual orientation.” He used his accep- ing a reported increase, while European UMC membership has our United Methodist brothers and sisters who live there. Do you receive the tance speech to promote his “disobedience” campaign and urge support for President UMAction E-Newsletter? Obama. UMW’s New York headquarters has long been dominated by activists strongly Despite Protests, Liberal UMC Seminary Honors Prominent Evangelist If not, just sign on to opposed to traditional Christian beliefs who have operated with very minimal ntolerant LGBT activists at Candler School of Theology (part 2,000 years of very consistent Christian teaching that homo- www.TheIRD.org and subscribe to this timely accountability. of Emory University) recently sought to make a United Meth- sexual practice is sinful. This has long been our denomination’s and informative e-mail Any formal complaint filed against Talbert will have to be sent to the current Iodist alumnus of this United Methodist seminary persona official stance. Furthermore, convoluted arguments for church on the latest happenings president of the regional college of bishops for the U.S. Western Jurisdiction, Elaine non grata for his crime of … supporting United Methodist beliefs! affirmation of homosexual practice cannot be squared with the affecting The United Stanovsky, and proceed through a complex process from there. Rev. Eddie Fox, Executive Director of the World Method- Doctrinal Standards which our clergy promise at their ordina- Methodist Church. ist Evangelism Institute, is internationally renowned as pastor, tions to “preach and maintain,” since this core doctrine affirms UMAction staff FOR REFLECTION: 1 Timothy 5:20. preacher, evangelist, and author. He graduated first in his Candler a high view of biblical authority and declares that “no Christian constantly travel the IRD President Mark Tooley and ACTION: Write to Council of Bishops President Rosemary Wenner of Germany class. For his impressive record of service to the church of Jesus whatsoever is free from the obedience of the [Old Testament] country to report the UMAction Director John Lomperis and Bishop Stanovsky to urge that biblical standards be upheld with integ- Christ in 155 countries, he was selected as one of three recipients commandments which are called moral.” latest developments rity so that Talbert loses his standing as a United Methodist minister. Be sure within the UMC. of Candler’s 2013 Distinguished Alumni Awards. But because of Fox’s very United Methodist position, pro- Some theologically liberal United Methodists dismiss Fox’s work to address both leaders with appropriate respect. Bishop Rosemary Wenner: This elder statesman of United Methodism also publicly sup- homosexuality activists at Emory demanded that his award to share the Gospel because of his refusal to affirm their views on [email protected]; Bishop Elaine Stanovsky: Rocky Mountain Annual Con- Bishop Mel Talbert with Sister Prejean at the awards Stay in the know! Subscribe today at ceremony (Photo: Beth Kindig / UMNS) human sexuality (Photo: UMNS) ference / 6110 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard / Greenwood Village, CO 80111 ports the clear teaching of the Old