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The governing boards of advocacy groups who often are referred to as traditionalist, centrist, or progressive today announced their endorsement and support of the Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation.
The following organizations join in this announcement:
- The Confessing Movement within The United Methodist Church
- Good News
- Mainstream UMC
- Reconciling Ministries Network
- Uniting Methodists
- UMC Next
- Wesleyan Covenant Association
Values We Endorse Post-Separation
The post-separation United Methodist Church is a church that values…
Confession
With Christians of other communions we confess belief in the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—embracing the biblical witness to God’s activity in creation, which encompasses God’s gracious self-involvement in human history, and in anticipation of the consummation of God’s reign.
Scripture
We are deeply rooted in Scripture and grateful for the gifts of tradition, reason, and experience to interpret the Bible and live faithfully. We are committed to staying together and engaging with those who may interpret some Scripture differently in order to spread scriptural holiness and the love of God and neighbor across the land.
Discipleship
We believe that our salvation is in Jesus Christ and that the marks of a Methodist are loving God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Evangelism
We believe that we are called and sent to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We desire to share the good news of Christ and the love of God with all people.
Grace
We believe everything is smaller than the free grace of Jesus Christ, and we follow his example by walking with those who are vulnerable and working for the transformation of our own hearts and the world. Whether we call ourselves traditional, centrist, or progressive, we stand in the need of grace from God and from one another as we move on to perfection.
Revival
We believe that the church is called to be continuously renewing, reviving, repenting, and returning to God.
Unity
We believe that unity is found in and through the salvation of Jesus Christ and rooted in Jesus’ prayer in the Gospel of John: “I pray they [the believers] will be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (John 17:21).
Diversity
We affirm the teaching of John Wesley, “Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences.”
Inquiry
We affirm that in every setting and church there are people spanning theological and political spectrums, and we eagerly learn from and teach one another through vibrant Christian conversation and study, as we are enriched by different insights and points of view.
Inclusivity
We believe in making room for those who hold different views about LGBTQ marriage and ordination. We reject the discriminatory language and punitive measures that have characterized our policies towards LGBTQ persons in the past. We affirm and welcome LGBTQ persons, and all people without regard to ethnicity, race, gender, ability, or national origin into the full life of The United Methodist Church.
Conscience
We believe that decisions about weddings should be made in each church; decisions about performing ceremonies should be made by each pastor; and decisions about fitness for ministry and ordination should be made by each conference’s Board of Ordained Ministry.
The Global Church
We share the faith with siblings in Christ in every corner of the world and strive to join in mission together with them.
The Regional Church
We affirm self-governance for all regions of the world. We share a common theological task and heritage, but provide for contextual decision-making about how to reach and serve our respective mission fields effectively for Christ.
The Connectional Church
We believe in the connectional system that binds us together through the gifts of the Articles of Religion, Doctrines, and Our Theological Task, and in common work of witness and mission.
The Annual Conference
We believe that the annual conference is the basic structural unit of the vibrant Methodist movement.
The Local Church
We believe the local church is the primary arena for making disciples and is empowered to make decisions best suited for each setting in the work of reaching out and gathering all persons for fellowship, worship, spiritual growth, and service as disciples of Jesus Christ.
