Dear United Methodist Church

In honor of Martin Luther and Reformation Day (yesterday) here is what I would post to the door of the United Methodist Church or Headquarters. (If you need a quick history lesson click here...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformation_Day)

Dear UMC,

There are many qualities I love about the United Methodist Church. I love your open communion table for any age or denomination. One doesn't have any hoops to jump through in order to participate in the Lord's Supper. I love your inclusion for females in leadership roles. I admire your agenda for outreach and social justice. I absolutely love your connectionalism and value the relationships I have made through your gift to network. God is doing an incredible work through you and I know people are experiencing Jesus Christ through this denomination. I am thankful for you.

I would like you to know a little bit of my story with you. I was hired to work at a UMC five years ago and even though I was not born and raised Methodist, you were open to hiring me . THANK YOU! Yet, even after becoming staff and a member, I still didn't feel comfortable claiming the UMC denomination as part of my spiritual identity. This is mostly because I can't stand the thought of being labeled or limited to a spiritual box of worship styles and beliefs. However, I have no problem being labeled as a Christian because I love being associated with Christ.

I recently quit working for you months ago for more reasons than I could ever write in a blog entry. I had a few other job offers at different United Methodist churches. I also had several invites to simply just attend other UMC's with friends. However, I found myself completely avoiding any church with that little cross and flame symbol on the sign. The thought of being part of your club just didn't sit well with my soul. It may sit well for many others and I am glad it works for them. Everyone has their own story to tell.

As much as I do believe God is moving mountains through your denomination, I can't help but feel UMC leaders seemed to be more concerned with expressing "What is Methodist"more than what it means to follow Christ. Almost every meeting to me, felt like the main agenda of the church was  to maintain traditions, policies, money, and attendance. I understand these things are important, but they should not be the primary focus of the church.  In my experience, I got the feeling the UMC was trying to maintain their Christian club instead of truly seeking after the things Christ sought after. For a while, I had hoped it was just our little country church that seemed to have their priorities out of order. But after recently being asked to take a survey for you, I quickly discovered it was the whole denomination that had their priorities mixed up.

Here is an example.

The UMC goals listed on your website for a "Vital Congregation" are the following...

1) Worship Attendance
2) Numbers of profession of faiths
3) Numbers of disciples doing outreach
4) Numbers of small groups
5) Amount of money given to mission (not sure how much this is for actual people in need or if mission includes helping to keep up with the church)

I believe a vital congregation should centralize around what Jesus focused on. This is why I would change them to...

1) Love God with all heart, mind, soul, and strength
2) Help others encounter the living Christ through communal worship
3) Help others grow in their faith by teaching God's word and plugging them into community
4) Love others in the community and in the world by helping them with their needs
5) Practice and discern listening to God's voice personally and communally

Basically I would change the focus from NUMBERS to actually focusing on people's hearts and needs instead of what the church thinks the church needs.


Sincerely,

Samantha Tidball