Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation
The mediation team
On Friday, January 3, the United Methodist Church made national headlines when a group of 16 church leaders (from diverse theological, ethnic, and cultural viewpoints) proposed an agreement of separation. This mediation team has created this agreement in service to the delegates who will go to the General Conference in May. They represented very different and significant values in our twelve million member global church. The proposal is called "The Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation," or “The Protocol” for short. This page is dedicated to offer an unbiased explanation of The Protocol to educate members of St. Matthew’s UMC and the broader community.
The authors of The Protocol did what many within The United Methodist Church have done and are doing. That is, they are making a proposal for a way forward in a divided United Methodist Church. This team represents diverse points of view within our denomination. While we give thanks to God for our diversity, it also presents us with some challenges and this group has proposed a way for us to work through some of the issues generated by this diversity.
As United Methodists situated in the Valley Forge area, we are seeking to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, faithful to the scriptures, and faithful to our tradition as Methodists. We are seeking to welcome all people into the full life and ministry of the church, and, more deeply, into the grace of God. We are seeking to live together with our siblings across the world, even those who are in very different contexts. They have much to teach us.
The news media has picked up The Protocol as a lead story and many may perceive that its a “done deal.” It isn’t. The Protocol has to be considered along with the dozens of other petitions brought to the General Conference this year. It does have a reasonable chance of passing, since there seems to be a coalescing of support for it. However, implementing any plan will take years to work out with much prayer, discernment, and cooperation from differing points of view.
The material below gives some facts, explanation, and some reflections by prominent church leaders. It contains the following (click on the link to view the original source):
1. Press Release by authors of The Protocol
2. The Protocol itself (8 pages)
3. FAQ’s by the protocol authors
4. A list of reliable, unbiased news sources for UMC Information outside of mainstream media.
a. The United Methodist Church Official Site www.umc.org
b. The United Methodist News Service. www.umnews.org
c. The Council of Bishops www.unitedmethodistbishops.org
d. The Eastern PA Conference of The UMC www.epaumc.org
5. A response from Bishop Peggy Johnson, bishop of the Eastern PA Conference of The United Methodist Church.
I encourage you to read the mediation protocol. And I encourage us to give as much to each other and to those who differ from us as we possibly can. In this way, they will know we are Christians—by our love.
If you have any questions about The Protocol or the polity of The United Methodist Church, you may email me at pastorjohn@stmatthewsvf.org or call me at 610-688-7055 to talk or setup an appointment.
As pastor of St. Matthew’s UMC, I pray that the headlines will not distract us from accomplishing the ministry that God has set before us at St. Matthew’s. The best way for us to face any changes to the United Methodist denomination is for our congregation to be as strong as we can be.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor John