Planting New Churches in the UMC

Last week I was at Purude for the Annual Conference meeting for United Methodist pastors.

This guy with me is Tom Butcher. 

Butcher gave some statistics about the United Methodist Church in America. Check it out.

There was a period of fifty years (from 1870 to 1920) when the Methodist Church was planting a new church in America every day - 365 days a year!

During the year of our most recent reports (2004) 42.1% of the United Methodist Churches in America had no conversions at all. None. Zero.

The United Methodist Church is currently losing an average of 1,500 members each week.

There is not one county in the USA with a greater percentage of "churched" people than it had ten years ago.

I also received a report from Brent Williams on the status of the UMC in North Indiana.  His report includes the following.

In 1968 there were 203,918 members of the United Methodist Church; today there are 96,320.

In 1968 the average UMC worship attendance was 87,973; todeay the average worship attendance is 63,656.

So, how does that strike you?  Sobering, isn't it.  Kinda makes you think someone ought to do something.  But that's the kind of thinking that leads to such a precipitous decline.  Thinking "someone" ought to do something exuses "me" from doing something, doesn't it.  "Someone" is always "someone else." 

Well, what if we should do something?  What if I should do something? 
Would we?  Would I?
Would you?

I told the bishop we'd like to help.  We'll train pastors and church leaders. We'll encourage new congregations. We want God's Kingdom to come; we want God's Will done "down here" just like it is done "up there in heaven."

Matthew 28:18-20 - Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Comments

[Jim]

There are two ways to get to sober. One is from a drunken state. At that point you are sober. But to get MORE sober from a sober condition... now that is sobering! That's how these numbers appear to me. It is time to roll up MY sleeves. What's first?

[Don Kierstead]

I think I have an answer to your problem, but I don't think you are going to like it. I think it has everything to do with the UMC's position on Israel. The miracle of the Jews coming back to Jerusalem happened after the 6 day war. Ever since those days in June of 1967, the UMC has backed the UN's resolution to have Israel withdrawl to pre-1967 borders. The UMC does not consider the Jews returning to Jerusalem as a miracle as prophsied in the bible. Thank you for the research into the dates and numbers of the decline of the UMC. I've been looking for them on the UMC website with no avail.

The numbers you site are remarkable and show a point I would like to make. My grandmother was a Russian immigrant in 1880. She was Russian Jew. She was born on the Atlantic ocean on her way to the United States. The Russians were in the midst of the "pograms" that persecuted the Jews. Well, I am here to tell you that God blessed the United States for allowing her and other Jews to come to the US. The city that her mother came from is no longer on the map - it was burned to the ground (after they pillaged the city and raped the women). The UMC was blessed in that time period as your numbers show. See Genesis 12:3. I will bless those that bless the Jews and curse those who curse the Jews. Well Russia got communism. The UMC got 50 years of unrestrained church growth.

That's all over now. The UMC is now on the curse side of the equation for their refusal to honor the Jews and to let them stay in Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, the UMC in it's last conference is still pushing for withdrawl to pre-1967 borders.

Let me tell you my background. I was confirmed in the Ashtabula UMC in June of 1967 - the day after the 6 day war (June 11, 1967 to be exact). Shortly after that my entire family pulled out of the church for reasons my father did not go into - I was only 8 at the time. By the way, my father was also Jewish. The UMC didn't seem to be much of a blessing for him.

Just something to think about. If I were you and wanted to do something about the situation in the UMC, I would make sure your church blessed Israel and did not go along with the other nuts that seem to be leading the UMC on the road to ruin!

I've been attending a bible study at the Ravenna UMC and they all think I'm nuts, so this would definitely be a minority opinion in the UMC at large. In the meantime, I'll pray for you!

[Don Kierstead]

Better yet, if you really want to do something - you should challenge your congregation to physically bless Israel. Then just sit back and see if there is any fruit. I can guarantee you see changes. Personally, I support Sid Roth's messianic vision. I am so busy at work since I started doing this, that I can hardly keep up with the work load! No recession here!

I also recommend Paul Sherbow's Inspired Faith Radio on the internet. It's a startup ministry based in Israel by a gentleman from Minnesota. Tune in and listen to some of the amazing testimony on their website. They really need some help.

Just have your congregation start a small experimental blessing and watch it grow into something big!

I double-dog dare you! Can't wait to here from you!

[Dave Pierce]

Was interested in the stats shared with you at your UMC meeting. Dismal, discouraging! But it is SO CLEAR that a contemporary model like GCC has exactly the answers your demonimation needs! New Wine! New Wineskins! Just have to tell you what a thrill it is for me, wife, staff and fellow members of our church family to come to GCC for a weekend service, or a Granger seminar and get pumped up by the Holy Spirit to keep on! Our church is a member of the American Baptist Church, USA and I suspect our "denominational stats" are parellel to the UMC. Thanks for the leadership, the vision, the creativity you and your team bring to ministry and to pastors like me.
Dave Pierce/Coldwater, MI