It is not enough, however, simply to call for renewal. Our renewal must understand its Wesleyan heritage, must have a clear vision that captures the image of God's realm portrayed by Christ, and must be driven by imperatives that are not self-serving. It is not enough to intone Wesley's name; we must be faithful to his legacy.
Wesley's "Holy Club" was not born to protect orthodoxy as was true of 16th century reform movements. Of the Methodist Societies he wrote, "I do not know any other religious society...wherein such liberty of conscience is now allowed, or has been allowed, since the age of the Apostles. Here is our glorying; and a glorying peculiar to us. What society shares it with us?"
Wesley's was an 18th century movement concerned with the personal spiritual apathy of that day and the social decay of that time. The Wesleyan heritage was less concerned with orthodoxy than with personal and social integrity. Methodism began among the poor and marginalized of a developing industrial economy, and thus Methodists offered an alternative vision of community that affirmed their worth and dignity.
Our Wesleyan heritage continues to call us to be the conscience of a flawed society. We must understand that we are a Church defined by how we serve God. United Methodism is not a creedal church. We do not derive our authority from static confessions of faith. We find our identity in Jesus Christ and our authority in the patterns of ministry he lived.
Nevertheless, as God's people seeking renewal, these convictions undergird and shape our quest:
1. We believe that the Bible is the primary witness to God's redemptive purpose and action. It is a living book about a living God. To make the Bible static is to kill it.
2. We believe that God created the universe. We affirm that God sent Jesus to demonstrate the contrast between our ideas of righteousness and God's righteousness. We proclaim the cross as the gift of redeeming grace to all of God's people. We witness to the empty tomb as the sign that God's order will reign in this world and the next.
3. We believe that all persons are sinners, in spite of their claims of righteousness or signs of piety. Sin is the human condition of rebellion against God-both by individuals and society.
4. We believe that God calls all of us to be "new creations" in Christ.
5. We believe that God's sovereignty is grounded in an inclusive (not exclusive) grace.
6. We believe that our obedience to Christ compels us more to confront our own sins than to expose the sins of others.
7. We believe that discipleship is carrying the towel and basin of servanthood, not concerned with personal assurance or worldly possessions but with serving those who are thirsty, hungry, blind, sick, in prison, outcast, and even "the sinner."
The so-called "confessional" approach violates the Wesleyan spirit of our tradition. The Book of Discipline cites the Wesleyan quadrilateral: "Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason." It points out that there is always a present challenge to theology in the church which must not be ignored or evaded.
Therefore, the 1996 General Conference of The United Methodist Church affirms its commitment to our historic standards for understanding the Christian faith as contained in Parts II, III, and IV of The Book of Discipline, entitled "Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task," "Social Principles," and "The Ministry of All Christians," respectively. We reject efforts to lift certain of these standards, to the exclusion of the rest, which constitute a call for a loyalty oath in The United Methodist Church not in keeping with the spirit of "Our Theological Task." These historic standards provide for us a firm foundation grounded in our Wesleyan heritage that will enable us to move forward toward the future in faithfulness to the living God revealed in Christ Jesus.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 22515-DI-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference