Barneyisfat

Sitting with the pastor of an unaffiliated  church way out in the country I try to explain just what is different about the United Methodist church. By the sheer fact that "connectionalism" isn't a real word, it probably doesn't translate. It's hard to explain our understanding of grace in simple words. I settle on our openness and promise to send some books on our theology.

And hours later I'm still bumping along on a bus built in the 80s on roads paved at Stalin's command. In America, Methodism grew because while all the other denominations focused on the big cities and building great cathedrals we rode out into the villages and started small group after small group. We didn't know which ones would survive the isolation of winter and we certainly didn't know which ones would end feeling the wind of the Holy Spirit and taking off.

American Methodism is failing today in part because we are focusing on the growth of suburban congregations. We pit our greatest preachers against the greatest preachers of the other denominations and we let them duke it out to see who will earn the nominal commitment of the suburban wealthy and elite.

Our best pastors could work miracles in small towns. In suburbs people drive thirty minutes to make the 5 mile trip for Wednesday night Bible Study. You could reach people in three counties if you gave rural people a sermon worth driving thirty minutes to hear.  We could serve so many more people by placing strong pastors in rural churches. It's counterintuitive, but it would work. We must end the habit or belief that dictates that wealthy suburbanites are more worthy of excellent pastor.

Our mission work began in the city because that is where foreigners were welcomed. Now our national leadership is moving out into smaller towns and villages.  It's exciting to be a part of work that is moving out from a central location.  We hope that over the next decade we will spin outwards even further.