Unity without Unanimity in The United Methodist Church?
General Conference, our global family reunion that speaks officially for The United Methodist Church, met during May . Read the letter from the Council of Bishops here . It wasn’t a smooth start as delegates struggled for several hours over three of the days, deciding what rules would govern their conversations and whether they would use new technology (tablet computer) or old technology (colored cards) to communicate with the presiding bishop. From the beginning, there was mistrust. As I followed social media, I was surprised and disappointed in the behavior of some who claim to be followers of Jesus. Like the culture at large, many in the church try to demonize other Christians who don’t agree with them. Sadly, too often we have allowed people outside the church to determine our language and behavior. Our bishops indicated they are trying to hold us together in unity. Unity, being together, is not the same thing as unanimity, having the same mind. The question remains, can w...