Welcome to a breakpoint, a daily look in an ever-changing culture through the lens of

unchanging truth.

For the Colston Center, I'm John Stone Street.

United Methodist Church was once one of the largest denominations in the United States, with over 11 million members and a presence in nearly every country on Earth.

But today, after decades of numerical decline and doctrinal compromise, it's a shadow of its former self.

Last month at a general conference that was full of all kinds of bizarre elements, the

Methodist made what may be one of their final compromises welcoming and I quote self-evowed

practicing homosexuals to become ministers. Now for years the remaining

conservatives in the denomination especially the large number of delegates from Africa

held back the full liberal takeover.

However, in just the last five years,

more than 7,600 congregations

have left the United Methodist, most over the denomination's failure

to enforce its clear stated rules about marriage and clergy.

The Associated Press quoted one lesbian bishop who celebrated the vote,

quote, it seemed like such a simple vote but it carried so much weight in power as

50 years of restricting the Holy Spirit's call on people's lives has been lifted."

Well, in fact, what this Bishop calls a call contradicts everything the Holy Spirit

revealed in Scripture, not to mention 2,000 years of Christian teaching and the teaching of John Wesley, the

founder of Methodism.

In response, a few days ago, over a million West African Methodists voted to leave the

denomination.

...