Methodism’s Global Reach Has Changed the Denomination

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Christianity Today

Religion, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.3 • 622 Ratings

🗓️ 27 February 2019

⏱️ 43 minutes

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Summary

For the past four days, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church has been reexamining its doctrines on human sexuality. From Christianity Today’s report from yesterday: The United Methodist Church (UMC) voted Tuesday to maintain its traditional stance against same-sex marriage and non-celibate gay clergy, bolstered by a growing conservative contingent from Africa. The denomination’s “Traditional Plan” passed, with 438 votes in favor and 384 against (53% to 47%), in the final hours of a special UMC conference held this week in St. Louis to address the issue of human sexuality. While this decision will likely have broad global consequences, it is also one that has been heavily impacted by the denomination’s large international presence. The UMC has about 7 million lay members in the US and 5.5 million overseas, and they operate in more than 130 countries. But the denomination's broad reach isn’t anything new. “It’s inherently a global movement,” said J. Steven O’Malley, a professor of Methodist Holiness history at Asbury Theological Seminary, who recently spent the year working on a project called “The Origin of the Wesleyan Theological Vision for Christian Globalization and the Pursuit of Pentecost in Early Pietist Revivalism.” O’Malley joined digital media producer Morgan Lee and editor in chief Mark Galli to discuss what was at stake at the most recent UMC meeting, how the denomination came together 50 years ago, and how it ended up around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you in part by The Apologetics Guy Show, the podcast that helps you find clear answers to tough questions about Christianity.
0:11.0	Learn to explain your faith with courage and compassion.
0:14.5	Join Moody Bible Institute professor Dr. Mikhail del Rosario at Apologeticsky.com.
0:23.3	It's Wednesday, February 27, and this is quick to listen, where we set aside hashtags and
0:29.3	hot takes to discuss a major cultural event. On today's show, Jay Stephen O'Malley joins us to
0:35.5	talk about all things Methodists.
0:48.6	Thanks for joining us this week.
0:55.6	I'm Morgan Lee, digital media producer here at Christianity today, and I'm here with my co-host and our editor-in-chief, Mark Galley.
0:57.2	Good afternoon.
0:58.6	Hello, Mark.
1:02.6	Not much to say that we haven't said in the previous sessions.
1:05.8	It's winter still, and we're waiting for spring.
1:08.9	Yes, especially you, counting down the days, I'm sure.
1:10.2	All right.
1:14.6	So tell us a little bit more about what we're going to be talking about, with and with whom?
1:17.5	Well, with whom in particular is Jay Stephen O'Malley. He is the John T. Seaman's Professor of Methodist Holiness History at Asbury Theological Seminary,
1:24.4	and among his many works, the one that plays the most, will play the most part in our
1:29.6	talk today. In the spring and summer of 2018, he completed, and he's just finished the
1:35.4	manuscript, a sabbatical project on the origin of the Wesleyan Theological Vision for Christian
1:40.5	globalization and the pursuit of Pentecost in early pietist revivalism.
1:46.1	And this is something we want to just get a sense on.
1:48.9	It's not only the movement, the Wesleyan and Methodist movement in the U.S.,
	...

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