Good News thanks the complainants, the Revs. Randall Paige and Roy Jacobsen, for their courageous attempt to maintain the church’s faithfulness to its doctrine and Discipline. They set an example for all of us to follow in their willingness to stand up publicly for biblical teaching. We cannot predict the future course of events, but when some parts of the church declare by their words and actions that they will no longer live by our agreed-upon way of discipleship, it puts the long-term viability of The United Methodist Church as a united body in grave jeopardy. – See more at: http://goodnewsmag.org/2014/03/good-news-statement-regarding-the-ogletree-case/#sthash.c3vf0lpZ.dpuf
Absolutely right. Maybe even understated. This terrible but predictable sort of conclusion to the Ogletree case reminds me of the pathetic outcome of the disciplinary trial of the heretical former assistant (TEC) bishop of Newark, Walter Righter, back in the 1990’s, when Righter was acquitted. The orthodox, evangelical segment of the UMC is FAR larger and better organized than the tiny contingent of similar folks in TEC ever was, but this important case shows that the writing is on the wall, so to speak, for the UMC too. It will not survive intact as an institution.
Nor should it. Oil and water simply don’t mix. Jesus (and Lincoln) were right, after all: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” There is only room for one side of the Culture War within the Church (any denomination), because only one side is in fact Christian. Harsh and ominous, but true.
David Handy+