Last week, I saw how the demons of secularism and materialism are at work in our houses of worship.
I was a delegate at the meeting of the United Methodist Church where 294 of the 598 churches in the Houston-based Central Texas Conference voted to leave the UMC.
This split has been brewing for some time. Last year, I wrote about the ways in which the LGBTQ agenda has been taking over the UMC. No longer willing to defend traditional marriage, the leftist arm of the church has become indistinguishable from the political left. In fact, one of the other reasons for the split was the left wing’s insistence on defending abortion, going so far to get involved with pro-abortion groups. One UMC organization even prayed for a return to abortion-on-demand in Texas.
Houston isn’t the only area to see large-scale defections from the UMC. About 75% of the churches in West Texas and the panhandle are leaving, along with 44 churches based in Dallas and 29 in Southeast Texas (where only 5 churches chose to stay with the UMC).
It grieves me to see the church divided in this way, but what other choice was there when one vocal and determined wing of the UMC is determined to embrace the worst elements of leftist ideology?
Moreover, this isn’t a problem that affects only the Methodist church – or even just Texas churches. All over the country, we are seeing the same trends. Leftist ideology doesn’t just seek to take over our schools. There are also those who want to remake Christianity in their own image.
What kind of faith doesn’t defend the unborn? Or stand for Biblical principles?
These are people who do not realize that they are worshipping at the altar of secularism. They have taken the idea of a God who loves all and changed it to a God who validates all. This “I’m okay, you’re okay,” approach to Christianity has no use for timeless values. Rather than throwing the moneychangers from the Temple, their Christ would hold a series of stakeholder summits and compromise by allowing moneychanging between 3 and 5 on weekends and 3 to 6 on high holy days.
But that is not who we are. And that does not reflect our faith. Faith should demand more of you. It should hold to principle, even when those principles are unpopular.
And so, it appears that our local church will now be part of the Global Methodist Church. And like those delegates who chose to hold to Christian principle in the face of modernism, we will continue to defend Biblical values. That includes the right to life and the sanctity of traditional marriage.
For us, it does not matter what the trends are or what Congress or the President do on the issue of same-sex marriage. No law can stop us from talking about God’s design for marriage and sexuality.
It will always be sad to see people led astray from God, but we will never stop praying to bring them back into the fold. And we will never stop advocating for faith-based policies and the defense of our values.
