The "Rethink Church" ad campaign of the United Methodist Church and why it will fail.

Last Friday marked the opening of the 2015 Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church, which was held at the Berglund Center.  The slogan of the UMC is “Open hearts. Open hearts. Open doors,” but it would be more accurate as, Hateful hearts. Empty minds. Closing doors. 

Mainline denominations like the United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church USA, the Episcopal Church, and the United Church of Christ, have made their churches less judgmental and more sin-friendly to the point that the path to salvation, and indeed, even the need for it, are no longer mentioned.  After all, to suggest that anyone needs salvation implies that some people are lost and helpless, and that is anathema to the holiness-hating humanistic liberal mindset. 

Perhaps you’ve seen the television ads that ask you to “rethink church.”  “Church can happen anywhere,“ they say.  The UMC’s “Rethink Church” campaign is the latest attempt to slow the 48-year membership hemorrhage.  Since 1968, membership has tumbled from 11 million to 7.7 million people even though the population of the country has climbed 60% over the same period.  Some may be tempted to think that church membership is down everywhere.  Not so. 

The truth is that the percentage of Americans that attend churches regularly is about 50% of the U.S. population, where it has been for the past 50 years.  The more conservative evangelical churches, and mostly conservative non-denominational churches are seeing their membership rolls explode.  Meanwhile, all of the liberal mainline churches are dying.  Why?  There is a simple explanation for this.

Our culture has now become so corrupt, chaotic and depraved that many people are looking to churches to escape the insanity and emptiness of the purposeless existence that is a life without God.  When they come in search of answers, they do not find them in mainline churches.  Mainline denominations have largely forfeited the gospel and its power in order to gain members and the approval of the secular world.  As a result, they have become so much like the world that they can offer nothing to the man or woman who is looking for truth, deliverance from sin, a personal relationship with God, and real peace. 

With its “Rethink Church” campaign, the United Methodist Church is attempting to apply the world’s methods to a spiritual situation, and that is one reason why this misguided effort is doomed to fail.  Evangelism is not simply advertising the gospel in order to make a sale.  Evangelism is testifying to, and demonstrating the power of God through radically-transformed lives.  But because of the leftist bent of the UMC with churches that neither require nor encourage repentance from sin leading to a new life in Christ, an abundance of changed lives is not something that United Methodists can readily reveal. 

During this year’s state conferences, the churches will decide who to send to the 2016 national conference in Portland, Oregon.  In 2016, United Methodists will decide whether or not to endorse same-sex marriage, and whether or not to change their official statement that “homosexuality is inconsistent with Christian teaching.”  Because of this, lesbians and buggers will attempt to pack the 2016 General Conference with pro-degenerate delegates.  No one dares to ask, “By whose authority do we attempt to countermand scripture?”  Scripture is rarely quoted and less often upheld as authoritative in discussions about homosexuality.

We know that we are in the perilous last days, because Paul tells us that people will be lovers of themselves, unholy, proud, blasphemers, despisers of good and having a form of godliness, but denying its power.  This is an accurate description of liberal mainline Christendom today.  The Apostle Paul then tells Timothy, “From such, turn away.”

Every alcoholic in recovery knows that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.  But the United Methodist Church believes that by encouraging people to “Rethink Church” it can reverse its 50-year trend of dwindling numbers by pushing further and further to the left and away from God.  The right answer--the only one that will work--is to observe the first command of Christ Jesus’ ministry to Israel, “Repent.”
 
If the United Methodist Church refuses to stand firmly against the loud and obnoxious hate-filled rants of the homofascists, it will die a slow agonizing death into obscurity following every other mainline denomination that turned its back on God. 

No one needs to rethink church.  On the contrary, Methodists need to rediscover the power of God and return to genuine Christianity.