Daniel
Herbster reporting
I had the
opportunity to interview Mark Tooley about his work with UMAction
at the Institute on Religion and Democracy. The following is my interview
with Mark.
DH: What is UMAction
and how would you sum up its mission? Do you see it as more of a
theological or political movement or both?
MT: UMAction
is the Methodist program of the IRD. Its goal is to foster accountability
and reform within United Methodism. We’re not political in the sense that
we endorse candidates or specific legislation in civil society. We are
political in that we are concerned about the church’s public policy witness. We
are theological in that we vigorously affirm the official, orthodox teachings
of our church.
DH: I understand
that you were very active in the recent United
Methodist Church’s
global conference in Forth Worth, Texas.
Are you encouraged by what took place there?
MT: Yes,
I’m encouraged by the growing numbers and influence of the non-U.S. church,
especially in Africa. They are the hope of the church’s future.
But the church still faces many battles ahead.
DH: What kinds of
decisions were reached on pro-life issues?
MT: There
were some small, incremental steps supporting parental consent and affirming
the sacredness of unborn human life. We narrowly failed to remove church
agencies from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. Had the
vote been NOT on the last day, when many of the Africans had left, we probably
would have won.
DH: What progress
was made in affirming the traditional definition of marriage and Biblical
teaching on sexual morality?
MT: The
church’s traditional teachings about monogamy in marriage and celibacy in
singleness were affirmed, as were the church’s prohibitions against clergy
sexually active outside marriage and any celebration of same-sex unions.
The church retained its position, adopted in 2004, of supporting laws in
civil society that define marriage as man and woman.
DH: Jim Holsinger
was nominated to be surgeon general last year, but his nomination has been
stalled in part because of his work with the Methodist church (of which he is a
member and for which he has served in leadership). How do the recent
decisions on marriage and sexuality relate to his case, and what do you think
could help break the gridlock over his nomination?
MT: The
results of the General Conference show that Dr. Holsinger’s views on sexuality
are simply the official teachings of his denomination, which are likewise the
views of nearly every Christian church in the world. His opponents tried
to portray him as somehow “extreme.” Of course, they want to portray
anyone who does not endorse homosexual behavior as by definition “extreme.”
What happened to Dr. Holsinger could happen to any believing Christian or
Jew.
DH: How did the
demographic issues relating to African and other overseas members combined with
American evangelicals affect the results of the recent conference, and how do
you feel these demographic changes will affect the Methodist Church
in the future?
MT: Absent
the increased African representation, the church would have compromised its
teachings about sexuality. The African representation went up by over 80
delegates since 2004. And a switch of 50 votes would have shifted the
final outcome on a key vote. The African church is growing, and the U.S.
church is declining, especially in its most liberal regions. On its
current trajectory, the church will become more international, perhaps majority
international in the near future, and consequently more conservative on
sexuality and theology.
DH: Where can our
readers find more information about UMAction and the Institute on
Religion and Democracy? Where can they find up-to-date news
about your goals and accomplishments?
MT: They
can look at www.theird.org.
DH: I noticed that
one of the concerns mentioned on your website is whether the Methodist church
will “preach and live the traditional Christian Gospel.” Does this mean
that you would like to see the Methodist
Church hold to the view
that salvation and forgiveness of sin can only be found through repentance from
sin and through faith in Christ alone? Has there been confusion in the
past within the Methodist
Church about what
constitutes “the gospel” and, if so, how would you like to see this confusion
be resolved in the future?
MT:
There is lots of confusion in Mainline Protestantism, where the elites and
many clergy wholly subscribe to a Social Gospel that denies or minimizes the
supernatural and the eternal in favor of materialistic social and political
change. Most laity still subscribe to a more traditional Gospel. The old Social Gospel liberalism of the early 20th
century is dying, but a lot of church elites have not caught on yet.
DH: Does the Methodist Church currently support organizations
that promote abortion and other politically liberal causes? If so, how
can this be changed and are you hopeful that it will.
MT: Yes,
two of our church agencies belong to the Religious Coalition for Reproductive
Choice, which opposes all restrictions on abortion. And, yes, various
agencies of our church fund and cooperate with a wide array of liberal
political groups. The leadership and staffing of our church agencies must
be changed. With time, this will happen, especially as the internationals
insist on a proportionate share of influence.
DH: Are there any
other major goals or concerns your organization has for the future?
MT:
Yes, many! We’d like to see a renewed and vigorous Christianity in
America that has an informed public policy witness, reforming American culture,
and sustaining democracy. Our country and our wider culture
desperately depend on our churches for our overall spiritual health.
DH: Mark thanks
for sharing this information with our readers. I’m sure that regardless
of differences in theological or ecclesiastical views, we can all be encouraged
that the United Methodist Church,
as a global and influential organization, appears to be moving away from using
its influence to undermine the sanctity of life and the biblical understandings
of marriage and sexual morality. Please keep us informed of future
developments.
MT: Thank you for your interest.