In this video, Adam Hamilton from Church of the Resurrection, is sharing his understanding of how to move forward with the UMC.
Rob's Aim
"His aim was a PR campaign, persuading United Methodist pastors and local church people to leave the United Methodist Church and join the Global Methodist Church."
Hamilton outlines Rob Renfroe's goal, which is to convince United Methodists to leave their denomination and join the Global Methodist Church through a PR campaign.
Painting Opposition and Positivity
"As with any good PR campaign, they paint the opposition in the most negative terms possible and themselves in the most positive terms possible. But as a United Methodist Pastor, most of us United Methodists don't recognize ourselves in the caricatures that he has of United Methodism in these videos."
Hamilton highlights how Renfroe's campaign portrays the opposition negatively while presenting the Global Methodist Church positively, but many United Methodists find it doesn't accurately represent their beliefs.
Defining the UMC
"We are a church that truly welcomes all and longs to welcome all. We are a church that's committed to Christ, founded on scripture, embraces Orthodox Christian faith, and is unashamed of the Gospel."
Hamilton emphasizes the characteristics that define the United Methodist Church: inclusivity, commitment to Christ, reliance on Scripture, embracing Orthodox Christian faith, and being unashamed of the Gospel.
Mission and Identity
"The mission of the United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We affirm that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the savior of the world, and the Lord of all. The process for carrying out our mission involves proclaiming the good news of God's grace and exemplifying Jesus' command to love God and our neighbor."
Hamilton discusses the mission and identity of the United Methodist Church, which centers around making disciples of Jesus, proclaiming God's grace, and loving God and neighbors. He underlines the church's commitment to Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world.
Importance of Innovation
"We have to constantly be innovating, improving, changing, or we're going to die. It's not about whether you join another denomination; it's about innovating and improving how we do ministry to reach 21st-century people."
Hamilton stresses the need for innovation, improvement, and adaptation in ministry. He underscores that this approach is vital for any denomination, regardless of whether one chooses to stay or leave.
Conclusion
"I'm proud to be a United Methodist. There's a lot in our United Methodist Church that is good and beautiful. We hope you'll remain United Methodists and continue to embrace and use the intellect and heart, the evangelical and social gospel, the grace and holiness of the gospel."
Hamilton concludes by expressing his pride in being a United Methodist and encourages others to remain within the United Methodist Church, emphasizing the church's valuable attributes, including its balance of intellect, heart, evangelical and social gospel, and the grace and holiness of the gospel.