Jeff has an interesting post up about spiritual communion between United Methodists and Baptists:
The UMC has always seemed like a weird denomination to me. The church in the town I grew up in was very good and it showed in the people who went there. The church in the town I went to college in was very poor and a major bastion of theological liberalism. Wherever I go, Methodism seems to follow this spotty pattern. Some churches are great, others are horrible, but they are all Methodists despite the fact that I can't find anything to link the two groups together other than a name.
[snip]
Fortunately there are some Methodists who unofficially commune with Baptists like me. A Methodist from a conservative church moves into a town with a liberal Methodist church. They usually leave the liberal church soon after and often end up attending the Baptist church down the road instead. I know their hearts are still Methodist, but their butts belong to Baptist pews for the moment. ;)
I know exactly what he means. The UMC is a big tent, and I'm inclined to think that it's too big. Last week, I spent three days at Moonbat Theological Seminary competing for scholarships (they've offered me 75%) and I heard students and professors espousing universal salvation, pantheism, and salvation by works. It isn't a school of Christian theology, but unitarian theology, or even just comparative religion. Needless to say, I'm going to Asbury, which is offering me no money at all. My soul is not for sale.
UPDATE: I would add another note. Having married a Baptist, I can attest that Baptists are great kissers.
Monday, March 28, 2005
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Wow! You were here in Evanston? Well, hope you enjoyed Evanston at least. I'm a graduate of Duke Divinity but live in Evanston. I think you're mostly right about Garrett, BUT I think you could survive. Dr. Steve Long is one of the most faithful orthodox theologians I know. (We go to the same church and he was at Duke too). Did you meet with him or Dr. Brent Waters or Dr. Ron Anderson or Dr. Yeo? They are some good theologians and biblical scholars. (Dr. Ed Phillips, who led the Holy Mystery Communion Study, is leaving Garrett for Duke next year. I guess he's had enough too. His wife is my pastor and I will miss them very much.) Anyway, I have a very good friend who leads a Bible study I go to. He is probably the only evangelical Methodist Republican to graduate from Garrett!
But if Asbury is where you are being led, God bless you in your journey.
Jennifer, thank you for your blessings. I don't remember many of the names of the faculty (there were so many), but I did have an in depth conversation with Dr. Trimble (AME Zion) who suggested that I might spend three whole years with my "combat boots on".
Garrett has courted me heavily, and I'm flattered. They really, really want conservative voices.
Proximity was a crucial factor in my decision. I was delayed out of O'Hare by 21 hours, and most other flights during my seminary exploration were delayed an average of eight hours. These experiences have convinced me of the hazards of handling the candidacy process via remote access. I want to be here, in my conference, keeping up to date and on the ball.
Another factor was a job for my wife. If we chose Evanston, we would have to find a good job for her in a very short period of time. If we choose Orlando, I can commute and we can take a few months to move closer to the seminary.
Post a Comment