Interview: Mark Tooley (UM Action)

Mark Tooley is the Director of United Methodist Action, a reform organization within the United Methodist Church. He graciously agreed to an e-mail interview. Here are the results:

1. What is the purpose of UM Action?

The purpose of UMAction is to challenge the UM bureaucracy to be faithful to the doctrines of the church and to the people of the church. We also want to inform the people of the church about the activities of the national church bureaucracy, about which most lay people know very little, though those activities are funded by the people.

2. What is your opinion of the role of the General Board on Church and Society within the UMC?

Unfortunately, the GBCS functions as a liberal caucus within the church rather than as a general agency of the church. It represents only a section of the membership, is unnecessarily divisive by its preoccupation with political issues, and when it speaks to theological issues, it sides against the orthodox side, such as on homosexuality. UMAction believes GBCS should be disbanded and replaced by something new.

3. Under what conditions should the UMC take official stands on political issues?

The institutional church should be naturally reluctant to involve its name and offices in political specifics. If there are exceptions, they should occur in extreme circumstances, on issues on which Christian teaching is clear, and where there is an historic consensus within the church.

4. How should conservative United Methodists respond to the Rev. Beth Stroud case?

We should be deeply disturbed by the unwillingness of some regional bodies to abide by church law. But we should also behave with hope and confidence that the majority of the church is with us and that time is on the side of orthodox Christianity within the church.

UPDATE: Link to GBCS added.