United Methodist Church the Structure

United Methodist Church

The Structure and Mission of the UMC

As Thomas Frank recalls the early days of his childhood driving along the country roads as his father made his pastoral rounds, he realized that the United Methodist Church (UMC) formed an integral part of the American landscape. He recalls that in almost every town one could find either a Methodist, Evangelical United Brethren, or United Methodist Church. He also realized that the church body is unified, because his father knew someone in every congregation that they passed on the route (Frank, p. 15). It was not individual churches, but parts of a whole. This review will explore Thomas Frank's exploration of the UMCand the struggles with its structure, governess, and stated mission.

Polity of the Church

Franks first of impressions of the UMC is a series of small dots that are all interconnected of by a type of glue. The substance that holds the UMC together lies in their lore, living memories, and communal ties. Frank recalls the fanfare with which they were greeted at every church that they visited. The denomination is what brings members of the UMC together, even though they are separated by great distances.

Frank paints a picture of the community fabric that holds the UMC together. However, when the real discussion begins, Frank paints a picture of a denomination in crisis. Frank points out that many of today's church members do not even know the church's history or basic teachings and mission (p. 21). The denominations are heavily divided over tough questions that plague the Christian community as a whole. Issues such as homosexuality, family issues, and divorce not only cause divisions between the denominations, but also within small church communities (p. 22).

Frank sites declining church attendance and Sunday school attendance as a sign that the UMC is "ill." One of the reasons for this illness that the influence of the church is in decline as a percentage of the American population (p. 26). The UMC no longer has the political voice that it once had when it represented a larger portion of the population. Another reason for this failure, according to Frank, is the failure of the church to be strict in discipline and evangelical in message (p. 26). The church is now informally divided into conservative Methodists and liberal Methodists. Although this distinction has not been made formally, Frank suggests that that it is a reality in today's modern United Methodist Church. Frank also States that United Methodists have been assimilated into the whole of American culture and that they no longer stand out as unique in their political views and faith. Generational change and mobility have also contributed to the decline of the church as a political entity.

As a result of these factors, Frank feels that the UMC has lost its voice. Frank feels that in order to get back on track and to regain the voice of the church as a political and social force, the principles upon which the United Methodist Church was founded need to be reinstated and once again become living part of the United Methodist Church.

The Church Doctrine

Perhaps one in the most disturbing facts in Frank's book is that many United Methodists do not know what makes their church distinct from other denominations. The teachings of the UMC have blended into the fabric of churches and that their generic message about Jesus Christ. In order of to reignite the political power and mission of the United Methodist Church, Frank feels that the church must return to its core values. It must take a historical look at its roots and decide how to apply them to the 21st century.

The United Methodists were originally missionary in character. Their purpose was to bring Christianity to all Americans and to the world through evangelism. Churches were planted in many countries where they built hospitals and supported schools. This idea of "planting" churches is what caused the UMC to develop into the network of churches in small towns spread across the American landscape like polka dots. What the churches have lost, according to Frank is their connectivity with the other churches in the community. They have lost the connection and the focus of what their original mission was and their sense of direction about where they wish to be in the future.

One of the United Methodist Church's greatest problems is being able to retain the connectivity that they had in the past, even though they were separated by distance. This ability to stay connected with one another is one of the key traits that distinguishes the UMC from other denominations across the country. he ability to remain spread out, yet defined by mission and purpose was one of the key distinguishing factors about the United Methodist Church. Frank argues that this connectivity and sense of mission and purpose is what is lacking in the church of today.

The missionary purpose of the early UMC gives it a distinctively ethnic and culturally diverse flavor. Unlike other denominations, the UMC was not predominately of European and African heritage. It encompassed people from the Hispanic communities, Asian communities, and other minority groups, creating a diverse congregation with leaders representing various ethnic groups (p. 32). This strength allowed the church to grow and expand and penetrate where predominantly European churches were not able to penetrate. It also gave the UMC political power in minority congregations through unity and sense of single mission. The structure of the UMC is missionary and invites all people to Christian faith regardless of ethnic or economic boundaries.

The governance of the UMC is by conference decision. The church has no single presiding Bishop or executive officer and no executive committee. The local church is the primary base of missionary work and everything else that happens in the church as a political and social force (p. 38). The purpose of Frank's work was to highlight the importance of structure, polity, and mission in the survival of the United Methodist Church.