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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3277 notes).

Note 3276 by UMNS on Nov. 7, 1996 at 16:20 Eastern (3652 characters).

SEARCH: Schaller, policy, United Methodist, number, Christian
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CONTACT: Linda Green                             562(10-71B){3276}
         Nashville, Tenn.                             Nov. 7, 1996

Renowned United Methodist says denomination's 
operations policy differs from its written policy

     NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -- Does the operational policy of the
United Methodist Church differ from its written policy?
     United Methodist clergyman and author, the Rev. Lyle E.
Schaller believes that it does.
     Writing in Tattered Trust, a new book from Abingdon Press,
(1996), Schaller defined the operational policy as what "actually
is happening" as opposed to the written policy, "which is the
announced policy."  He explained that within the United Methodist
Church, the written policy is to increase numbers, but the
operational policy is to decrease members.
     In the book, Schaller, a retired clergy member of the East
Ohio Annual Conference and author of 40 books, said that during
the past 35 years the denomination's operational policy has been
to:
     * reduce the number of congregations;
     * increase the number of small churches;
     * cut back on the number of very large churches;
     * withdraw from large cities in the North;
     * gradually withdraw from the North and West;
     * double the number of seminary trained clergy;
     * concentrate on reaching people born before 1945;
     * increase the number of subsidized congregations;
     * reduce the number of full-time career missionaries serving
in other continents;
     * increase the number of people employed by annual
conferences and national agencies.
     "Why is the system dysfunctional?" Schaller asked. "Because
it is organized on the basic assumption that Christian people in
general, and congregational leaders in particular, cannot be
trusted." He said these negative trends have come about because
"no one is in charge."
     The researcher suggests that if the denomination wants to
form "new wineskins" it must begin with two questions about the
message to be carried: 
     First, is the Christian faith a revealed religion that was
disclosed by God in the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ and in the Holy Scriptures for all generations to
come? Or is Christianity a religion that expects and obligates
each generation to reinterpret and redefine the faith?
     Second, in the 21st century will our denomination represent a
narrowly defined confessional expression of Christianity, a highly
pluralistic and theologically inclusive stance or both?  Will it
divide and create two new denominations, one confessional and one
theologically pluralistic?
     According to Schaller, a denomination wishing to support both
a variety of theological positions and large congregations must
design a system calling for:
     * a typical pastorate of 25 to 30 years;
     * higher standards of competence for ordination as elder;
     * postponing ordination until the end of the fifth year of
what promises to be a long pastorate;
     * a relatively high degree of congregational autonomy;
     * a very high level of trust in congregational leadership;
     * elimination of the regulatory role of denominational
agencies to be replaced by a high level of competence in
resourcing congregations;
     * expecting congregations to define the qualities required
for ordination.
                              #  #  #

       

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