Book Report on "United Methodist Church the Structure and Mission"

Book Report 4 pages (1243 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

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… READ MORE

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