The Culture Beat

Roughly speaking – very roughly – a series of sermons like the one just begun at Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church sounds a little like a Chevrolet spokesman standing up to extol the virtues of Ford, Dodge, Toyota, Honda and Subaru.

In a seven-week series that Senior Pastor Brian Taylor introduced last Sunday, he plans not only to explain but to praise six Christian traditions: Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Pentecostals, Lutherans, Presbyterians and, finally his own, United Methodists.

Taylor laughs at the idea that some people might like what they hear so well that they switch churches. Not only does he think that improbable, but unlike a fictional Chevy spokesman standing up for other brands, in his eyes these churches aren’t even competitors.

“If (another church) fits who they are better than United Methodists, then that’s what they need to do,” he said. “We don’t need to be so member-centered that we worry about that.”

The series, “A Generous Orthodoxy,” takes its title from a 2004 book by Brian McLaren, a leader in the so-called emergent church movement, who would have believers not only appreciate various Christian traditions but also be changed by them.

“While this approach affirms the importance of orthodox doctrine as contained … in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds,” McLaren writes, “it severely doubts the long-term value of highly emphasizing doctrinal distinctives, distinctives being those secondary doctrines unique to this or that denomination.” McLaren wants to “celebrate orthodox doctrine-in-practice … not to bury doctrinal distinctives but rather put them in their marginal place.”

In that, Taylor hears echoes of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, who advocated “a catholic spirit” throughout his 18th-century ministry. (He uses “catholic” in its original sense of “universal,” rather than referring to the Roman Catholic Church.)

“‘If your heart is of my heart, then give me your hand,’” Taylor said, quoting Wesley. “We need to have an appreciation for a diversity of religious perspectives. This (understanding) is what we gain from each perspective in the Christian church. Rather than divide us, it should unite us.”

As harmonious as that sounds, Christians have long struggled with nagging questions about which teachings count as “essential.” What one believer regards as a cornerstone of the faith, another might consider a lesser issue – anything from the form of church government to the method of baptism.

“These things are important, but they should not be enough to keep us from our greater call to Christian service,” said Taylor. “We don’t need to agree on all the doctrine to work together. If you are a loving Christan, we can walk together from here.”

With that in mind, Taylor will studiously avoid criticizing other traditions. The series, he said, is intended not only to increase appreciation for other church traditions but also “deepen” the theology at Munsey as people “understand the sovereignty of God from Presbyterians, the Spirit of God from Pentecostals, ritual and reverence from Roman Catholics.”

He would have liked to discuss other groups – Baptists, Christian churches, Eastern Orthodox – but he “ran out of Sundays” before Lent. He doesn’t rule out a sequel series, however, and he’s considering a future series on world religions.

Tomorrow’s message will focus on Roman Catholicism, which, he said, has “almost a fear factor” in the South.

“I wanted folks to know there need not be (that fear),” he said. “We (Methodists) are a branch. We came out of the Roman church in our family tree. I also wanted them to see our ties with the Anglican Church. I want them to learn about the Presbyterians’ view about grace and the sovereignty of God and to know about the conversations between Calvinists and Wesleyans.”

People in the congregation have responded positively so far, but Taylor anticipates some criticism, especially from people who suspect he might erase important doctrinal lines.

“It’s not that I want to throw everything into a blender and liquefy it into a gray matter,” he said. “You can come to appreciate the richness of who Jesus is throughout the different traditions. The large issue is commitment to Christ. That moves us to a greater understanding in the Christian community that we are one.”

Originally published in the Johnson City (Tenn.) Press, 13 January 2007.