Rekindling the Flame Click here to go to the Concerned Methodists homepage. To Bishop W. Kenneth Goodson, whose love for The United Methodist Church inspires hope and assurance. United Methodists decline, signs of it are everywhere, a staggering loss of membership, the erosion of the Sunday school, a pervasive sense that the church is not meetng the spiritual needs of people. William H. Willimon and Robert L. Wilson take a hard look at a church in crisis and show clergy, church professionals and laypeople exactly what they must do to get the church moving again. Preachers often fail to speak out on controversial issues and keep their sermons safe and comfortable, not because they are afraid of their parishioners' rage, but because they have learned to love their people.
Every preacher knows how tough it is to say unpleasant things to beloved people.
We are convinced that The United Methodist Church faces a crisis unequaled to any since the schism preceding the Civil War. The continued membership decline is the major symptom of this crisis, but the issues are deeper and more complex than the loss of members. In any organization, when things are not going well, there are always those who urge silence, unquestioning loyalty, and the suppression of all criticism. But our church is too important to be allowed to wither if there is some means of giving it new life. In good conscience, we could not remain silent.