So Sunday we became Methodists. Officially.
This wasn't as easy as it sounds. Kimberly and I both grew up in the Nazarene denomination. We met at a Nazarene university. Without the Nazarenes I would not have met my wife. My son would not be here. My Dad was a Nazarene pastor. It's the only denomination each of us has ever known. And it's a great denomination.
Guess the tribalism instinct is a powerful force.
Yes the Nazarene church has its issues. Too many in the denomination are too cozy with one particular political party. There has been some political mis-management which almost led to the dissolution of the Nazarene Publishing House. There's the usual petty turf wars and policy battles. You find these in all denominations. I am aware of the serious issues within the Methodist denomination. These issues were not why we left.
We love the Nazarene Church.
But today we officially entered into membership with Heath First United Methodist Church. We are excited about this new journey. We started attending Heath UMC this past January. We quickly felt welcomed. The music is great. Our Pastor is a fantastic guy. He's an inspiring speaker and has a real vision for what this church can do in Heath and the surrounding area. The congregation has been wonderful to us. It's not a big church, but it has a big mission. The neighborhoods around the church are exploding in growth and there are great spiritual needs to be met.
So yeah, I'm excited.
But also a little sad. We didn't split from the Nazarenes. There was no doctrinal dispute or political issue that drove us away. We just could no longer attend the church where my Dad had pastored the last twelve years of his life any longer. It was too difficult and sad. His memory was everywhere. We needed a fresh start. And the other closest Nazarene church, where Kim grew up, where we got married, was also a part of our past. We really didn't feel moved to return there.
We really didn't know what to do. Doctrinally we knew we were pretty much on the same page as the United Methodist Church. I have a strong Methodist heritage on my maternal side of the family. But still, it's a strange thing to leave something you've known for so long...your entire life. But God led us to this little church. This little church that's going to grow. This church has already helped us immensely. They don't even realize how much they've helped us heal after a difficult season.
So we're Methodists. It's just a name really. We are followers of Christ. And as our pastor says, we are sowing the seeds for a great awakening.
