If you are a United Methodist, the word “covenant” was really important in 2012. It was the Secret Word of the Day (Ahhhh!) at Amy DeLong’s trial, it’s been the word to describe the actions of 1,000 Methodist clergy who have taken a marriage pledge, and it’s Hacking Christianity’s assertion that the FaithfulUMC movement gives apologetics for breaking the financial covenant of apportionments (an apologetic then continued by another clergyperson in 2013).
As United Methodists, clergy are charged with upholding the Discipline. We are asked at our Ordination if we will “support and maintain our church polity.”
So my question is: Did your pastor break the Covenant this past Sunday?
From the Book of Discipline:
¶ 263. Six churchwide special Sundays with offerings shall be celebrated in each United Methodist Church.
Historically, One Great Hour of Sharing has been celebrated with an offering on the Fourth Sunday in Lent. Congregations are to observe One Great Hour of Sharing on this date or on another date appropriate to the local church.
So? Did s/he violate the Covenant or uphold it?
Elders are charged with defining the worship context, so obligation to call for these special offerings falls on the clergy. If the church does not have these special offerings, then the pastor is in violation of the Covenant.
As United Methodists, all local churches “shall be celebrating” (not “should” or “could” but the prescriptive “shall”) these nationwide offerings. So if your local church does not have special offerings for these days, then your pastor is in violation of the Covenant.
- Human Relations Day,
- One Great Hour of Sharing,
- World Communion Sunday,
- United Methodist Student Day,
- Peace with Justice Sunday
- Native American Ministries Sunday
If there are no special offerings held in your church for these Special Sundays (on the recommended days or on any days), then your pastor is in violation of the Covenant.
So? Any reports of clergy that are failing to uphold the Discipline and violate the Covenant (which we all share)?
😉
The above post is rather snarky in order to point out that those who claim that clergy only uphold the Covenant when they uphold 100% of the Discipline (no picking and choosing, sinners!) often ignore that not all clergy observe all six Special Sunday offerings.
Good point, Jeremy. I am guilty–we do multiple special offerings for local missions and outreach needs but have not participated in the others for a while. AND, my church also does not have a chartered United Methodist Women’s group, another violation of the Discipline. Yes, there is picking and choosing going on all over the place.
we plan to take the offering but we didn’t this week, I am in violation. I appreciated how you laid this out, showing what I see as a clear contradiction in how we live out what the book of discipline says.
Anyone ever had a non-UM evangelistic speaker without getting written consent of your DS? (That one is especially chargeable as it is in the list of six bullet points under UNAUTHORIZED CONDUCT in para. 341.)
We had a bulletin insert for the One Great Hour of Sharing offering, but it was not an official announcement made during the 9:00 worship service (I missed 11:00 due to an afternoon concert). Knowing my church, I’m sure several people used the envelopes. What if they didn’t? Would my pastor have been in violation if he included the inserts but never specified yesterday’s offering in the announcements? I feel like method of communication really impacts how effective the offering is in gathering funds for UMCOR.
this is the epitome of strawman. C’mom. Y’all are better than this.
Did you read the note at the bottom of the post? It’s clear that we know exactly what this is.
Breaking the covenant on a special Sunday offering is a FAR cry from orchestrated campaigns that seek to violate the discipline. I did not receive that offering yesterday because it was also the only day a team from our Czech Republic connection could come. I do plan to do it another day so that our connection will not suffer. Breaking a covenant in Spirit is hardly like violating it intentionally with intent to not care about its contents at all. Those who are breaking covenant on homosexuality are willfully violating the covenant, talking about how those who uphold it are childish and need to “grow up.” Those who uphold it are being told how “behind the times” they are. Those who uphold the scriptural and historic understanding of homosexuality are being told how unconcerned with other issues we are. Those of us who seek to uphold the covenant are being tarred and feathered by those who think they have become enlightened beyond obedience to God. Then they dare to compare it to those who do not hold a single special offering???? REALLY?????????????
I’m really surprised at your perceived victimization here. You are being “bullied” by clergy who are risking their ordinations and careers while you are safely within the gate? Gosh, I hope for safety and strength through your certain tribulation. 😉
In the meantime, though, the point was to show that breaking the Covenant by either campaign or error or in spirit are all violations, so claims that we follow 100% of the Discipline need to own up to that.
I’m still trying to figure out Methodists, with whom I joined some time back. We/you certainly have covenants on money. You/we apparently have a covenant on homosexuality that can be broken. Do you/we also have a covenant on gluttons? Just sayin.
I missed the part where failing to participate in all six Special Sundays every year became a chargeable offense. Certain activities are listed in the Discipline as chargeable offenses after a democratic process at General Conference. Some may agree and others may disagree. It is really irrelevant. No one is forced to remain as a member of The United Methodist Church. If engaging in the activities listed as chargeable offenses is a matter of conscience (particularly for clergy–especially for those who lied during their ordination vows and have been in violation of the Discipline every day since), then it makes much more sense for them to transfer to a denomination without those restrictions. Instead, many chose to defy the Discipline while insisting on getting paid every week. That is simply unsustainable.
“Covenant” is the new mainline Protestant drinking game. Every time you hear it, quaff your favorite beverage. These days, we use “covenant” to mean “a promise I don’t have to keep if it gets hard.” We love to say it, but we seldom honor it.