Hashing Out an Orthodox Protestantism

This week I’m at the Ecumenical Leadership Summit in Dallas. With renewal leaders from Lutheranism, Anglicanism, Presbyterianism and United Methodism, we are hashing out a common witness for orthodox Protestantism in today’s America. Many of these leaders have left their old denominations and created new theologically traditional structures. Fortunately, we United Methodists have not faced that struggle.

There’s been a wonderful spirit of common purpose and hopefulness about the future. One of our leading speakers has been Irish Methodist theologian William Abraham of United Methodist Perkins School of Theology at nearby Southern Methodist University. He urged a vision of “renewal rooted in optimism” that is “driven by a positive vision of Christian faith.” He noted that United Methodism is no longer “mainline,” which too often has politically meant anti-American and anti-capitalist along with other political labels rather than Gospel focus. “We are now a global church,” he rejoiced. “Let’s rename who we are.”