According to Bishop Michael Coyner, 43 percent of United Methodist churches in America did not receive a member by profession of faith in 2004. He said that existing congregations need to be transformed in a variety of ways, but at the heart of the transformation is "simply to have a passion that we are all about making disciples for Jesus Christ."
When the UM Board of Discipleship heard this at their March meeting, they were not surprised. Nor should this be news to us. Many of us are part of churches that spend more energy taking care of who we are than reaching out to those beyond our steeple who need to know Jesus in their lives. According to census data, 30-40% of the persons in the main part of Myrtle Beach do not name themselves as part of a religious faith. Yet, we struggle at First UMC to receive a couple of new members each month and most of these are churched folks from other places. This is more than a numbers game, we must renew our commitment to making disciples who are willing to go forth and claim others in the name of Jesus the Christ.
2 comments:
With your permission, I will share this with the Evangelism Work Area at our meeting this Sunday. You have eloquently described our reason for being. We need to pray and seek God's help and guidance in identifying ways we can enlist and equip all of us at FUMC to be about the mission of evangelism.
Thank you for continuing to say to us lovingly but frankly what we need to hear, as uncomfortable as it may be.
Although it is more than numbers, I think there is value at looking at 2005 First UMC statistics. Total membership 1739 - a net gain of 29 members from 2004. We received 28 (12 were confirmands) on profession of faith. 23 transferred from other UM churches and 26 from other denominations.
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