My pastor friend Harry, down the road, is a liberal. Harry does not identify himself as a liberal. To Harry, labels like “liberal” or “evangelical” are divisive. Harry asks,’Why can’t we all just be Christians?” Harry evidently is not aware that such talk, where distinctions are blurred in the name of inclusiveness, is the talk of liberals.If he must live by a label, Harry prefers “middle-of-the-road.” Harry votes with the majority at the district board of which he is a member. He does not understand why anyone would criticize the denominational Sunday School materials, or want to attend an institution other than the Church of the Brethren seminary, or be upset with the Brotherhood’s Mission and Ministry Board. He is not sure, at the present time, that the church is ready for the ordination of practicing homosexuals, but, as he argues, he is “open” and his mind could be changed.
In short, Harry is “middle-of-the-road” because his point of reference is the limited, liberal, mainline world. He is quite oblivious to the greater part of Christianity-fundamental, evangelical, pentecostal-which exists quite unrelated to Harry’s training and denominational experience.
Harry is suspicious of hard edges. Talk about original sin, and substitutionary atonement, and hell, sounds harsh to him. His sermons are essays about God-in-general, faith-in-general, and doing better. The exception is when Harry comes home from a preacher’s conference. Then he gets prophetic and talks on saving the whales or expresses deep concerns about United States foreign policy.
Consistent with his desire to be always relevant, Harry experiments with whatever is in style at the moment, whether it be spiritual formation, or liturgical dance, or defense of the environment, or Native American spirituality. He works hard to make sure his language is always “inclusive.
On the district’s Ministry Commission, Harry is more concerned about whether candidates for ordination know how to think, than in what they believe. Faithfulness (to Harry) means loyalty to the denomination rather than to the God of historic Christianity. Doctrinal standards are not of great concern to Harry. When he rails, it is not against unbelief, but against rigidity and intolerance, as in the view that the Bible is the written Word of God and that salvation is only in Jesus Christ. If his congregation is sometimes disappointed in him, it is because of their undue conservatism and their lack of enlightenment.
Harry represents some Church of the Brethren pastors, trained in the Church of the Brethren seminary, and buying the official Council of Churches approach to Christianity. Harry is a liberal.
The above article has been adapted from
GOOD NEWS: The Bimonthly Magazine for United Methodists,
P. O. Box 150, Wilmore, KY 40390 (606)-858-4661.
Used by permission.