Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church in Cobb County — the largest UMC congregation in the North Georgia Conference — is breaking with its increasingly progressive denomination just days after its pastor was reassigned to a new role.
During his sermon last Sunday, the Rev. Dr. Jody Ray, announced he rejected the NGUMC’s reassignment to a new role involved in racial reconciliation. He told the conference such a task “is not what God is calling me to do.”
In his letter to Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, Ray said he understands “the importance of the new role” and sees why he would “potentially be a good fit,” but asked the bishop to reconsider her decision, explaining it would be “best” for him to remain at Mt. Bethel “as we complete our pandemic recovery and continue to build a strong and vital congregation dedicated to making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world,” according to the Wesleyan Covenant Association.
Though he didn’t name the bishop directly, Ray, who joined Mt. Bethel in 2016, rebuked the NGUMC for its decision to reassign him without explanation.
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“To those who helped orchestrate the events of today, I want you to know that I forgive you,” he said from the pulpit. “I forgive you and I love you, because what you meant for evil, God’s gonna use for good.”
On Monday, Mt. Bethel lay leader Rustin Parsons announced the Marietta church, home to some 8,000 congregants, is leaving the nationwide UMC denomination, according to East Cobb News.
The decision comes as the UMC is moving further to the left politically and theologically. The denomination is in the midst of a heated debate over several issues, including the ordination of LGBT clergy.
Next year, the UMC is slated to begin a process called “Protocol for Reconciliation Through Grace and Separation,” essentially establishing two separate denominations: the UMC and the Global Methodist Church.
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Ray, who has surrendered his credentials as an ordained minister in the UMC and is now listed as the CEO and lead pastor of Mt. Bethel, condemned the UMC for embracing leftist theologies.
“To my family … remember this day,” he said during his message. “We are a family who lives by our faith and our values. God is Lord of our life; Jesus Christ is Lord of our life. And it’s Him and Him alone who determines our future. We don’t back up or back down.”
“And I want you also to remember this day, that your daddy didn’t bow the knee or kiss the ring of progressive theology that is, in fact, no theology at all,” Ray told his children.
The preacher went on to implore his congregation to “make God the main thing” and to “stand firm in the faith.” Congregants gave Ray several standing ovations.
“Be careful of secular ideologies and thoughts that often come described as biblical truth,” Ray warned. “Know and understand the Scripture in such a way that you can determine through the Holy Spirit what is right.”
Immediately after Ray’s sermon, Lindsay Hill, chair of Mt. Bethel’s Staff/Parish Relations Committee, told the congregation that Haupert-Johnson’s “disruptive” decision to replace Ray was “made in haste” and is “not in the best interest of Mt. Bethel.”
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She went on to say the NGUMC bishop is “willfully risking the health and vitality of a church that joyfully and very effectively shares the Gospel” with its community. Hill added that the SPRC has determined Mt. Bethel is “not in a position to receive a new senior minister at this time,” a statement that earned her a standing ovation.
Hill told the Wesleyan Covenant Association that the Mt. Bethel congregation was “taken completely by surprise” by the decision to reassign Ray, noting local churches “expect the bishop and her cabinet to work collaboratively with them” when making ministerial changes.
“In my professional experience, collaboration involves much more than simply one party telling another party what they’re going to do and then leaving the other party to deal with all the repercussions,” she said. “I would expect the church to far exceed all the expectations we have in the secular world. Now, more than ever, we need to work together for the effectiveness of local churches in our communities.”
For her part, Haupert-Johnson has defended her swift decision to reassign Ray. She said the determination was made “after an extensive period of discernment.” Ray’s replacement, the Rev. Dr. Steven Usry, currently serving as senior pastor at Sugarloaf UMC in Duluth, was slated to takeover at Mt. Bethel on July 1.
Haupert-Johnson decried Ray for his sermon last Sunday, condemning what she called “reckless behavior” that “has caused a great deal of pain to the congregation and threatens its covenant with the United Methodist Church.”
Mt. Bethel has removed references to the UMC from its website.
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