Next Generation Institutional Hope - A Conversation with Mark Tooley

Mark Tooley has been the President of the Institute for Religion and Democracy for some time. The IRD is a think tank and activist coordination entity that has been operational in Methodism for some time. Mark has been a thought leader and source of information for faithful Methodists for many decades, educating and supporting evangelical Methodism consistently.
In this conversation, Mark and I talk Wesleyan political theory and try to share an understanding of how contemporary institutions work. Mark explains his political framework of choice, Whiggery, alongside other models of more reactionary conservatism (which I generally adopt). It is a robust discourse, in which a final hope for the Global Methodist Church is offered. I hope this conversation is a blessing to you in the way that it was to me.
Links:
The Institute for Religion & Democracy - www.theird.org
Mark Tooley's "Juicy Ecumenism" publication website - juicyecumenism.com/
Tooley's most recent book, "The Peace That Almost Was" - www.amazon.com/The-Peace-That...
The IRD's John Wesley Institute - nextmethodism.org/

[@cindycorall3593]

I am at the feet of great wisdom. Thank you.

[@user-dq5jd8ns3m]

I like this idea of Whiggery... Great interview with one of my Heros!

[@michaeltingle3789]

This is one of the best interviews that you've done. I'm one of the ones that didn't really know what was happening in the UMC and was going along with the local ministries. All changed during Covid and shortly after when I started my due diligence and discovered what the hierarchy of the UMC was doing. Thankfully I found IRD,Mark Tooley,and Good News. So did others in our church and after disaffilation failed we left and started a new church that eventually joined GMC. We're growing slowly but strongly as a Traditional Wesleyan congregation. God bless you and the work you've been doing.

[@RGabeDavis]

I can’t help to believe that the Church needs to start coming together. I would love to see the ACNA and the GMC come together under GAFCON and start rebuilding Christian combined influence.

[@robertkersten3971]

Jeffrey, once again a very interesting and worthwhile interview. I find myself in agreement with a previous comment made by brother Gabe Davis, in that visible unity needs to be restored within Christ’s Church. And I think I agree with Mark that denominationalism is eventually going to die out, here in America. I reconcile these two seemingly disparate positions by saying that I believe that true Spiritual unity will be restored, but not by our human efforts. I personally self-identify as post-denominational, mainly because I can find no Biblical basis for it, and Christ prayed “that we be all one, even as he and the Father are one .” Just to be clear, although I’m personally not a rostered member of a local congregation, I’ve been quite active in a couple of local congregations for at least a decade or more. The only membership role that I consider absolutely necessary is in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I also believe that the Wesleyan Movement is the most Biblical interpretation of the orthodox Christianity. I just don’t believe that it needs to be used as a brand. The question was asked: What went wrong with the UMC? My answer would be: Things went bad when the Church agreed to form an alliance with the world in order to end worldly oppression, in the days of Constantine. While there were obviously many benefits brought about by this, we’re still dealing with many traditions of men that were introduced into Christ’s Church. What’s the answer, going forward? I believe that in order to reconcile the need for reformation/ renewal/ restoration, the Church will have to facilitate a new type of organizational structure that recognizes traditional and lay-led house church congregations being in the same fellowship. This isn’t something that will happen overnight, but I do believe it’s possible.

[@plainspokenpod]

Very engaging thoughts! Thank you for taking the time to write them out!

[@DougFrantz]

The mention that the UMC is counting on inner city growth for the church struck me. Of course, that would be awesome! But the reason our conference, SUSUMC, is being told they need to sell two of our camp properties was for funding new inner city camping opportunities, but not camping at all of course. It hadn't occurred to me until hearing ya'll talk about it that not only are they trying to have more inner city growth, but they're actively planning to abandon rural areas. Where this might backfire is if they are successful in getting connected with the inner city, I would expect many of the African Americans they meet there will be more interested in the interest of Africa than we have traditionally been. If we're really lucky, it could help to traditionalize the cities!

[@joer5627]

Coming together is fine just not under banners of heresy.

[@christopherbrooks7466]

Jeff: you mentioned charge in Idaho; where was that?

[@plainspokenpod]

Gooding, Shoshone, & Richfield

[@amandabartlett8749]

Link to Tooleys interview w Zoomer?

[@johnschulteis7304]

Many in the UMC do not follow what’s going on at central and general conference level. Membership has been programmed to ware blinders and focus on the local missions.

[@im58woody]

Very true

[@redeemedzoomer6053]

Bring back denominationalism. A Christianity that lacks institutional development will be a culturally weak and impotent Christianity