John Wesley na Historia ya Umethodisti — Sehemu ya 9: Mgawanyiko na Upya katika Karne ya Ishirini na ya Ishirini na MojaJohn Wesley and the History of Methodism — Unit 9: Division and Renewal in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Wapenzi, nilipokuwa nikifanya bidii sana kuwaandikia habari za wokovu wetu sote, naliona kuwa ni lazima kuwaandikia, kuwaonya mwishindane kwa ajili ya imani, ambayo mara moja tu watakatifu wamepewa." (Yuda 3, SUV)"Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude 3, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

Utakapomaliza kipindi hiki, unapaswa kuweza:When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Kueleza jinsi theolojia ya kiliberali ilivyoingia katika baadhi ya makanisa na seminari za Kimethodisti, na jinsi Wawesley wa kiinjili walivyojibu.1. Explain how theological liberalism entered some Methodist churches and seminaries, and how evangelical Wesleyans responded.

2. Kueleza muungano wa mwaka 1939 na 1968 ulioiunda The Methodist Church kisha The United Methodist Church.2. Describe the mergers of 1939 and 1968 that formed The Methodist Church and then The United Methodist Church.

3. Kusimulia kwa mpangilio matukio makuu ya mgawanyiko wa karibuni wa The United Methodist Church, kuanzia mwaka 2016 hadi kuanzishwa kwa Global Methodist Church mwaka 2022.3. Tell, in order, the main events of the recent division of The United Methodist Church, from 2016 to the launch of the Global Methodist Church in 2022.

4. Kueleza kwa haki mitazamo ya wale waliotofautiana, na kueleza kwa nini makanisa ya Wesley-Utakatifu yanashikilia kwamba mamlaka ya Maandiko ndiyo yaliyokuwa kiini.4. State fairly the views of those who disagreed, and explain why the Wesleyan-Holiness churches hold that the authority of Scripture was central.

5. Kueleza jinsi mchungaji anavyoweza kuwatunza watu wakati wa mgawanyiko wenye maumivu wa kanisa.5. Describe how a pastor can care for people during a painful church division.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Wesley, kwa wanafunzi walio ndani yake. Ni ya kihafidhina na ya kiinjili. Inaposema "sisi" au "mapokeo yetu," inamaanisha makanisa ya Kimethodisti na ya Wesley-Utakatifu yanayoshikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu na kanuni ya mwisho ya imani na maisha. Kipindi hiki kinasimulia historia ya karibuni yenye maumivu. Tunaisimulia kama historia. Tunataja matukio kama yalivyotokea, tunaeleza mitazamo ya wale wasiokubaliana, na tunasema wazi mapokeo yetu yanasimama wapi kwa sababu ya mafundisho yake juu ya Maandiko. Hatulitumii kipindi hiki kumshambulia mtu yeyote. Kila mtu ameumbwa kwa mfano wa Mungu, na Kristo alikufa kwa ajili ya wote.This course is written from inside the Wesleyan tradition, for students who belong to it. It is conservative and evangelical. When it says "we" or "our tradition," it means the Methodist and Wesleyan-Holiness churches that hold the Bible to be the Word of God and the final rule of faith and life. This unit tells a painful recent history. We tell it as history. We name the events as they happened, we state the views of those who disagree, and we say plainly where our tradition stands because of its doctrine of Scripture. We do not use the unit to attack any person. Every person is made in the image of God, and Christ died for all.

Kwa Nini Kipindi Hiki Ni MuhimuWhy This Unit Matters

Wanafunzi wetu wengi wamesikia habari kuhusu "mgawanyiko wa Wamethodisti" na wamechanganyikiwa. Wengine ni wa makanisa yasiyo sehemu yake. Wengine wana marafiki au ndugu walio ndani yake. Mchungaji anapaswa kuweza kueleza kilichotokea, kwa utulivu na usahihi. Kipindi hiki pia kinauliza swali kwa familia nzima ya Wesley: inamaanisha nini kushikilia imani iliyotolewa mara moja na bado kuwapenda wale wasiokubaliana?Many of our students have heard news about "the Methodist split" and are confused. Some belong to churches that are not part of it. Others have friends or relatives who are. A pastor should be able to explain what happened, calmly and accurately. This unit also asks a question for the whole Wesleyan family: what does it mean to hold the faith once delivered and still to love those who disagree?

Kuinuka kwa Theolojia ya KiliberaliThe Rise of Liberal Theology

Katika karne ya kumi na tisa, njia mpya za kufikiri juu ya Biblia na juu ya Mungu ziliongezeka katika vyuo vikuu vya Ulaya na Marekani. Wasomi wengine walichukulia Biblia hasa kama kitabu cha kibinadamu na kutilia shaka miujiza yake na mafundisho yake juu ya dhambi na upatanisho. Wengi walikuja kusisitiza kielelezo cha maadili cha Yesu na uboreshaji wa jamii, na kusema kidogo juu ya msalaba, kuzaliwa upya na hukumu inayokuja. Mtazamo huu kwa kawaida huitwa theolojia ya kiliberali (theological liberalism), au usasa (modernism). Haukuwa kwa Wamethodisti tu. Uliathiri makanisa mengi.In the nineteenth century, new ways of thinking about the Bible and about God spread through the universities of Europe and America. Some scholars treated the Bible mainly as a human book and doubted its miracles and its teaching on sin and atonement. Many came to stress the moral example of Jesus and the improvement of society, and spoke less of the cross, the new birth and the judgment to come. This outlook is usually called theological liberalism, or modernism. It was not limited to Methodists. It affected many churches.

Umethodisti ulikuwa wazi kwa hilo kwa sababu kadhaa. Madhehebu makubwa yenye vyuo na seminari zao yalihitaji walimu, na baadhi ya walimu walileta mawazo mapya. Wesley alikuwa amesisitiza matumizi ya akili na uzoefu, na wengine walitumia hili kuweka hukumu ya kibinadamu juu ya Maandiko. Katika karne ya ishirini, msemo "Wesleyan Quadrilateral" ulianza kutumika, na ulitumika na wengine kusema kwamba Maandiko, mapokeo, akili na uzoefu vinasimama pamoja kama sawa. Msomi aliyebuni msemo huo, Albert Outler, ni jina linaloheshimiwa, na baadhi ya wanaotumia neno hilo wanashikilia Maandiko kwa uthabiti. Lakini mapokeo yetu yanashikilia kwamba Wesley mwenyewe hakufanya Maandiko kuwa chanzo kimoja kati ya vinne. Katika dibaji ya mahubiri yake alijiita "mtu wa kitabu kimoja," na katika maandishi yake mwenyewe Maandiko ndiyo hakimu wa mwisho, na mapokeo, akili na uzoefu vikitusaidia kuyaelewa. Kozi ya 2 inalishughulikia hili kwa upana zaidi.Methodism was open to it for several reasons. Large denominations with their own colleges and seminaries needed teachers, and some teachers brought the new ideas with them. Wesley had stressed the use of reason and experience, and some used this to place human judgment above Scripture. In the twentieth century, the phrase "Wesleyan Quadrilateral" came into use, and it was used by some to say that Scripture, tradition, reason and experience stand together as equals. The scholar who coined the phrase, Albert Outler, is a respected name, and some who use the term hold Scripture firmly. But our tradition holds that Wesley himself did not make Scripture one source among four. In the preface to his sermons he called himself "a man of one book," and in his own writings Scripture is the final judge, with tradition, reason and experience helping us to understand it. Course 2 treats this more fully.

Lazima tuwe wa haki. Baadhi ya waliokuwa na mitazamo ya kiliberali walikuwa watu wa dhati waliolipenda kanisa, na wengi waliwatumikia maskini kwa uaminifu. Lakini athari ilikuwa wazi: katika maeneo mengi, mahubiri ya wokovu kwa neema kwa njia ya imani, na mamlaka ya Maandiko, yalidhoofika.We must be fair. Some who held liberal views were sincere people who loved the church, and many served the poor faithfully. But the effect was clear: in many places, the preaching of salvation by grace through faith, and the authority of Scripture, grew weaker.

Jibu la KiinjiliThe Evangelical Response

Wawesley wa kiinjili hawakukaa kimya. Walijibu kwa njia kadhaa.Evangelical Wesleyans did not stay silent. They responded in several ways.

Makanisa ya Utakatifu. Kama Kipindi cha 7 kilivyoonyesha, Wesleyan Methodists, Free Methodists, Wanazarene na wengine walidumisha mafundisho ya zamani. Walifundisha mamlaka ya Maandiko, kuzaliwa upya na utakaso kamili.The Holiness churches. As Unit 7 showed, the Wesleyan Methodists, the Free Methodists, the Nazarenes and others kept the older doctrine. They taught the authority of Scripture, new birth and entire sanctification.

Seminari na shule. Asbury Theological Seminary ilianzishwa huko Wilmore, Kentucky, mwaka 1923, na Henry Clay Morrison, kama shule ya kuwafunza wahudumu katika mafundisho ya kiinjili ya Wesley. Vyuo na seminari nyingine za Utakatifu zilifanya vivyo hivyo.Seminaries and schools. Asbury Theological Seminary was founded in Wilmore, Kentucky, in 1923, by Henry Clay Morrison, as a school to train ministers in evangelical Wesleyan doctrine. Other Holiness colleges and seminaries did the same.

Vikundi vya upya ndani ya kanisa kubwa la Kimethodisti. Mwaka 1966 kikundi kiliunda vuguvugu la Good News ndani ya Umethodisti kulirudisha kanisa kwenye Maandiko na injili. Mwaka 1994 Confessing Movement ilianza kwa kusudi kama hilo. Mwaka 2016 Wesleyan Covenant Association iliundwa kukusanya Wawesley wa jadi waliotaka kudumisha mafundisho na viwango vya kihistoria.Renewal groups inside the larger Methodist church. In 1966 a group formed the Good News movement within Methodism to call the church back to Scripture and the gospel. In 1994 the Confessing Movement began with a similar purpose. In 2016 the Wesleyan Covenant Association was formed to gather traditional Wesleyans who wished to uphold historic doctrine and standards.

Muungano wa 1939 na 1968The Mergers of 1939 and 1968

Wakati huo huo familia ya Kimethodisti ilikuwa inakusanyika kimpangilio. Mwaka 1939 Methodist Episcopal Church, Methodist Episcopal Church, South, na Methodist Protestant Church ziliungana kuunda The Methodist Church. Muungano huu ulipona mgawanyiko wa 1844. Lakini ulikuja kwa gharama. Kanisa jipya liliunda muundo tofauti kwa wanachama Weusi, ulioitwa Central Jurisdiction, uliowaweka mbali katika utawala wa kanisa. Muundo huo ulidumu hadi 1968. Hii ni kushindwa kubwa kwa kanisa, na mapokeo yetu hayalisamehe.Meanwhile the Methodist family was coming together in organization. In 1939 the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and the Methodist Protestant Church joined to form The Methodist Church. This reunion healed the division of 1844. But it came at a price. The new church created a separate structure for Black members, called the Central Jurisdiction, which kept them apart in the church's government. That structure lasted until 1968. This is a serious failure of the church, and our tradition does not excuse it.

Mwaka 1946 makundi mawili yenye mizizi ya lugha ya Kijerumani, Evangelical Church na Church of the United Brethren in Christ, yaliungana kuunda Evangelical United Brethren Church. Mwaka 1968 The Methodist Church na Evangelical United Brethren ziliungana kuunda The United Methodist Church. Ikawa mojawapo ya madhehebu makubwa zaidi ya Kiprotestanti nchini Marekani, na ilikuwa na wanachama Afrika, Ulaya na Asia. Viwango vyake vya mafundisho vilijumuisha Articles of Religion za Kimethodisti na Confession of Faith ya Evangelical United Brethren.In 1946 two bodies with German-language roots, the Evangelical Church and the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, joined to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church. In 1968 the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren joined to form The United Methodist Church. It became one of the largest Protestant denominations in the United States, and it had members in Africa, Europe and Asia. Its doctrinal standards included the Methodist Articles of Religion and the Evangelical United Brethren Confession of Faith.

Wale walioshiriki katika muungano walitumaini nguvu. Lakini baadhi ya wainjilisti walihangaika kuhusu ulegevu wa kimafundisho wa kanisa jipya. Mwaka 1972 General Conference ilipitisha kauli mpya juu ya mafundisho iliyozungumzia "theological pluralism" (wingi wa kitheolojia) wa kanisa. Wafuasi walisema hili liliruhusu tofauti za dhati ndani ya viwango vilivyokubaliwa. Wakosoaji walisema liliifanya iwe vigumu kumwajibisha mtu yeyote kwa viwango hivyo. General Conference ile ile pia iliweka katika Social Principles za kanisa kauli juu ya ndoa na juu ya viwango vya kuwekwa wakfu. Kauli hizi, na swali la kanisa lilifungwa na Maandiko kiasi gani katika kuzitumia, likawa mada ya mjadala katika karibu kila General Conference kwa miongo.Those who joined the union hoped for strength. But some evangelicals worried about the doctrinal looseness of the new church. In 1972 the General Conference adopted new statements on doctrine that spoke of the church's "theological pluralism." Supporters said this allowed honest differences within agreed standards. Critics said it made it harder to hold anyone to those standards. The same General Conference also placed in the church's Social Principles statements on marriage and on the standards for ordination. These statements, and the question of how far the church was bound by Scripture in applying them, became the subject of debate at almost every General Conference for decades.

Mgawanyiko wa Karibuni wa The United Methodist ChurchThe Recent Division of The United Methodist Church

Sasa tunasimulia matukio ya karibuni kwa mpangilio. Hatutoi hesabu za wanachama au za makanisa, kwa sababu takwimu zinabishaniwa na hubadilika mwaka hadi mwaka.We now tell the recent events in order. We give no counts of members or churches, because the figures are disputed and change from year to year.

Kwa karibu nusu karne United Methodist General Conference, inayokutana kila baada ya miaka minne, ilidumisha kanuni zake juu ya ndoa na kuwekwa wakfu: ndoa kama muungano wa mwanamume na mwanamke, na viwango vya kuwekwa wakfu vilivyotokana na mafundisho hayo. Katika miaka hii baadhi ya wahudumu, vyombo vya kikanda na maaskofu walipinga kanuni hizo hadharani, ilhali wengine walisisitiza zitekelezwe. Kesi zilifanyika, na mabishano yakawa makali zaidi. Wanachama wengi walikuja kuhisi kwamba kanisa liliishi katika uelewa mbili tofauti wa Maandiko, na kwamba kanuni hazikuwa zikitekelezwa.For about half a century the United Methodist General Conference, which meets every four years, kept in force its rules on marriage and ordination: marriage as the union of a man and a woman, and ordination standards that followed from that teaching. During these years some clergy, regional bodies and bishops publicly challenged the rules, while others insisted they be enforced. Trials were held, and the argument grew sharper. Many members came to feel that the church lived in two different understandings of Scripture, and that the rules were not being kept.

Mwaka 2016 General Conference iliwaomba maaskofu kuongoza utafutaji wa njia ya kusonga mbele. Tume iliundwa. Mnamo Februari 2019 General Conference maalum ilikutana St. Louis kuzingatia mipango. Ilichagua Traditional Plan (Mpango wa Jadi), iliyoimarisha utekelezaji wa kanuni zilizopo. Judicial Council, mahakama kuu ya kanisa, baadaye iliweka kando sehemu zake kadhaa. Mwaka huo huo kanisa pia lilipitisha njia kwa makutaniko ya mahali kuliacha dhehebu kwa sababu za dhamiri zinazohusiana na kanuni za kanisa juu ya ndoa na kuwekwa wakfu, hadi mwisho wa mwaka 2023.In 2016 the General Conference asked the bishops to lead a search for a way forward. A commission was formed. In February 2019 a special General Conference met in St. Louis to consider plans. It chose the Traditional Plan, which strengthened the enforcement of the existing rules. The Judicial Council, the church's highest court, later set aside some parts of it. The same year the church also adopted a way for local congregations to leave the denomination for reasons of conscience connected to the church's rules on marriage and ordination, until the end of 2023.

Mnamo Januari 2020 kikundi cha viongozi wenye mitazamo tofauti kilitangaza makubaliano yaliyopendekezwa, Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation (Itifaki ya Upatanisho na Neema kupitia Kujitenga), ambayo ingeruhusu kanisa la jadi kuundwa na kupokea fedha. General Conference iliyopangwa kwa 2020 iliahirishwa kwa sababu ya janga, na Itifaki haikupitishwa kamwe kwa ujumla wake. Wakati wa ucheleweshaji huu, maelfu ya makutaniko yalitumia njia ya kutoka kuondoka. Baadhi ya makanisa nje ya Marekani pia yaliondoka, ingawa picha inatofautiana kutoka mahali hadi mahali.In January 2020 a group of leaders from different viewpoints announced a proposed agreement, the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation, which would have allowed a traditional church to form and receive funding. The General Conference scheduled for 2020 was postponed because of the pandemic, and the Protocol was never adopted as a whole. During this delay, thousands of congregations used the exit path to leave. Some churches outside the United States also left, though the picture varies from place to place.

Tarehe 1 Mei 2022, Global Methodist Church ilianzishwa kama dhehebu jipya. Ni la Kiwesley katika mafundisho, linashikilia mafundisho ya kihistoria juu ya ndoa, na linathibitisha mamlaka ya Maandiko. Mwaka 2024 United Methodist General Conference, iliyokutana Charlotte, North Carolina, ilipiga kura kuondoa kanuni za vikwazo juu ya ndoa na kuwekwa wakfu zilizokuwa zimeongezwa kwa miongo tangu 1972. The United Methodist Church inaendelea kama dhehebu kubwa.On May 1, 2022, the Global Methodist Church was launched as a new denomination. It is Wesleyan in doctrine, holds to the historic teaching on marriage, and affirms the authority of Scripture. In 2024 the United Methodist General Conference, meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, voted to remove the restrictive rules on marriage and ordination that had been added over the decades since 1972. The United Methodist Church continues as a large denomination.

Jinsi Tofauti InavyoelezwaHow the Disagreement Is Described

Wale waliotafuta mabadiliko wanasema lengo lao lilikuwa kukaribisha na haki. Wanasema kwamba kila mtu anapendwa na Mungu, kwamba kanisa wakati mwingine lilikuwa limewadhuru au kuwapuuza watu waliokuwa pembezoni, na kwamba Maandiko yanaweza kusomwa kwa njia inayoruhusu kanisa kubadilisha mafundisho yake juu ya ndoa na viwango vyake vya kuwekwa wakfu. Wanajiona kama Wamethodisti waaminifu wanaofuata wasiwasi wa Wesley kwa waliotengwa. Wengine pia wanasema kwamba mgogoro umeundwa na siasa na mabishano juu ya mali na madaraka.Those who sought change say their goal was welcome and justice. They say that every person is loved by God, that the church had at times harmed or neglected people on its margins, and that Scripture can be read in a way that allows the church to change its teaching on marriage and its standards for ordination. They see themselves as faithful Methodists who follow Wesley's concern for the excluded. Some also say that the conflict has been shaped by politics and by disputes about property and power.

Wale walioshikilia kanuni wanasema kwamba suala la msingi ni mamlaka ya Maandiko na uwajibikaji wa viongozi wa kanisa. Wanashikilia kwamba Biblia inafundisha ndoa kama muungano wa mwanamume na mwanamke, na kwamba kanisa haliwezi kuwaweka wakfu au kufunga ndoa kinyume na mafundisho hayo na bado kuwa mwaminifu. Pia wanasema kwamba maafikiano yaliyofanywa wakati wa kuwekwa wakfu lazima yashikwe.Those who held to the rules say that the root issue is the authority of Scripture and the accountability of church leaders. They hold that the Bible teaches marriage as the union of a man and a woman, and that a church cannot ordain or marry against that teaching and still be faithful. They also say that agreements made at ordination must be kept.

Msimamo wetu. Makanisa ya Wesley-Utakatifu, yakiwemo Nazarene, Wesleyan na Free Methodist, yameshikilia mafundisho ya kihistoria ya Kikristo, na kwa sababu hayakuwa sehemu ya The United Methodist Church, hayakugawanywa na mzozo huu. Tunasimama na mtazamo wa kihistoria kwa sababu tunashikilia kwamba Maandiko ndiyo mamlaka ya mwisho na kwamba Kanisa limefundisha hili kwa uthabiti. Tunathibitisha utakatifu wa ndoa kama Maandiko inavyoutoa: muungano wa maisha yote wa mwanamume mmoja na mwanamke mmoja (Mwanzo 2:24; Mathayo 19:4-6). Pia tunasema wazi kwamba kanisa wakati mwingine limewakosea watu kwa dharau na kimya, na kwamba hii ni dhambi. Maandiko yanataja dhambi zitokazo katika moyo wa mwanadamu bila kuweka moja juu ya nyingine: "mawazo mabaya, uasherati, wizi, uuaji, uzinzi, choyo, ubaya, hila, ufisadi, jicho baya, matukano, kiburi, upumbavu" (Marko 7:21-23). Sisi sote tunasimama chini ya neno hilo na sisi sote tunahitaji neema ya Kristo. Kila mtu amealikwa na Kristo kwenye toba, imani na uzima mpya, na milango ya kanisa lazima ifunguke kwa wote watakaokuja. Tunashikilia ukweli na upendo pamoja: Paulo alisema tunapaswa "kusema kweli katika upendo" (Waefeso 4:15).Our position. The Wesleyan-Holiness churches, including the Nazarene, Wesleyan and Free Methodist churches, have held the historic Christian teaching, and because they were not part of The United Methodist Church, they were not divided by this dispute. We stand with the historic view because we hold that Scripture is the final authority and that the Church has taught this consistently. We affirm the sanctity of marriage as Scripture gives it: the lifelong union of one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). We also say plainly that the church has sometimes failed people through contempt and silence, and that this is a sin. Scripture names the sins that come from the human heart without ranking one above another: "evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness" (Mark 7:21-23). All of us stand under that word and all of us need the grace of Christ. Every person is invited by Christ to repentance, faith and new life, and the church's doors must open to all who will come. We hold to truth and to love together: Paul said we should be "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15).

Methodist Church of Mexico na kanisa la Kimethodisti huko Cuba hujitawala, kama Kipindi cha 8 kilivyoeleza, kwa hiyo maamuzi ya United Methodist General Conference hayawafungi. Wanafunzi kutoka makanisa hayo wanapaswa kutafuta mwongozo wa viongozi wao wenyewe kuhusu misimamo ya makanisa yao.The Methodist Church of Mexico and the Methodist church in Cuba govern themselves, as Unit 8 explained, so decisions of the United Methodist General Conference do not bind them. Students from those churches should seek the guidance of their own leaders on their own churches' positions.

Pingamizi na MajibuObjections and Answers

Pingamizi la 1: Mgawanyiko ni dhambi, kwa sababu Kristo aliomba watu wake wawe na umoja (Yohana 17:21).Objection 1: Division is a sin, because Christ prayed that His people be one (John 17:21).

Jibu letu. Tunakubali kwamba mgawanyiko unahuzunisha, na hatuusherehekei. Lakini Yuda 3 inatuamuru kushindania imani iliyotolewa mara moja, na Paulo alisema kwamba chachu kidogo huchachusha donge lote (Wagalatia 5:9). Umoja bila ukweli si umoja ambao Kristo aliuombea. Pale kujitenga kulipohitajika, kunapaswa kufanywa kwa huzuni, uaminifu na ukarimu, si kwa dharau.Our answer. We agree that division is grievous, and we do not celebrate it. But Jude 3 commands us to contend for the faith once delivered, and Paul said that a little leaven leavens the whole lump (Galatians 5:9). Unity without truth is not the unity Christ prayed for. Where separation was necessary, it should be done with sorrow, honesty and charity, not with contempt.

Pingamizi la 2: Wesley alifundisha "catholic spirit" na alisema tunaweza kutofautiana katika maoni.Objection 2: Wesley taught a "catholic spirit" and said we may differ in opinions.

Jibu letu. Wesley aliandika mahubiri juu ya catholic spirit (roho ya ulimwengu mzima), na aliwasihi watu kupendana hata wanapotofautiana katika maoni yasiyogusa moyo wa imani. Lakini hakuchukulia maswali yote kuwa maoni. Alishikilia kwamba mafundisho ya Maandiko juu ya mafundisho na maisha matakatifu lazima yadumishwe, na aliwaondoa kutoka jumuiya wale ambao hawakuyafuata. Roho ya ulimwengu mzima inamaanisha ushirika wa upendo. Haimaanishi kunyamaza juu ya Maandiko yanachofundisha.Our answer. Wesley did write a sermon on the catholic spirit, and he urged love for those who differ on opinions that do not touch the heart of the faith. But he did not treat all questions as opinions. He held that Scripture's teaching on doctrine and on holy living must be kept, and he removed from the societies those who would not follow it. A catholic spirit means loving fellowship. It does not mean silence about what Scripture teaches.

Pingamizi la 3: Wanahistoria wanasema mgawanyiko ulikuwa hasa zao la mgawanyiko wa kisiasa, si wa kitheolojia.Objection 3: Historians say the split was mainly a product of political polarization, not theology.

Jibu letu. Migawanyiko ya kibinadamu na ushindani wa zamani ulihusika, na mwanahistoria wa haki atasema hivyo. Mapambano ya kanisa mara nyingi yana nia mchanganyiko. Lakini mijadala katika kanisa ilirudi tena na tena kwenye ufasiri na mamlaka ya Maandiko, na hili ni jambo la kitheolojia. Pande zote mbili katika mjadala zilitoa madai ya kitheolojia, nasi tunayajibu kwa kuzingatia hoja zake.Our answer. Human divisions and old rivalries were involved, and a fair historian will say so. Church fights often have mixed motives. But the debates in the church returned again and again to the interpretation and authority of Scripture, and this is a theological matter. Both sides in the debate made theological claims, and we answer these on the merits.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji anahudumia kutaniko katika nchi ambayo makanisa ya Kimethodisti na ya Utakatifu yana historia tofauti. Familia mbili katika kanisa lake zina ndugu katika makanisa yaliyogawanyika, nao wamekasirika. Familia moja imewakasirikia upande mwingine. Mshiriki mwingine ana mwana anayehisi kwamba kanisa limemkataa na hataki kuja.A pastor serves a congregation in a country where the Methodist and Holiness churches have different histories. Two families in his church have relatives in churches that have divided, and they are upset. One family is angry at the other side. Another member has a son who feels the church has rejected him and does not want to come.

Mchungaji hachukui upande kwa njia inayowaumiza watu, na haliepuki swali. Kwanza, anaomba na kusoma Maandiko pamoja na viongozi wake, ili majibu yake yasimame juu ya Neno. Pili, anaeleza historia kwa ufupi na kwa haki, bila matusi, na anarekebisha ripoti za uongo. Tatu, anazungumza na mwana mwenye huzuni na familia yake kwa wema, akiwaambia wazi kanisa linaamini nini na kwamba Mungu anampenda na anamwita kwa Kristo. Nne, anawaomba watu wake waepuke uvumi na waombee wale wa upande mwingine. Tano, anaweka kutaniko likizingatia utume wake: kuhubiri injili, kufanya wanafunzi na kuwatumikia maskini. Anaacha maswali yoyote ya mali ya kanisa na sheria kwa wale wenye mamlaka na ujuzi unaofaa katika nchi yake mwenyewe.The pastor does not take sides in a way that hurts people, and he does not avoid the question. First, he prays and studies Scripture with his leaders, so that his answers rest on the Word. Second, he explains the history briefly and fairly, without insults, and he corrects false reports. Third, he speaks with the grieving son and his family with kindness, telling them plainly what the church believes and that God loves him and calls him to Christ. Fourth, he asks his people to avoid gossip and to pray for those on the other side. Fifth, he keeps the congregation focused on its mission: preaching the gospel, making disciples and serving the poor. He leaves any questions of church property and law to those with proper authority and knowledge in his own country.

MuhtasariSummary

Katika karne ya kumi na tisa na ishirini, theolojia ya kiliberali ilienea katika baadhi ya makanisa na seminari za Kimethodisti na kudhoofisha mahubiri ya neema na mamlaka ya Maandiko. Wawesley wa kiinjili walijibu kupitia makanisa ya Utakatifu, shule kama Asbury Theological Seminary (1923), na vikundi vya upya kama Good News (1966) na Confessing Movement (1994). Muungano wa 1939 na 1968 uliwaleta Wamethodisti wengi katika The United Methodist Church, ingawa Central Jurisdiction iliwaweka wanachama Weusi mbali hadi 1968. Baada ya miongo ya mzozo juu ya ndoa, kuwekwa wakfu na mamlaka ya Maandiko, General Conference ya 2019 ilipitisha Traditional Plan na njia ya makutaniko kuondoka. Itifaki ya 2020 haikupitishwa, Global Methodist Church ilianzishwa tarehe 1 Mei 2022, na mwaka 2024 General Conference iliondoa kanuni za vikwazo. Tunasimulia historia hii kwa haki, tunashikilia mafundisho ya kihistoria ya Maandiko, na tunalitaka kanisa kwa ukweli na upendo pamoja.In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, liberal theology spread through some Methodist churches and seminaries and weakened the preaching of grace and the authority of Scripture. Evangelical Wesleyans responded through the Holiness churches, schools such as Asbury Theological Seminary (1923), and renewal groups such as Good News (1966) and the Confessing Movement (1994). The mergers of 1939 and 1968 brought most Methodists into The United Methodist Church, though the Central Jurisdiction kept Black members apart until 1968. After decades of dispute over marriage, ordination and the authority of Scripture, the General Conference of 2019 adopted the Traditional Plan and a way for congregations to leave. The Protocol of 2020 was not adopted, the Global Methodist Church was launched on May 1, 2022, and in 2024 the General Conference removed the restrictive rules. We tell this history fairly, hold to the historic teaching of Scripture, and call the church to truth and love together.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• John Wesley, Sermons (Mahubiri), ikiwemo Dibaji na "Catholic Spirit" (Roho ya Ulimwengu Mzima).• John Wesley, Sermons, including the Preface and "Catholic Spirit."

• John Wesley, Thoughts upon Methodism (Mawazo juu ya Umethodisti) (1786).• John Wesley, Thoughts upon Methodism (1786).

• The Articles of Religion (Vifungu vya Imani) (1784), kiwango cha msingi cha mafundisho.• The Articles of Religion (1784), a primary standard of doctrine.

• Holiness Through the Ages (Utakatifu Katika Karne Zote), kitabu cha kiada cha CTS kwa Kozi ya 3, kwa maelezo ya makanisa ya Utakatifu.• Holiness Through the Ages, the CTS textbook for Course 3, for the Holiness churches' account.

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