A Message from Bishop Bickerton: Celebrating What it Means to be United Methodist

September 30, 2024

Grace and Peace,

In her latest book, Something Lost, Something Gained, Hillary Rodham Clinton weaves the story of her faith into every aspect of her service to our country and world. Clinton, a lifelong United Methodist, gives credit to her youth minister and her mother for planting the foundational understanding of Methodism in her heart and soul. She writes:

“[They] made sure I internalized the famous Methodist credo attributed to John Wesley: ‘Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.’ Those words inspired generations of Methodists – including a lot of fantastic, fearless Methodist women – to take their faith out of the pews and into the streets, volunteering in hospitals, schools, and slums. For me, growing up in a comfortable middle-class suburb, it provided a sense of purpose and direction.” (pg. 262-263)

One of the true celebrations of what it means to be United Methodist is to understand that the faith we proclaim must find a way to be lived out — in mission, advocacy, and humble service.

For years now when I have read the appointments of pastors to local churches, I have used these words: “I am not appointing you to a church. I am appointing you to a community. You are to use your church as a mission outpost for a ministry of mission and outreach to the community around you.” As Hillary says, our work is to take the faith we proclaim, “out of the pews and into the streets.”

John Wesley himself had and taught a holistic view of faith. In Wesley’s mind, faith produced both an internal development and an outward expression. One without the other could not truly develop into Wesley’s understanding of Christian perfection. To put it in simple terms, faith, in its purest form, naturally finds its way from the pew to the people.

These days, the need to work hard at developing our internal spiritual lives cannot be underestimated. The attack on both organized religion and individuals who use their faith as a platform for service is real. Building up our own spiritual lives, and one another, for the hard work of living out our faith demands intentional, thoughtful, and deliberate disciplines.

And yet, Wesley himself acknowledged that only looking inward is not enough for a fully developed understanding of faith. In 1739, Wesley wrote in a volume titled, Hymns and Sacred Poems, “Solitary religion is not to be found in the Gospel accounts of Jesus. . . . The gospel of Christ knows of no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness. Faith working by love, is the length and breadth and depth and height of Christian perfection.”

In other words, we cannot live a Christian life in isolation. Our faith is lived out in community, being held accountable in love even as we continually find ways to deepen our love for God and our love for one another.

These days, the need for Christian community also cannot be underestimated. How we lovingly hold one another accountable will directly affect the manner in which reach out to world that is broken, alienated, angry, and afraid. If we are faithful in our response to God’s claim on our lives, we must be deliberate and intentional in the ways we carry God’s love “out of the pews and into the world.”

What does that mean for us right here, right now?

It means that we will find tangible ways to integrate our faith into meaningful action.
It means that we will work hard to make sure that people vote in upcoming elections that will determine the degree to which our faith can be integrated into public policy.
It means that we work hard to continue to advocate for women’s rights, full inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community, deepen awareness of and response to the racial disparity that continues to dominate the landscape of our world.
It means that we will work hard to help people in Vermont, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida recover from the devastating effects of hurricanes and raging flood waters.

It means that we will work hard to find ways to enable Global Health to be realized even in the most impoverished places in our world.

This is what it means to be a United Methodist Christian.

And you know what will happen as a result? The faith we proclaim in our churches will be far more satisfying and joyful than we could ever imagine because we will begin to make the connection between what personal holiness can mean and social holiness can do.

As result, Hillary Clinton’s words can become our own:

“My faith has sustained me, informed me, saved me, chided me, and challenged me. I don’t know who I would be or where I would have ended up without it.”
(Something Lost, Something Gained, page 260)

May it be so.

The Journey Continues, . . .

New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, 20 Soundview Avenue, White Plains, NY 10606
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