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The United Methodist Church (UMC) is not just another main line denomination but the largest by far, numbering 8.5 million members in North America. And at least 2.5 million Methodists are evangelicals. If evangelicals within the UMC were a separate denomination, it would be larger than the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ combined, greater than the membership of the American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A., and about as large as the United Presbyterian Church and the Episcopal Church.Yet Methodist evangelicals have had minimal voice in denominational decision-making regarding boards, seminaries, and the episcopacy—until recently. Growing evidence suggests that evangelicals are exercising increasing influence within denominations previously written off as incurably liberal, and the latest evidence comes from the recent United Methodist Church General Conference in Cleveland.

Anyone familiar with the UMC knows that this is a remarkable turn of events. During the last half-century, evangelical Methodists (those who view Scripture as the written Word of God and stress the believer's experience of a personal relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior, the only Son of God, and the Holy Spirit as enabler of mission) have been cast in a pariah position within one of the great movements of world evangelicalism. Evangelicals have been unable for the most part to gain positions on seminary faculties, influence church spending, or elect bishops.By the late '60s, these institutions had become almost uniformly and dogmatically liberal. In the '70s and '80s, they were increasingly influenced by feminist, liberation, and process theologies. By the '90s, evangelicals had only a token presence among UMC seminary faculties, boards, and district superintendents—not from lacking popular lay strength but because of quotas for racial and gender inclusiveness. Efforts toward inclusiveness are commendable, but some activists shrewdly abused these quotas to sabotage the Methodist democratic process and exclude evangelicals from key positions within the denomination.The state of missions in Methodism is a disturbing case in point. For over 160 years, Methodist women have given to mission programs focused on preaching the gospel over the world and serving in Christ's name. My grandmother always wore her 50-year pin as a longtime participant in the Women's Society of Christian Service, as did my mother. Every month these societies would meet and hear of preaching missions and give generously to world missionary efforts.These monies have accumulated in the Board of Global Ministries for 100 years, but since the late '60s the board has been controlled by Methodists with a different vision. The board now casts a cold eye on preaching aimed at conversion and all deliberate ministries of proclamation. It prefers that the mission bureaucracy be a grant-making institution tilted largely toward social action and humanitarian projects.Until recently, evangelicals have not felt a divine vocation to enter the nitty gritty of legislative activism in the church's governance process, or to organize a populist countermovement, or to plan how to elect delegates, bishops, and a fair judiciary. Evangelicals have preferred to get busy with the Great Commission to make disciples all over the world, abandoning political machinations to those perhaps wise as serpents but considerably more harmful than doves.But the curve of evangelical political and strategic intelligence is sharply up, as attested in Cleveland. Legislating within the United Methodist Church is a vast democratic process, with multiple views at the table often largely reflecting the mood of the country. Evangelicals can take heart from what happened in Cleveland. This year's General Conference:

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August 7 2000, Vol. 44, No. 9