The new Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church (2008) includes a new twist that allows a deacon to preside over the sacraments in very specific circumstances. The text reads as follows:
"For the sake of extending the mission and ministry of the church, a pastor-in-charge or district superintendent may request that the Bishop grant local sacramental authority to the deacon to administer the sacraments in the absence of an elder, within a deacon's primary appointment."
Bishop Huie sent pastors in the Texas Annual Conference a letter about this via email today. While I have not yet completed reading the document that was attached to the email (from the General Conference level), I was hoping to begin a dialog about your thoughts around who should preside over the sacraments and why?
I won't say much about the whole thing just yet, except that I am inclined to believe that the approach of our jurisdiction and our bishop to limit this authority is a good thing. Specifically, Bishop Huie says: "Thus, it is my intention to interpret the Book of Discipline in a way that grants sacramental authority to a deacon rarely."
Let me know what you think...and yes, people who aren't United Methodist, I want to hear from you too!
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3 comments:
I grew up in a tradition where any member of the church could consecrate the sacraments - well almost any member, you had to be male SIGH
I have no issue with any believer, male or female consecrating the elements. I wish I was in a tradition where I could consecrate.
I've never studied the history of why and how consecration became limited to a few people who have been 'approved' by the church institution. It doesn't appear to be that way in scripture, but of course that's my bible church past coming out there.
I don't see the problem in a group of christians getting together and sharing communion together in their homes, that was part of a very meaningful tradition for me in my teenage years. And if they can consecrate at home, why not at church.
I am a radical!
You are definitely a radical Peter! What you are saying though is profoundly theological because it seems to me to lean more on what God is doing in the sacrament, rather than what the person who is presiding is doing in the sacrament. My friends over at the CRC practice communion like you mentioned in the family setting...no one set apart, but rather it was birthed out of and within the community gathered...I feel more posts coming on!
I like what Peter said... I know it is a scandalous opinion to have in the UMC world, but I have to be honest about that one...
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