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        When we blame Central Conference delegates (from where the majority of voices against this statement came) for being intolerant toward homosexuality, we need to remember about their context. We are way too quick in blaming others for not sharing our point of view or for not being liberal, for not loving enough or even for not being American enough.         If we want to see our denomination growing on the account of Central Conferences, where the growth happens, then we need to put more efforts into understanding their context and where they are coming from or let them go their separate ways. It’s like we want their members and numbers to look good as the denomination, but we do not like how they think. It’s a dangerous approach, and its not far from colonialism.

       "Thousands of years ago, tribes of human beings suffered great privations in the struggle to survive. In this struggle it was important not only to be able to handle a club, but also to possess the ability to think reasonably, to take care of the knowledge and experience garnered by the tribe, and to develop the links that would provide cooperation with other tribes. Today the entire human race is faced with a similar test."        (Last paragraph of Andrei Sakharov's Nobel Lecture, December 11, 1975)        The United Methodist church can still get out of a decline if there are enough leaders, who can fearlessly address the culture of our denomination that reflects congregational morale. Churches are trying to keep their doors opened, waiting for new members to join while not taking a critical look at their behavioral patterns. The revitalization starts with telling the truth, and the truth is not pretty:...