A global identity: Can United Methodism restructure itself?

United Methodists may be excused for being a bit confused about their denominational identity these days. Though it is the second largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.—behind the Southern Baptist Convention—the U.S. membership of the United Methodist Church has been declining. In response, the church's bishops are presenting a proposal to the 2012 General Conference titled "Call to Action." They have been listening to church growth consultants like Lovett H. Weems Jr. of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., who says: "There's no future for the UMC in the U.S. unless it can demonstrate that it can reach more people, younger people and more diverse people."

Meanwhile, the United Methodist Church is growing globally. While U.S. membership dropped 1.2 percent to 7.8 million in 2009, the worldwide membership rose above 12 million for the first time. The major growth areas are Africa and the Philippines. Methodist membership in Africa, Asia and Europe grew from 3.5 million to 4.4 million in the five-year period ending in 2009, according to the United Methodist News Service.

The bishops' proposal for increasing the U.S. membership implies that the declining U.S. membership threatens the church's ability to sustain and strengthen the church's growing global ministry. The mechanics of the proposal empower the bishops to downsize the governance structure and redistribute church benevolences to promote church growth in the U.S.