I began my research with a simple question that produced complex responses. This is partly due to the position of the United Methodist Church (UMC) as a whole. The issue of homosexuality is a huge sore spot for the denomination. Its position on this issue is complex and multi-faceted.
My research revealed contradictory and conflicting qualities and behaviors within the denomination that may not necessarily be seen by the denomination as a whole. The general lay United Methodist (UM) population may not be aware of denominational qualities and actions that seem obvious to those who are more politically involved. In exercising its laws and making policy, the denomination seems to work hard to find ways to avoid settling the issue definitively.
In my professional opinion, the United Methodist Church is sick and dysfunctional.
If, as a licensed marriage and family therapist, the UMC were a client I was seeing at a mental health clinic for an intake session, how would I diagnose the denomination? Trying to find a "diagnosis" for a denomination may sound strange, because most people believe mental health diagnoses are for individuals and not organizations.
The idea is not as strange as it sounds. Increasingly, family systems theory is being applied to organizations and institutions, especially churches, and books have been published explaining how to apply the systems concepts to organizations. Family systems theory takes the perspective that the family system itself (or church) contributes to problems in the family (church), and not the individual creating problems in the family. A family member becomes "sick" because the family needs a sick member, and this sick family member is often seeking help for his/her family. In the case of an organization, church, or denomination, the employees, members, or local churches often act out the "sick" or problem role, becoming a symptom of the problems within the organization, church, or denomination. When applied to organizations (including churches), this approach looks at problems within the organization or church that cause individual members to act out the problems. Therapy, or resolution of the problems, would be directed at the organization of the church and the roles and dynamics of its members and leaders.
In the case of the UMC, it may well be that the problem belongs to the denomination itself. Let’s look at the behaviors (symptoms) demonstrated by the UMC.
What's wrong with the UMC?