In Defense of Our Traditions
Mark Tooley on Denominationalism
Recently, a friend who belongs to the conservative Presbyterian Church in America accompanied me to a service at my United Methodist local church. The hierarchy of my denomination is famously liberal, of course. But my suburban congregation in northern Virginia is conservative and evangelical. After the usual service of praise songs, traditional hymns, children’s sermon, prayer, Scripture reading, and sermon, my friend commented that my supposedly Wesleyan church was indistinguishable from his supposedly Calvinist church.
He was not so much being critical as observant. There was nothing to offend, and much to inspire, an orthodox Christian at my local church.
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Mark Tooley directs the United Methodist committee of the Institute on Religion and Democracy (www.ird-renew.org) in Washington, D.C.
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