Professor Darryl Stephens suggests that majority rule is not necessarily a sound theological authority.
Stephens is the director of United Methodist studies at Lancaster Theological Seminary and a clergy member of the Texas Annual Conference.
In a recent commentary for UMNS, he took up the issue of fairness of representation, focusing whose voices get heard at General Conference. David W. Scott and others have also pointed to the issue of voice in relation to central conference delegates.
Stephen asserts that the underlying theological issue is the relation between democracy and grace. He adds, “John Wesley understood Christian conferencing, not democracy, as a means of grace.“
Last Updated on October 27, 2023