Jonathan LeMaster-Smith

I was messaged several times yesterday and now today about this event.

The Dakotas Conference had Q&A sessions with delegates and their responses were consolidated and share via a Google Doc. However, there were still editing abilities available to those who viewed it. Someone viewed it, edited it with false information that seems to have malicious intent, and it ended up being circulated in this edited format in UMC and non-UMC circles.

It even ended up on the PlainSpoken YouTube Channel (a conservative Methodist YouTube Channel). He read it out and provided his conservative commentary about the edited document. He seemed to have no knowledge of the edited documents. I do not place blame on this channel and he even posts a response on his substack.

My thoughts, I am fine with WCA, Good News, and other conservative movements being present at General Conference. This is a political process. Let them lobby. They want to have their voices heard, and really, there has been harm done by both sides in this process.

But, maliciously altering information is garbage. If anyone still associated with The UMC is involved in this they should be brought up on charges and dealt with. UMC Pastors, lay people, do your jobs and defend the church. Call out the sin and evil at play here.

And look, I know that there are fine decent Global Methodist, Wesley Covenant Association, and independent conservative people who left amicably. I know you still follow me. Call this out in your communities too.

I am not here to talk about cyber security or the failings of someone to lock a Google Document down. I am here to speak to misinformation, manipulation, and bad actors. If you believe your argument is good, in line with Christ’s church, and the best past, then you don’t need to manipulate or lie. Just share your testimony.

I have no doubt things are going to change in The UMC, but, according to recent Duke study, congregations (at least in NC) hold more diverse views than church previous churches. Conservative folk stayed and trust that we can exist together. And, even though I got it wrong in the last video I posted, the quote “In essentials unit, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things love,” is still a good statement and feels Methodist even if John Wesley never said it. That change is going to look more like the Kingdom than the conservatives or liberals predicted.