Conservatives in the “Great Deep”

By Glen Spann

The tension between modernists and conservatives within the Methodist Church has reached a breaking point. However, this struggle can be traced back 125 years. By 1900 two distinctly different approaches to Christianity were growing within one church. While the majority of rank-and-file Methodists got their teaching from holiness camp meetings, a different theology was gaining control of Methodist schools and ultimately within the Methodist hierarchy. While some conservatives had already left, most conservatives believed this was a battle that could be won. And that fight has never stopped. Many battle-weary souls who are up to their neck in the current battle will find encouragement, direction, and even warnings from past phases of the battle.

There is a whole genre of literature from the early twentieth-century in which conservatives are pushing back and attempting to expose the modernist errors. At times this resulted in heresy trials. Eventually conservative periodicals sprang up and pushed back. This could be considered Round One.

Round Two of this fight centered around the leadership of Harold Paul Sloan, the evangelical spokesperson of the 1920s. By this time there was controversy over the content of Sunday School literature and proper missionary candidates.

Round Three was resumed by “Fighting Bob” Shuler. He welded great influence in the 1940s and 50s and was a colorful character.

Round Four was picked up by Charles Keysor and the Good News Movement. The homosexual issue did not actually surface until the 1970s.

All of this predates the Wesley Covenant Association and the rise of the Global Methodist Church, which could be labeled Round Five. Yet without the complete history, it is impossible to accurately assess the current situation. Those who do not learn from history, it is often said, are destined to repeat it. It is possible to win a battle and yet lose the war. Dr. Spann provides thorough documentation of the first four rounds of this fight. It is very difficult to objectively analyze what is happening under our very nose, but it appears that a conservative majority of Methodists won every round, yet were outmaneuvered by a liberal hierarchy. Yet, the battle is not over. This book is indispensable for all who are seeking to understand the way forward.

Glen Spann’s history of 20th century Methodist renewal struggles is important reading especially now that United Methodism is fracturing. As many Methodists construct a new denomination, they should know this story. —Mark Tooley, President, Institute on Religion and Democracy

It’s impossible to understand the present moment in Methodism without knowing our recent history. That’s what Glen Spann does in this informative, fair, honest account of what’s happened to Methodism’s evangelical identity. Contemporary Methodists will know much more about themselves with Glen Spann’s help. —Will Willimon, United Methodist Bishop (ret.), Professor, Duke Divinity School

Methodism has long been a complex movement comprising a variety of theological camps. There are many reasons for the theological diversity one finds in Methodism, including our modes of governance, clericalism, higher education, and demographic factors. In this important study, now available to a broader audience, Glen Spann explores these various factors and makes an important contribution to conversations around Methodist history and identity. —David F. Watson, PhD, United Theological Seminary