A Note from Pastor Bill

Dear St. Luke’s Saints,

“America’s mainline Protestant denominations, which for two centuries dominated the nation’s religious landscape and political discourse, are in a terminal state. Their membership is declining and aging, both precipitously, and they are intractably riven over sexuality. There is little hope for these congregations. Or so the story goes.

“Oh? Then how to account for the 5,000 member St. Luke’s United Methodist Church here in the tony Orlando suburbs? The pews are full, the campus bustling seven days a week—2800 children and youth enrolled—and plans are in the works for a satellite congregation. Specialized activities and ministries range from Bible study to modern dance to Canine Crusaders, a pet therapy program.”

These were the opening paragraphs of an article titled “Lifeline for Mainliners” that appeared on Monday of this week on page 11A of USAToday.

Read the whole article: http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/05/lifeline-for-ma.html

I continue to be overwhelmed by the vision and dedication of this wonderful church! I first experienced it 16 years ago when then Bishop Hasbrouck Hughes appointed me to St. Luke’s. I had come from First United Methodist Church of Miami, a congregation nearly 100 years old at that time. The church had reached its largest membership in the 1960’s and by the time I arrived in 1985 was struggling to maintain its vitality and vision in a strategic location in downtown Miami. Today it continues to be a light of hope in a multi-cultural urban setting. I arrived at St. Luke’s to find a congregation every bit as committed to its community, but growing by leaps and bounds.

As we have passed through our 25th year, like most churches, we have begun to see a maturing in our lifecycle that affects our worship patterns, our giving, and our focus on what really matters and what we do best. First Church in Miami asked those questions and ended up feeding the homeless, distributing shoes and socks, organizing for advocacy for the poor, starting an after-school program for at risk children and co-sponsoring an urban interfaith organization called “Faith in the City.”

Here at St. Luke’s the same kind of visionary focus is taking place with the leadership of the Church Council. We are asking what really matters in this rapidly changing culture, what people really need, and what Jesus is calling us to do. What was true in 1896 in Miami, when the forerunner congregations of First Church were founded and what was true in 1979 in Orlando when St. Luke’s was chartered is still true today: Jesus is our cornerstone! The long-term viability and strength of both congregations is due to the foundation of both houses of faith: the Lord Jesus Christ.

Join us for worship this weekend as we affirm that the house of faith is built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. (Read Matthew 6:24-34)

It is also Memorial Day weekend, and we are called to remember the solid rocks of patriotism and service represented by those who have served their country and laid down their lives for freedom. Jesus once said, “There is no greater love than this: than when you lay down your life for your friend.” Jesus did it for the world. Our courageous service men and women did it for their fellow citizens. And we are in their debt.

Yes, it just might be too early to “memorialize” the mainline church. Certainly it is nowhere in sight for St. Luke’s, but the continuing vitality of our ministry depends on the way in which you are willing to serve, share, and even sacrifice in the name of the One who is our Rock.

With faith, hope, and love,
Bill