A weakness in the Florida Plan is that it might lead to Regionalization. However, what both the Florida Plan and the TLC Plan both get wrong is this: Doctrinal unity is not established by our church government, rather doctrinal unity is brought about by a shared Confession of Faith and Catechism. We Methodists lack a clearly defined faith spelled out in a Confession. Where is the Wesleyan-Arminian equivalent to the Calvinistic Westminster Confession of Faith or the Lutheran Augsburg Confession? It is no where to be found. We do have our 25 Articles but they lack our distinctives. Then our 52 Standard Sermons and NT Notes are too long to be effective. Most laypeople (and even clergy!?) will never read them. Then on top of that, our current GM Catechism is corrupted with Pelagianism and Socinianism. BUT if we had a Confession of Faith (and corrected Catechism) that clearly defined our beliefs, any lay person can read it and see if their pastor's sermon contradicts it. It will also be and excellent and succent way to teach lay people also. A Confession of Faith and Catechism gives laypeople "veto power". They themselves can see if something is out of line or not. Furthermore, a clear Confession and Catechism would give Annual Conferences, Bishops, and the General Conference a clear basis to judge if something is doctrinally out of line as well! Thus true unity is having a shared faith expressed succinctly in a Confession and Catechism. If we do this, then the argument against the Florida Plan (i.e., that it will lead to regionalization) is completely demolished and removed. (Further Note: As per our Restrictive Rule and the historic precedents set by the EUB, we can adopt a replacement confession to the EUB Confession, and adopt it along side our 25 Articles, 52 Standard Sermons and NT Notes. Thus preserving our trio of doctrinal standards given to us by John Wesley himself AND finally having a Wesleyan-Arminian Confession that can rival the Westminster and Augsburg Confessions AND honor our EUB heritage and merger by utilizing its very own historic precedents. Do this, and the argument made against the Florida Plan, the argument of regionalization, ceases to be an issue).
I don’t like this plan with all due respect.
With Flordia Plan, We would end up with what we just left!
A weakness in the Florida Plan is that it might lead to Regionalization. However, what both the Florida Plan and the TLC Plan both get wrong is this: Doctrinal unity is not established by our church government, rather doctrinal unity is brought about by a shared Confession of Faith and Catechism.
We Methodists lack a clearly defined faith spelled out in a Confession. Where is the Wesleyan-Arminian equivalent to the Calvinistic Westminster Confession of Faith or the Lutheran Augsburg Confession? It is no where to be found. We do have our 25 Articles but they lack our distinctives. Then our 52 Standard Sermons and NT Notes are too long to be effective. Most laypeople (and even clergy!?) will never read them. Then on top of that, our current GM Catechism is corrupted with Pelagianism and Socinianism.
BUT if we had a Confession of Faith (and corrected Catechism) that clearly defined our beliefs, any lay person can read it and see if their pastor's sermon contradicts it. It will also be and excellent and succent way to teach lay people also. A Confession of Faith and Catechism gives laypeople "veto power". They themselves can see if something is out of line or not. Furthermore, a clear Confession and Catechism would give Annual Conferences, Bishops, and the General Conference a clear basis to judge if something is doctrinally out of line as well!
Thus true unity is having a shared faith expressed succinctly in a Confession and Catechism. If we do this, then the argument against the Florida Plan (i.e., that it will lead to regionalization) is completely demolished and removed.
(Further Note: As per our Restrictive Rule and the historic precedents set by the EUB, we can adopt a replacement confession to the EUB Confession, and adopt it along side our 25 Articles, 52 Standard Sermons and NT Notes. Thus preserving our trio of doctrinal standards given to us by John Wesley himself AND finally having a Wesleyan-Arminian Confession that can rival the Westminster and Augsburg Confessions AND honor our EUB heritage and merger by utilizing its very own historic precedents. Do this, and the argument made against the Florida Plan, the argument of regionalization, ceases to be an issue).
Examples please - "... our current GM Catechism is corrupted with Pelagianism and Socinianism."
@@JonLannom see Jeffrey Rickman's PlainSpoken Podcast interview with Andrew V. Sullivan