“No United Methodist individual or body has the authority to edit those creeds which were formulated by the early Church and have helped define orthodox Christianity for the better part of 2000 years,”
(Michael Gryboski – Christian Post) The Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church edited the historic Apostles’ Creed so that it removed references to God as “Father” for a worship service.
The Apostles’ Creed is an affirmation of Christian faith that goes back to the early Church and is still common in many churches that include liturgy as part of worship.
At the multiday Minnesota Conference, which went from May 30–June 1, liturgical folders reportedly included a copy of the creed that removed gender specific language for God, changing “God the Father Almighty” to “God the Creator Almighty” and “Jesus Christ His Only Son” to “Jesus Christ God’s Only Son.”
The Christian Post reached out to the Minnesota Conference for further details about the edited creed and its use, and will update this piece when a response is received.
The Rev. Keith Mcilwain, pastor at Slippery Rock United Methodist Church in the Western Pennsylvania Conference, posted an image of the edited creed on social media.
In an interview with The Christian Post on Wednesday, Mcilwain explained that he got his hands on a copy of the edited creed from a friend of his who attended the Annual Conference.
Mcilwain took issue with the edits, explaining that it “fails to affirm the classical ecumenically-supported understanding of the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity, which teaches us that God has been revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
Christian Post Disclaimer
Visit Marsha West’s Facebook page