Seeing a Way Forward: The Rev. Maxie Dunnam

The Rev. Maxie Dunnam, president emeritus of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, submitted the Modified Traditional Plan to be considered by the 2019 special General Conference.

He spoke with UM News as part of "Seeing a Way Forward," a video series featuring different perspectives of church leaders on the work of the Commission on a Way Forward.

Modified Traditional Plan submitter discusses its origins

The Rev. Maxie Dunnam, president emeritus of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, submitted the Modified Traditional Plan to be considered by the 2019 special General Conference. He discusses the need to amend the original Traditional Plan to clarify issues of accountability to the church’s covenant.

Modern Traditional Plan provides more clarity on accountability

The Rev. Maxie Dunnam, president emeritus of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, submitted the Modified Traditional Plan to be considered by the 2019 special General Conference. He felt that the other Way Forward plans weren’t consistent in terms of which entity had ultimate authority in various church matters, and his plan seeks to put in place ways to make clear whether or not someone has violated the Book of Discipline.

How would the Modified Traditional Plan change the Discipline?

The Rev. Maxie Dunnam, President Emeritus of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, submitted the Modified Traditional Plan to be considered by the 2019 special General Conference. He discusses potential changes the plan would make to the Book of Discipline if it were to pass.

Does the One Church Plan foster unity or create disunity?

The Rev. Maxie Dunnam, president emeritus of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, submitted the Modified Traditional Plan to be considered by the 2019 special General Conference. He said that none of the three Way Forward plans address concerns he’s hearing around the church about disunity.

Are there concerns about theological differences in the church?

The Rev. Maxie Dunnam, who submitted the Modified Traditional Plan to be considered by the 2019 special General Conference, said it’s not true that conservative United Methodists don’t embrace diversity. “We favor diversity,” he said. “What we don’t favor is a notion that you can believe anything you please to believe and still be a Methodist.”

Changing church law on marriage "worst thing that could come out of GC2019"

The Rev. Maxie Dunnam, who submitted the Modified Traditional Plan to be considered by the 2019 special General Conference, says if delegates voted to change church teaching on homosexuality and the nature of marriage, it would be a lead story in every newspaper and evening news broadcast in the U.S.

This is the fifteenth in a series of video interviews by United Methodist News Service. View all interviews.