"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Cor. 15:58)
Bishop Richard Wilke of Arkansas offers a frank diagnosis of the state of the United Methodist
Church in his book And Are We Yet Alive? He says, "Our sickness is more serious than we at
first suspected. We are in trouble, you and I, and our United Methodist Church. We thought we
were just drifting, like a sailboat on a dreamy day. Instead, we are wasting away like a leukemia
victim when the blood transfusions no longer work. Once we were a Wesleyan revival, full of
enthusiasm, fired by the Spirit running the race set before us like a sprinter trying to win the prize.
Circuit riders raced over hill and valley. New churches were established in every hamlet. Our
missionaries encircled the globe. Now we are tired, listless, fueled only by the nostalgia of former
days, walking with a droop, eyes on the ground, discouraged, putting one foot ahead of the other
like a tired old man who remembers, but who can no longer perform." (From Are We Yet
Alive?By Richard Wilke, p. 9)
We add our observation regarding the United Methodist in general. Not only have they died in their zeal, they have lost their love for truth. Let us not be wasting away like someone terminally ill, but with fervent love of truth continue to abound in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labor is not in vain.