"Why are churches that boast most loudly about their 'inclusivity' almost always dying?"
- Mark Tooley, Executive Director of UMAction

Contact: Loralei Coyle 202-682-4131, 202-905-6852 cell, lcoyle@ird-renew.org; Radio Interviews: Jeff Walton, jwalton@ird-renew.org; both with the Institute on Religion and Democracy

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 /Christian Newswire/ -- Fighting to keep its doors open, a struggling United Methodist congregation in Baltimore has partnered with a collective of radical anarchists in a space-sharing agreement.

The tiny St. John's United Methodist Church, still not fully restored after a 1981 fire, now hosts meetings of Red Emma's collective, a self-described anarchist group. Payments from the anarchists have allowed the church to continue paying its utility bills. Red Emma's speakers at the church have included a former Black Panther imprisoned for armed robbery and the Northeast Federation of Anarchists-Communists.

St. John's garnered attention earlier this year when its pastor, Ann Gordon, announced her change of gender identity from female to the male Drew Phoenix, sparking an ongoing controversy over transsexual pastors in the 7.9 million-member United Methodist Church.

UMAction Executive Director Mark Tooley Commented:

"Supporters of St. Paul's transsexual pastor, including the local bishop, have praised the radical church's supposedly thriving congregational life. But in fact, the small congregation's preference for identity politics and radical causes has been a poor substitute for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"That a United Methodist congregation would have to rely on Red Emma's anarchist collective to survive speaks to the complete failure of liberal theology to attract a vibrant membership.

"Why are churches that boast most loudly about their 'inclusivity' almost always dying?

"St. John's dwindling flock starkly contrasts with thriving United Methodist churches in the U.S. and even more so overseas, where an emphasis on evangelism and discipleship fuels massive growth."

The Institute on Religion and Democracy, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches’ social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.

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