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  An organization gripped by paranoia acts like an individual with paranoia – they feel victimized in the absence of actual offense; they perceive threats everywhere; they make rash, short sighted decisions without broad consultation; they fence themselves in and keeps inside everyone who think just like one another.
  
  What was once a welcoming church focused on the mission of spreading the Gospel throughout Westmoreland County is now gripped with perceived fear that the world is out to get the last remnant of white conservative Christians.
  
  The net result is tragic. The church’s messages of serving families, uniting Christ’s followers, and tend to the poor and the weak, is increasingly buried but its leadership’s and some of the congregation’s obsession with political wedge issues calculated at the national level to win elections. Over the last year, the topic of LGBT rights have crept into sermons and church meetings and decisions even as the United Methodist General Conference convenes to examine the Church’s stance on the inclusion of LGBT community.
  
  Last year, behind the scenes, the church kicked out the local boy scouts from using the church’s space (a tradition that lasted for over 20 years) in reaction to the National Boy Scouts allowing gay scout leaders.
  
  In the meantime, led by church leaders and the new youth minister (who barely knows the children and the families), the church “concluded” (without listening) our church’s child and youth programs are ineffective and cited unfounded fears that that our children and youth are losing their way with God. In consecutive weeks, the church announced drastic decisions (without consultation with the broader parent community) to remove Sunday services designed for adolescents and acolyte services (staffed by younger volunteers). Instead, the church wanted to corral all the adolescents with the adults for every Sunday service, in addition to removing Children’s ministry once a month. This fear (and lack of respect) that the young will leave us and be corrupted by the world was antithetical to Christ’ call (Matt 19:14) “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Christ has more respect for children than the self-righteous disciples.
  
  The greatest enemy of love is not hatred, but fear. Paranoia feeds upon such fear. Here we have the incremental and now dramatic transformation of one of the largest and most affluent churches in Westmoreland County, nestled in a white, conservative, Christian community, scared to death (and I do mean the “death of the spirit”) about what the world has come to. In a world torn apart by intolerance and racism, we obsess about whether gay people might be among us demanding equal treatment and inclusion.
  
  It is ironic that, in the latest youth group play, the young people of the church mockingly sang the song, “If you want to be a Pharisee, there is a list of rules you have to read. Learn them, live by them, or you may be mistaken as a Samaritan.” The mockery is unfortunately on us, and we are becoming better and better at keeping Samaritans – everyone who does not fall prey to the paranoia – out of the church.
  
  The pastor is writing us daily to pray for the General Conference in not so subtle hopes that the General Conference may repent (i.e. reject inclusion of LGBT in ministry). I hope we pray that God saves our church from the self-destruction of paranoia and be a welcoming family to the people of Westmoreland County.

  Added December 23, 2016 by Jean Christopher