UMC and Baptists

John at Locusts and Honey is noting that United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are entering into "interim eucharist sharing." This may be a percursor to full communion between the denominations. Says John:

Thanks, but no thanks. The UMC should be allying with more theologically sound denominations such as the Southern Baptists and joining the National Association of Evangelicals. The fact that the ECLA is 'in communion' with the anti-Semitic PCUSA says all that you need to know about this proposal.

The UMC has always seemed like a weird denomination to me. The church in the town I grew up in was very good and it showed in the people who went there. The church in the town I went to college in was very poor and a major bastion of theological liberalism. Wherever I go, Methodism seems to follow this spotty pattern. Some churches are great, others are horrible, but they are all Methodists despite the fact that I can't find anything to link the two groups together other than a name. This dichotomy perplexes me sometimes. Perhaps it is a result of the United Brethren and the Methodists getting together to create the UMC?

Unfortunately, the liberals seem to be in charge at the denomination level, so I don't expect any official communion with Baptists anytime soon. Instead I think you will see the UMC continuing to drift left as it has in the past. [UPDATE: In the comments people who are, you know, actual Methodists say I'm wrong. Conservative Methodists are actually gaining influence and it may split the "united" Methodist church in a decade or so. I'll accept your greater understanding of the UMC, I am Jeff the Baptist after all.]

Fortunately there are some Methodists who unofficially commune with Baptists like me. A Methodist from a conservative church moves into a town with a liberal Methodist church. They usually leave the liberal church soon after and often end up attending the Baptist church down the road instead. I know their hearts are still Methodist, but their butts belong to Baptist pews for the moment. ;)