By Fred Jackson
May 1, 2001

(AgapePress) - The chief ecumenical officer of the United Methodist Church says Christian missionaries should stop putting so much emphasis on converting people to Christ and instead focus on what it means to live with others in peace.

Bishop Melvin Talbert tells the United Methodist News Service that followers of Christ need to rethink what it means to be faithful to what he calls "the gospel of reconciliation and love." According to Talbert, sometimes that means not saying to another religion or people that their perspective "has no relevance at all."

Talbert went on to say that when Jesus prayed that all might be one, there was no Christian church. According to Talbert, Jesus was appealing to the people of the earth to be one.

For Bible-believing Christians, Talbert's remarks fly in the face of what God teaches in His Word. The Bible tells believers to go into the world and preach the gospel, and that there is no other gospel than the one which says Jesus is the only Savior and that salvation comes through faith in Him alone. Further, Jesus Himself said in Matthew 10 that He did not come to send peace on earth, but a sword.

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