This highlights a dilemma in church ministry. There are those in ministry that are supportive of UR, but don't dare speak out on this subject, for fear of what the institution of the church might do to them. (give them the boot) Risky "business". (to use the Bishop's term)
So, then the common lay person on a forum like this one hears about UR and thinks, "That can't be true, I've never heard it supported from the pulpit." (sigh)
This story I came across of what happened to one guy in ministry when he "came out" as a universalist is a vivid example of the dilemma you describe. It's pretty harrowing.
"How I came to believe in UR? In short, about 3 years ago someone asked me what I thought of Carlton Pearson coming to believe in UR. I did not have an informed opinion so I got his book to study his position. His book was not an accademic reasoning for his change in beliefs, but, well, never mind. Anyhow, in his book he pointed out a few passages, foundational UR passages like Rom.5.18 and Col.1.20, etc. that I had never considered seriously. So I studied them in their literary context assuming that I could quickly dismiss their “plain” reading only to find out that the more I studied them, the more the “plain” meaning seemed to be exactly what was meant. I found them so compelling that I decided to study the Hell passages to kinda balance things out, assuming that the traditional doctrine of Hell was rock-solid. But, the more I studied the “Hell” passages in context and in the Greek and Hebrew, the more I found that the passages did not affirm ECT. What I assumed was rock-solid I found to be nothing but dried muddy sand. When I applied the least pressure to it, it crumbled between my fingers.
This scared the hell out of me so I studied even harder, prayed and fasted, shared with others whom I trusted and respected asking them to pray for me. I also began studying anti-UR, pro-ECT material to help bolster my crumbling traditional beliefs; but the more I studied this anti-UR pro-ECT material the more the traditional doctrine of ECT crumbled between my fingers.
And all along, as I shared my findings with others whom I loved and respected, I found they irrationally attacked me and encouraged me to stop studying the Bible and just accept what “everyone” believed. I work with a ministry and someone tried to get me fired. I was asked to resign from the board of directors of a ministry I helped launch, friends and family cut me off relationally, and I was ultimately excluded from the local fellowship my family and I were members of, and worse things happened, all because I was honest and open with what I was finding in my studies, because I was willing to trust what I was seeing in scripture as opposed to our traditions. Well, the more trouble I faced, the more I studied, the more I prayed, the more I fasted, the more I studied anti-UR material, and the more I came to believe in UR.
All along I would say, “I’m studying…and finding…” but would not confess to myself or anyone else that I had come to believe in UR. And then one day in a Sunday morning worship service, the Lord spoke to me and said, “Stop Lying!” And I understood that he wanted me to stopy lying to myself especially and to others that I was “just studying” ECT and UR; and I instead needed to admit that I had come to believe in UR - come fully out of the closet, so to speak. Well, I obeyed and almost lost my marriage and family because of it. So I studied, prayed, fasted even more.
Well, that’s the short of it. Now I’m feeling pretty isolated and excluded, still looking for a fellowship where I will be accepted and I can be open and honest about my beliefs. I didn’t loose my job in the ministry I work with because it is an transdenominational ministry, though I have learned to not share my beliefs with most whom I minister with. And I’m continuing to seek the Lord as to what to do now.
Thanks for asking. It helps to share. I hope that you do not face as many trials. On the other hand, the trials have pushed me to a place of strong conviction concering UR, the Great Hope!"