Congregation don't understand that Jesus died for their sins - but are they saved?

[hopeforhappiness]

I suppose there isn't much more to add - that's the question. They never talk about Christ or share their walk with Him. They basically try to get as far away from the preacher and the front as possible. But maybe it's just 'cos they are anglo-saxon. But is the grace of God stronger than their stand-offishness? It doesn't help that preachers don't give the gospel of atonement, although our Wesley hymns teach otherwise. But even the small group that I know are Christians and have had an encounter with Him, only really get exercised when their denomination isn't promoted or the physical building isn't maintained. The people are overwhelmingly nice, and that's part of my problem. most of my life has been in manifestly evangelical churches and there have been numerous breakups, either theologically or over practice and priorities, because people actually believe things.
What do you think?

 

[actionsub]

I suppose there isn't much more to add - that's the question. They never talk about Christ or share their walk with Him. They basically try to get as far away from the preacher and the front as possible. But maybe it's just 'cos they are anglo-saxon. But is the grace of God stronger than their stand-offishness? It doesn't help that preachers don't give the gospel of atonement, although our Wesley hymns teach otherwise. But even the small group that I know are Christians and have had an encounter with Him, only really get exercised when their denomination isn't promoted or the physical building isn't maintained. The people are overwhelmingly nice, and that's part of my problem. most of my life has been in manifestly evangelical churches and there have been numerous breakups, either theologically or over practice and priorities, because people actually believe things.
What do you think?

I read you loud and clear on that one. When you are used to a more evangelical outlook on things, "be nice" as the primary message is pretty weak sauce. I came back to the UMC to pursue Certified Lay Ministry, and one of my goals is to explicitly preach the gospel of Christ dying for our sins to reconcile us to God.
From the churches in my area that left the UMC, while they might give some time to the narrative that it was about "woke" stuff in the church, the real presenting issue for most of them was the episcopal system. They wanted local self-governance over congregational issues and freedom from denominational control.