I hope Mark Tooley is right:
Traditionalists need to remember the current battles of marriage are the logical consequence of over 100 years of Protestant revisionist liberalism. And the real conflict is not over sex per se but over biblical authority, the lordship and exclusivity of Christ, and understandings of the universal church, human nature, and redemption.
If United Methodism survives intact, as I strongly expect it will, and successfully emerges from Mainline captivity to a theologically and spiritually reinvigorated global church, then the current controversies will someday be recalled as some of the most glorious. There’s always more opportunity for meaningful service, with eternal fruits and rewards, during vexing crises than during times of calm tranquility.
Here’s one hopeful scenario. In future years, when the current U.S. trend for non-denominational churches has slowed or reversed, and there is desire again for the rich traditions offered uniquely by a historic denomination, United Methodism in the U.S., by then fully globalized, may again be uniquely poised for revival.