In this edition:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Much work done, but more remains in tornado-ravaged Eureka, Kansas
- Annual conference session videos available on website
- Communications team welcomes two new staff members
- Two of three detained missionaries leave Philippines
- UM News Service has new website; look for umnews.org for updates
- Bishops amend what can be submitted at Special Session
- Translated Way Forward report coming by July 30
EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
DISASTER RESPONSE
ACROSS THE CONNECTION
In other news
Resources
Newsletter
The week ahead
Classifieds
Tapley, disaster response coordinator for the Great Plains Conference, returned to the Greenwood County community on Sunday, 12 days after beginning to coordinate volunteers, including 30 from the Great Plains.
A week and a half after an EF-3 tornado hit the town of Eureka, the Rev. Hollie Tapley says, it was tough to tell that damage had been done to the Greenwood County, Kansas, community.
“If you didn’t see the tarps on the roofs or the boarded-up windows, you never would have known a tornado went through that town,” Tapley, disaster response coordinator for the Great Plains Conference, said of the June 26 storm.
While a 2016 EF-2 went through and caused damage to the tops of trees and higher structures, Tapley said the more recent storm was more on the ground level.
“It completely uprooted some of these 100-, 200-year-old trees,” she said.
Now, Tapley said, the town is in the long-term recovery mode, with district case managers coming in to meet with homeowners and make plans. About 12 homes were destroyed.
More than 1,000 volunteers, including 30 volunteer Great Plains early response personnel, worked in the city for seven days straight, with help from those in nearby cities of El Dorado, Emporia and Topeka.
“It was a well-oiled machine as far as the debris removal,” Tapley said. “There was a lot of community support, as well as surrounding counties and cities, that made the first phase of the cleanup click by unbelievably.”
Tapley attended services on July 8 at First United Methodist Church in Eureka and thanked the congregation for its assistance to the storm victims.
Not long after the storm, it was announced that the church would be the shelter and the headquarters for American Red Cross operations.
“They were the first to open the doors, and because they had electricity and there was no damage to that part of town, it was a reasonable location for the Red Cross to set up their shelter and their command post,” Tapley said. “It provided the residents that night a place to come that was cool and get some rest, but it also provided volunteers an opportunity to come in and cool off.”
Tapley said she was impressed by the willingness to help by members of the congregation, even offering her a place to stay when she told them she and other volunteers slept in church pews.
“The hospitality of the members of that church was phenomenal, as always,” she said. “They did it two years ago and they did it again this time.”
In a letter to the Eureka congregation and its pastor, the Rev. Hyun Jung Choi – whose appointment officially began a few days after the storm – Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. congratulated them for their work and compassion.
“I can only imagine how exhausted you are and how exhausted your congregation and the whole community must be this Sunday,” Bishop Saenz wrote, in a letter read July 1. “A day of Sabbath is very appropriate to step back to praise, worship, and thank God for God’s goodness and ask for spiritual strength and power to continue helping those in need.”
Tapley learned in conversations with the mayor of Eureka that 400 people left the town of approximately 2,000 after the 2016 tornado, and now “that is a fear again.”
“I hope not,” she said. “I hope we and other agencies can continue to provide that hope and that sense of ‘Hang in there, and let us walk beside you, and let us get you back to a new normal.’”
David Burke, communications department, can be contacted at dburke@greatplainsumc.org.
Read more about the latest efforts.
Read our initial story from Eureka.
Annual conference session
videos available on website
Most videos represent a single presentation or segment of various presentations. However, some portions, such at the ordination service and the evangelism workshop featuring the Rev. Dr. Mark Teasdale, are preserved in their entirety.
Watch these videos.
Videos of most of the other workshops conducted June 15 will be available in coming weeks. Watch GPconnect and our Facebook page for when they become availabl
Communications team
welcomes two new staff members
Jayna McFarland has joined the team as the conference’s social media and website specialist. Jayna previously served as the publications coordinator at First United Methodist Church in Topeka, where she previously had served as director of youth ministries. In her most recent role, Jayna led efforts in branding, maintaining the church’s website, writing and editing stories, creating advertisements for publication and designing graphics.
Contact Jayna at jmcfarland@greatplainsumc.org.
Lisa Soukup has joined the team as the administrative assistant to the communications team. Lisa previously served as a software trainer and support specialist with Kalos Inc., a pharmacy design, software and printing service. Among her volunteer activities is helping as the care-group staff coordinator at United Methodist Youth Institute at Baker University.
Contact Lisa at lsoukup@greatplainsumc.org.
More new conference staff members will be announced in the coming weeks. Watch GPconnect for more details.
Two of three detained
missionaries leave Philippines
Tawanda Chandiwana is in his home country of Zimbabwe, the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries reported last week.
A third missionary, Miracle Osman of Malawi, is working with Filipino attorneys on paperwork, and Global Ministries officials are hopeful she’ll be allowed to leave, said Dan Curran, a spokesman for the church agency.
United Methodist missionary Tawanda Chandiwana (left foreground) is embraced by Thomas Kemper, head of the denomination’s Board of Global Ministries, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines, after Chandiwana was released from a detention center and allowed to leave the country. Photo courtesy of Thomas Kemper, GBGM.
All three faced accusations of anti-government activities. Chandiwana had been held by authorities for weeks, while the other two had not been allowed to leave the country.
Thomas Kemper, top executive of Global Ministries, said his heart had been “full of sorrow” when he met with Chandiwana at a detention center on July 1.
“Now it is full of joy because I’ve just said goodbye to him,” Kemper said from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.
Manila Area Bishop Ciriaco Q. Francisco posted on Facebook: “Another round of thanks to God and to all who supported the release of Tawanda.”
In a video released by Global Ministries, Francisco added a special thanks for the life of Chandiwana, who he said had “lived with the people.”
“That is the real essence of service. He lived with the Lumads and he served the people,” Francisco said, referring to an indigenous people of the Philippines.
Shaw reached Brunswick, Ohio, on July 4 and was reunited with his parents, the Rev. Thomas Shaw and Susan Shaw.
The father, pastor of Brunswick United Methodist Church, said the denomination’s support was “very, very important to know that Adam wasn’t alone and that we were not alone in supporting him.”
He added: “We’re happy for him but feel his sadness that he had to leave the country where God had called him.”
Adam Shaw urged people to continue to share the story of the missionaries in their churches and on social media.
“The Philippines is one of those countries where people of faith really have a voice and are listened to regardless of whether they are in the Philippines. . . .” he said. “Part of the effort in detaining us was to silence our voices and the voices of those we lift up in our work. Refusing to let the voices be silenced is a huge step that we as a church can do both through the petition and our churches.”
Global Ministries worked unsuccessfully behind the scenes then led a public campaign for the release of the three missionaries. The Council of Bishops issued a statement, and about 13,000 people signed an online petition.
Kemper described himself as “so, so thankful” for the denomination’s support.
The New York Times reported that Shaw was deported by the Philippines for having engaged in “political activities,” and another news source said the government’s Bureau of Immigration had placed all three missionaries on a blacklist because of “leftist” involvement.
But Global Ministries said the three were targeted for taking part in an international ecumenical fact-finding investigation of alleged human rights violations, including the deaths of nine indigenous people.
That mission was on the southern island of Mindanao, where President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law and the military has battled Islamic militants, the Times reported.
Chandiwana was arrested May 9 while attending a training seminar at the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute. He was held on a charge related to his visa status, but also was found to be on a government watch list for suspected subversives.
Osman’s passport was confiscated as she was extending a tourist visa while waiting for her missionary visa to be approved, and Shaw had been informed that he would be deported, Global Ministries reported earlier.
Shaw was initially commissioned in 2011 as a mission intern. Lately he had been serving as an international linkages coordinator assigned to the Save Our Schools, Protect Indigenous Life Project, based in Davao City, Mindanao.
Chandiwana and Osman are Global Missions Fellows.
Kemper noted that missionaries are sent to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all parts of the world. (Sam Hodges, United Methodist News Service)
Read more about the missionaries’ release.
United Methodist News Service, the official news gathering agency of the 13-million member United Methodist Church, has a new website: www.umnews.org. It is staffed by professionally trained journalists who are committed to the work and mission of The United Methodist Church.
The News Service covers the news of the global church with objectivity and strives to be inclusive of the voices, views and contexts of the denomination. It also strives to be language-inclusive, providing content in English, Spanish, French, Korean and Portuguese.
The UMNS partners with church communicators in annual conferences and general agencies, as well as contributors around the globe, to tell the story of the church – from individual United Methodists living their faith in interesting ways, to local congregations changing their communities, to general church ministries transforming lives.
The UMNS invites the people of The United Methodist Church to share their stories and perspectives, and to contribute content. It also seeks ways to support dialogue and understanding in the church through news reporting and commentaries.
The News Service produces daily, weekly and monthly e-newsletters to distribute our stories and stories from conference communicators and correspondents around the world. These e-newsletters are paid for by church offering dollars and are free of charge.
Under the new call, delegates to the denomination’s top lawmaking body will receive petitions from the 32-member Commission on a Way Forward — not the bishops themselves. The bishops appointed the commission to help the denomination find a way through its intensifying debate over how the church ministers with LGBTQ individuals.
“The purpose of this Special Session of the General Conference shall be limited to receiving and acting upon a report from the Commission on a Way Forward based upon the recommendations of the Council of the Bishops,” said the amended call by Bishop Kenneth H. Carter Jr., Council of Bishops president. The special General Conference, the denomination’s top legislative assembly, will be Feb. 23-26 next year in St. Louis.
The amended call means that delegates will receive legislation for not only the bishops’ recommended One Church Plan but also the Traditional and Connectional Conference plans the commission brought to the bishops.
However, bishops have delayed the public release of the report because translation is not yet complete, said Bishop Sharma Lewis on the Virginia Conference’s website.
In a separate statement, Bishop John Schol of the Greater New Jersey Conference said he expected it will be months before translations of the commission’s report — as well as additional legislation from other groups — will be complete.
“What seemed appropriate to the bishops, translate the one report by July 8, is unrealistic with the additional legislation,” Schol wrote.
“I recognize how important this material is not only for the General Conference delegates but for all United Methodists as we seek to discuss, understand and pray for the way forward of our beloved United Methodist Church. I regret that a commitment was made that in hindsight was not realistic.”
Previously, the bishops in a May 4 press release estimated the translations would be released “no later than July 8,” the deadline for legislation submitted to the special General Conference.
The official languages of the multinational General Conference are English, French, Kiswahili and Portuguese.
The Council of Bishops initially said the purpose of the special General Conference would be “limited to receiving and acting on a report from the Council of Bishops based on the recommendations of the Commission on a Way Forward.”
Carter, in a statement, said the bishops decided to amend the call in response toa May 25 ruling by the Judicial Council, the denomination’s top court.
In a footnote in Decision 1360, the court said it expected legislation from the Commission on a Way Forward — not the Council of Bishops.
“There is nothing in the proceedings of the 2016 General Conference suggesting that the Commission on a Way Forward was supposed to submit its recommendations to the Council of Bishops,” the court said.
By a 428-405 vote, the 2016 General Conference authorized the bishops to name a commission to develop “a complete examination and possible revision of every paragraph in our Book of Discipline regarding human sexuality.” The delegates also agreed that the bishops could call a special General Conference if the commission completed its work.
The Judicial Council ruled that other United Methodist groups or individuals could submit legislation to the special General Conference “as long as the business proposed to be transacted in such petition is in harmony with the purpose stated in the call.”
The court left the question of what is in harmony to General Conference itself.
After the court ruling, two authorities on church polity reiterated the concerns raised by the Judicial Council’s footnote, saying the bishops in modifying the commission’s report could be violating the denomination’s constitution.
The bishops were functioning “as a legislative committee of the called General Conference, for which they would be the presiding officers,” wrote the Rev.William B. Lawrence and Sally Curtis AsKew in an essay based on a Methodist Review article. The two are former Judicial Council members.
The Book of Discipline, the denomination’s governing document, says that while all people are of sacred worth, the practice of homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching.” The book bans the ordination of “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy and the blessing of same-gender unions. However, some clergy and conferences publicly defy those policies, while other pastors and churches are threatening to leave unless the denomination enforces those policies.
Ultimately, it will be up to 864 delegates to decide the direction the denomination takes regarding homosexuality.
The Way Forward commission has offered the following three plans:
Hahn is a multimedia news reporter for United Methodist News Service. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests.
Read more from the United Methodist News Service.
Be authentic and be yourself. Those were two of the overriding bits of advice given to the 100 people -- 60 of them from the Great Plains -- attending the Young Preachers Festival, June 27-28 at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas.
The third biennial festival was held in conjunction with Bishops Week, a gathering of the bishops and cabinets from the South Central Jurisdiction. In a panel discussion at the beginning of the festival, the bishops gave advice to their counterparts and those considering the ministry as a career.
Among the speakers was the Rev. Adam Hamilton, founding pastor of the Church of the Resurrection, who shared the knowledge he's gained from building the church into the largest in the United Methodist denomination.
The overriding advice from the nine bishops to their young counterparts was to be themselves.
“Speak with your own voice,” Rio Texas Bishop Robert Schnase said.
“Be authentically you,” echoed Bishop Michael McKee of the North Texas Conference.
Several bishops said they have seen pastors through the years who had obviously been imitating other pastors, and any message they might have been trying to deliver was lost.
The bishops encouraged personalization in the sermons of the young preachers.
“Do tell stories,” Bishop McKee said, “but not stories where you’re the hero every time.”
Louisiana Bishop Cynthia Harvey, the lone female bishop currently in the jurisdiction, said women face additional obstacles – citing sermons where she was complimented on her shoes more than her message.
“There are additional responsibilities and additional emotional intelligence,” Bishop Harvey said. “Know who you are and know who it is you’re talking to.”
Oklahoma Bishop Jimmy Nunn echoed the mission of the 4-H club, saying sermons must “honor God, preach to the head, preach to the heart and preach to the hands.”
Great Plains Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. said he follows the lead of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who grasped the hopes and concerns of the people and “took it to a higher plane” in helping the community.
“How is the church an extension of the healing ministry of Christ?” Bishop Saenz asked.
Texas Conference Bishop Scott Jones said he made it a point as a pastor to ask the same question five times in five different ways – through sermons, Bible study and newsletter articles, among other ways.
“Know your people,” Bishop Jones said.
During a Q&A time, young pastors and students asked how they should approach potentially controversial issues in their sermons.
Bishop McKee said the answer is a product of time.
“Walking that line is difficult,” he said. “You’ve got to be trusted. But you’ve got to be a pastor before you can be a prophet.”
Bishop Jones said that time builds trust among a congregation.
“People don’t care how much you know,” he said, “until they know how much you care.”
The two-day Young Preachers Festival included presentations by Dr. Jerusha Neal, assistant professor of homiletics at Duke Divinity School; the Rev. Kevin Murriel, senior pastor of Atlanta’s Cascade UMC; the Rev. Sarah Heath, First UMC in Costa Mesa, California; the Rev. Charley Reeb, senior pastor of Pasadena Community Church in St. Petersburg, Florida; the Rev. Scott Chrostek, campus pastor at Resurrection Downtown in Kansas City, Missouri; and the Rev. Adam Hamilton, founding pastor of Church of the Resurrection, the largest church in the denomination.
Hamilton said he is his own worst critic as a preacher. Noting in baseball, getting a hit one-third of the time is outstanding, he said one-third of his own sermons are good, another third are so-so and the remaining third are what he calls, “Maybe you should come back next week.”
He read a card from a former parishioner who objected to what that person called a liberal bias overriding his sermons and services. Hamilton, who founded Church of the Resurrection in 1990, said such messages bothered him early in his ministry, but that he learned the best defense is to speak one-on-one with the individual to answer any concerns.
“Don’t quit when you receive opposition,” Hamilton said. “It either crushes you or keeps you going.”
Hamilton noted that John Wesley was a rebel in his time, and continued despite opposition from some in his congregation.
“He didn’t quit,” Hamilton said. “He kept going.”
David Burke, communications coordinator, can be contacted at dburke@greatplainsumc.org.
Read more about the festival.
Join more than 2,000 church leaders from across the nation and around the world for Leadership Institute 2018, Sept. 26-28 at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. Early bird pricing ends today, so coordinate teams and register.
If you are ready to be challenged, motivated for a renewed commitment to ministry, and seeking Christ-centered inspiration, you will find all this and more at Leadership Institute.
Conference highlights include:
General sessions led by Senior Pastor Adam Hamilton, retracing the life of Simon Peter, a flawed, yet faithful leader
Additional general sessions from a notable lineup of speakers: John Ed Mathison, Barb Roose, Bishop Robert Schnase, Bob Roberts, Debi Nixon and Yvonne Gentile.
Pre-Institute Sessions on Wednesday, Sept. 26 for in-depth learning led by leading practitioners
70 ministry specific workshops offered in a variety of ministry areas, led by Resurrection staff and guest speakers focused on tangible takeaways
Connection with church leaders serving a variety of church settings and sizes from across the nation and around the world
Moving worship from a diverse slate of Resurrection musicians
More information and registration are available here.
Additional questions can be addressed to sharechurchevents@cor.org or by calling 913-232-4139.
Trauma and/or mental illness affects not just one person, but a family. Trauma is a wound that overwhelms someone to the point that it is difficult to continue living in a whole and healthy way. Trauma is the Greek word for “wound.” The congregation is one place in which the wounded can find healing. Some of the wounded rebound or are resilient while others struggle greatly.
How does trauma and/or mental illness affect a person and a family? How can the church be more effective in the healing ministry of Jesus Christ and be with persons who struggle with trauma/mental illness? The Come to the Well event will begin the journey toward broadening this understanding, specifically exploring the implications for local congregations.
On Sept. 28-29, East Heights UMC in Wichita will host “Come To The Well: Becoming A Trauma-Informed Congregation.” Rosemary Clark, LMFT, LPC will be the keynote speaker. Clarke will address the biological, emotional and spiritual of trauma and mental health as well as share insights about resiliency. She is a counselor, business owner and empowerment coach in Bluffton, South Carolina.
Throughout her career, Clark has worked with highly traumatized populations. She has provided direct care overseas with our military population, with the economically poor, the severely and persistently mentally ill, and with our veteran population at the VA. Clark believes in a mind-body-spirit model and recognizes the healing power when we feel centered and connected. She blends cognitive behavioral therapy, positive psychology, and mindfulness models to help facilitate healing. In addition to her counseling practice, Clark provides training, workshops and courses to promote wellness. Her message is one of empowerment as she works with others to still the mind and tune into the heart’s intuition.
The conference will consist of breakout sessions on Saturday in which participants can explore in more detail the ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences Survey), “trauma-informed” worship, suicide and the church’s response, helping relationships, living with a child who suffers from mental illness, calming techniques, tending your soul, and exploring the implications for ministry.
Registration is available online. Just click here to register. The cost of the event is $50 per person until Sept. 10. After Sept. 10, the cost increases to $75.
If you have questions about this conference, contact Rev. Dayna Hauschild at dlhauschild@gmail.com
July 26 at noon CT - Live Q&A: Social Media for Churches [http://www.umcom.org/learn/live-qa-social-media-for-churches-prt2]
Sept. 12 at noon CT – Live learning session: YouTube for Churches (registration page coming soon)
Thomas Kemper, top executive of Global Ministries, said his heart had been “full of sorrow” when he met with Chandiwana at a detention center on July 1.
“Now it is full of joy because I’ve just said goodbye to him,” Kemper said from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.
Manila Area Bishop Ciriaco Q. Francisco posted on Facebook: “Another round of thanks to God and to all who supported the release of Tawanda.”
In a video released by Global Ministries, Francisco added a special thanks for the life of Chandiwana, who he said had “lived with the people.”
“That is the real essence of service. He lived with the Lumads and he served the people,” Francisco said, referring to an indigenous people of the Philippines.
Shaw reached Brunswick, Ohio, on July 4 and was reunited with his parents, the Rev. Thomas Shaw and Susan Shaw.
The father, pastor of Brunswick United Methodist Church, said the denomination’s support was “very, very important to know that Adam wasn’t alone and that we were not alone in supporting him.”
He added: “We’re happy for him but feel his sadness that he had to leave the country where God had called him.”
Adam Shaw urged people to continue to share the story of the missionaries in their churches and on social media.
“The Philippines is one of those countries where people of faith really have a voice and are listened to regardless of whether they are in the Philippines. . . .” he said. “Part of the effort in detaining us was to silence our voices and the voices of those we lift up in our work. Refusing to let the voices be silenced is a huge step that we as a church can do both through the petition and our churches.”
Global Ministries worked unsuccessfully behind the scenes then led a public campaign for the release of the three missionaries. The Council of Bishops issued a statement, and about 13,000 people signed an online petition.
Kemper described himself as “so, so thankful” for the denomination’s support.
The New York Times reported that Shaw was deported by the Philippines for having engaged in “political activities,” and another news source said the government’s Bureau of Immigration had placed all three missionaries on a blacklist because of “leftist” involvement.
But Global Ministries said the three were targeted for taking part in an international ecumenical fact-finding investigation of alleged human rights violations, including the deaths of nine indigenous people.
That mission was on the southern island of Mindanao, where President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law and the military has battled Islamic militants, the Times reported.
Chandiwana was arrested May 9 while attending a training seminar at the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute. He was held on a charge related to his visa status, but also was found to be on a government watch list for suspected subversives.
Osman’s passport was confiscated as she was extending a tourist visa while waiting for her missionary visa to be approved, and Shaw had been informed that he would be deported, Global Ministries reported earlier.
Shaw was initially commissioned in 2011 as a mission intern. Lately he had been serving as an international linkages coordinator assigned to the Save Our Schools, Protect Indigenous Life Project, based in Davao City, Mindanao.
Chandiwana and Osman are Global Missions Fellows.
Kemper noted that missionaries are sent to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all parts of the world. (Sam Hodges, United Methodist News Service)
Read more about the missionaries’ release.
UM News Service has new website; look for umnews.org for updates
The News Service covers the news of the global church with objectivity and strives to be inclusive of the voices, views and contexts of the denomination. It also strives to be language-inclusive, providing content in English, Spanish, French, Korean and Portuguese.
The UMNS partners with church communicators in annual conferences and general agencies, as well as contributors around the globe, to tell the story of the church – from individual United Methodists living their faith in interesting ways, to local congregations changing their communities, to general church ministries transforming lives.
The UMNS invites the people of The United Methodist Church to share their stories and perspectives, and to contribute content. It also seeks ways to support dialogue and understanding in the church through news reporting and commentaries.
The News Service produces daily, weekly and monthly e-newsletters to distribute our stories and stories from conference communicators and correspondents around the world. These e-newsletters are paid for by church offering dollars and are free of charge.
General Conference
Bishops amend what can be submitted at Special Session
The Council of Bishops has amended its call for the 2019 special General Conference. by Heather Hahn, UMNS
The Commission on a Way Forward convened Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at the United Methodist Publishing House in Nashville, Tenn. The commission is still working on possibilities for the denomination’s future. Photo by the Rev. Maidstone Mulenga.
Under the new call, delegates to the denomination’s top lawmaking body will receive petitions from the 32-member Commission on a Way Forward — not the bishops themselves. The bishops appointed the commission to help the denomination find a way through its intensifying debate over how the church ministers with LGBTQ individuals.
“The purpose of this Special Session of the General Conference shall be limited to receiving and acting upon a report from the Commission on a Way Forward based upon the recommendations of the Council of the Bishops,” said the amended call by Bishop Kenneth H. Carter Jr., Council of Bishops president. The special General Conference, the denomination’s top legislative assembly, will be Feb. 23-26 next year in St. Louis.
The amended call means that delegates will receive legislation for not only the bishops’ recommended One Church Plan but also the Traditional and Connectional Conference plans the commission brought to the bishops.
However, bishops have delayed the public release of the report because translation is not yet complete, said Bishop Sharma Lewis on the Virginia Conference’s website.
In a separate statement, Bishop John Schol of the Greater New Jersey Conference said he expected it will be months before translations of the commission’s report — as well as additional legislation from other groups — will be complete.
“What seemed appropriate to the bishops, translate the one report by July 8, is unrealistic with the additional legislation,” Schol wrote.
“I recognize how important this material is not only for the General Conference delegates but for all United Methodists as we seek to discuss, understand and pray for the way forward of our beloved United Methodist Church. I regret that a commitment was made that in hindsight was not realistic.”
Previously, the bishops in a May 4 press release estimated the translations would be released “no later than July 8,” the deadline for legislation submitted to the special General Conference.
The official languages of the multinational General Conference are English, French, Kiswahili and Portuguese.
The Council of Bishops initially said the purpose of the special General Conference would be “limited to receiving and acting on a report from the Council of Bishops based on the recommendations of the Commission on a Way Forward.”
Carter, in a statement, said the bishops decided to amend the call in response toa May 25 ruling by the Judicial Council, the denomination’s top court.
In a footnote in Decision 1360, the court said it expected legislation from the Commission on a Way Forward — not the Council of Bishops.
“There is nothing in the proceedings of the 2016 General Conference suggesting that the Commission on a Way Forward was supposed to submit its recommendations to the Council of Bishops,” the court said.
By a 428-405 vote, the 2016 General Conference authorized the bishops to name a commission to develop “a complete examination and possible revision of every paragraph in our Book of Discipline regarding human sexuality.” The delegates also agreed that the bishops could call a special General Conference if the commission completed its work.
The Judicial Council ruled that other United Methodist groups or individuals could submit legislation to the special General Conference “as long as the business proposed to be transacted in such petition is in harmony with the purpose stated in the call.”
The court left the question of what is in harmony to General Conference itself.
After the court ruling, two authorities on church polity reiterated the concerns raised by the Judicial Council’s footnote, saying the bishops in modifying the commission’s report could be violating the denomination’s constitution.
The bishops were functioning “as a legislative committee of the called General Conference, for which they would be the presiding officers,” wrote the Rev.William B. Lawrence and Sally Curtis AsKew in an essay based on a Methodist Review article. The two are former Judicial Council members.
The Book of Discipline, the denomination’s governing document, says that while all people are of sacred worth, the practice of homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching.” The book bans the ordination of “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy and the blessing of same-gender unions. However, some clergy and conferences publicly defy those policies, while other pastors and churches are threatening to leave unless the denomination enforces those policies.
Ultimately, it will be up to 864 delegates to decide the direction the denomination takes regarding homosexuality.
The Way Forward commission has offered the following three plans:
- The One Church Plan would allow decisions about whether to ordain LGBTQ clergy or to allow same-gender unions to be made closer to conference and congregational level. The plan would remove the restrictive language against the practice of homosexuality in the Book Discipline. It would also give assurances to pastors and conferences who in good conscience cannot perform same-sex weddings or ordain “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy that they don’t have to do so.
- The Traditionalist Plan, which would affirm the current language in theBook of Discipline and seek to create swift and strong penalties for violations and create exit plans for churches that disagree.
- The Connectional Conference Plan, which would allow conferences to choose among three connectional conferences for affiliation. The connectional conferences would align based on theology or perspective on LGBTQ ministry — be it traditionalist, progressive or allowing for a variety of approaches. This plan would require multiple amendments to the denomination’s constitution.
Hahn is a multimedia news reporter for United Methodist News Service. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests.
Read more from the United Methodist News Service.
Translated Way Forward report coming by July 30
Expect to see the Commission on a Way Forward’s proposals in weeks — not months. The organizers of General Conference, the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly, announced that they expect the needed translation work to be completed by July 30.
Translation for commission's final report expected by July 30Maidstone Mulenga
NASHVILLE - The final report of the Commission on a Way Forward to the Special Session of the General Conference in 2019 will become available once it has been translated from English into the other three official languages of The United Methodist Church (French, Portuguese, and KiSwahili), anticipated by July 30.
"The Commission on the General Conference and the Council of Bishops join the whole church in the desire that everyone within the United Methodist family have access to these materials simultaneously and in adequate time for us to prepare ourselves for the decisions that will be considered at the special called session," said Bishop Thomas Bickerton, ex-officio member of the Commission on the General Conference representing the Council of Bishops.
Initially, it was expected that the report would be translated and ready for release by July 8 - 230 days before the opening of the Special Session, which is the deadline for the submission of petitions. However, delays in negotiating a contract for translation made that date unworkable.
The scope of the contract for translation for General Conference 2020 was expanded to include translation for the 2019 Special Session as well in an attempt to negotiate financial savings to minimize the unbudgeted expenditures of the called session. The delay was due in part to the impact of Judicial Council Decision 1360 in May 2018 which expanded the number of petitions that will be filed, and thus must also be translated. The Judicial Council ruled that additional petitions to the special session of the General Conference "may be filed by any organization, clergy member and lay member of The United Methodist Church as long as the business proposed to be transacted in such petition is in harmony with the purpose stated in the call." The scope of the 2019 portion of the contract had to be expanded and required significant updating before the bid and selection process could move forward.
“Combining the two contracts resulted in a significant cost savings to the general church, as well as providing a safeguard that the translations are verified for content accuracy by utilizing the translation company that would process all other General Conference materials using the approved United Methodist glossary,” said Sara Hotchkiss, business manager of the General Conference. A contract has been executed and the report has been submitted for translation.
Because of the unique nature of the special session and the expressed need for delegates and delegations to access the materials sooner than the Disciplinary requirement of 90 days in advance of the session, it was agreed that the Commission on a Way Forward and the Council of Bishops could receive the translated report files and post them publicly prior to the official distribution of the Advance Daily Christian Advocate.
Upon receipt of the translated files, they will be provided to the leadership of the Commission and the Council, who will be responsible for the release in all four languages. The precedent of submitters posting their reports and petitions online has been very common in recent years, but they have not always been provided in all four official languages.
"As a matter of equity throughout the international church, it was deemed important to ensure that the report become available in all four languages at the same time," said the Rev. Gary W. Graves, secretary of the General Conference. Graves said the translations are being expedited and are expected in three weeks instead of the normal six-week time frame for a document of this size and complexity.
The Commission on the General Conference and secretary, editor of the Daily Christian Advocate and business manager of the General Conference are responsible for the production of the Advance Daily Christian Advocate (ADCA), which is the official release of the materials to be used during the General Conference. In accordance with the rules and procedures of the General Conference, the valid petitions received prior to the submission deadline of July 8 will be processed and translated. The Advance Daily Christian Advocate (ADCA) will be sent to all delegates by the Disciplinary requirement of November 26, 2018, 90 days prior to the opening of the 2019 special session.
Bishops amend call for 2019 special session
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Council of Bishops (COB) has amended its call for the Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church (UMC) to be conducted Feb. 23-26, 2019 in St. Louis in response to Judicial Council Decision 1360, which was handed down on May 25.
The amended call issued by COB President Kenneth H. Carter notes that “The purpose of this Special Session of the General Conference shall be limited to receiving and acting upon a report from the Commission on a Way Forward based upon recommendations of the Council of the Bishops.”
In the original call issued in April last year, the bishops stated that the purpose of the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference is to be “limited to receiving and acting on a report from the Council of Bishops based on the recommendations of the Commission on a Way Forward.”
Bishop Carter said the amended call in response to the Judicial Council decision is made “out of a great sense of caution and the desire to help delegates to the Special Session of General Conference 2019 do their best work.” The amended call is consistent with the Council of Bishops’ collaboration with the Commission on a Way Forward over the past two years, in response to the church’s request for leadership by the 2016 General Conference. Communication of the amended call is being shared by the General Commission on the General Conference through the heads of delegations and annual conference secretaries.
“The Council of Bishops encourages the entire church in this season to hear the words of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:3, that we ‘make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’,” said Bishop Carter in announcing the amended call.
Read the letter sent to the heads of delegations, conference secretaries, secretary of the General Conference and the chairperson of the Commission on the General Conference.
The Rev. Dr. Maidstone Mulenga is communications director of the Council of Bishops.
"The Commission on the General Conference and the Council of Bishops join the whole church in the desire that everyone within the United Methodist family have access to these materials simultaneously and in adequate time for us to prepare ourselves for the decisions that will be considered at the special called session," said Bishop Thomas Bickerton, ex-officio member of the Commission on the General Conference representing the Council of Bishops.
Initially, it was expected that the report would be translated and ready for release by July 8 - 230 days before the opening of the Special Session, which is the deadline for the submission of petitions. However, delays in negotiating a contract for translation made that date unworkable.
The scope of the contract for translation for General Conference 2020 was expanded to include translation for the 2019 Special Session as well in an attempt to negotiate financial savings to minimize the unbudgeted expenditures of the called session. The delay was due in part to the impact of Judicial Council Decision 1360 in May 2018 which expanded the number of petitions that will be filed, and thus must also be translated. The Judicial Council ruled that additional petitions to the special session of the General Conference "may be filed by any organization, clergy member and lay member of The United Methodist Church as long as the business proposed to be transacted in such petition is in harmony with the purpose stated in the call." The scope of the 2019 portion of the contract had to be expanded and required significant updating before the bid and selection process could move forward.
“Combining the two contracts resulted in a significant cost savings to the general church, as well as providing a safeguard that the translations are verified for content accuracy by utilizing the translation company that would process all other General Conference materials using the approved United Methodist glossary,” said Sara Hotchkiss, business manager of the General Conference. A contract has been executed and the report has been submitted for translation.
Because of the unique nature of the special session and the expressed need for delegates and delegations to access the materials sooner than the Disciplinary requirement of 90 days in advance of the session, it was agreed that the Commission on a Way Forward and the Council of Bishops could receive the translated report files and post them publicly prior to the official distribution of the Advance Daily Christian Advocate.
Upon receipt of the translated files, they will be provided to the leadership of the Commission and the Council, who will be responsible for the release in all four languages. The precedent of submitters posting their reports and petitions online has been very common in recent years, but they have not always been provided in all four official languages.
"As a matter of equity throughout the international church, it was deemed important to ensure that the report become available in all four languages at the same time," said the Rev. Gary W. Graves, secretary of the General Conference. Graves said the translations are being expedited and are expected in three weeks instead of the normal six-week time frame for a document of this size and complexity.
The Commission on the General Conference and secretary, editor of the Daily Christian Advocate and business manager of the General Conference are responsible for the production of the Advance Daily Christian Advocate (ADCA), which is the official release of the materials to be used during the General Conference. In accordance with the rules and procedures of the General Conference, the valid petitions received prior to the submission deadline of July 8 will be processed and translated. The Advance Daily Christian Advocate (ADCA) will be sent to all delegates by the Disciplinary requirement of November 26, 2018, 90 days prior to the opening of the 2019 special session.
Bishops amend call for 2019 special session
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Council of Bishops (COB) has amended its call for the Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church (UMC) to be conducted Feb. 23-26, 2019 in St. Louis in response to Judicial Council Decision 1360, which was handed down on May 25.
The amended call issued by COB President Kenneth H. Carter notes that “The purpose of this Special Session of the General Conference shall be limited to receiving and acting upon a report from the Commission on a Way Forward based upon recommendations of the Council of the Bishops.”
In the original call issued in April last year, the bishops stated that the purpose of the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference is to be “limited to receiving and acting on a report from the Council of Bishops based on the recommendations of the Commission on a Way Forward.”
Bishop Carter said the amended call in response to the Judicial Council decision is made “out of a great sense of caution and the desire to help delegates to the Special Session of General Conference 2019 do their best work.” The amended call is consistent with the Council of Bishops’ collaboration with the Commission on a Way Forward over the past two years, in response to the church’s request for leadership by the 2016 General Conference. Communication of the amended call is being shared by the General Commission on the General Conference through the heads of delegations and annual conference secretaries.
“The Council of Bishops encourages the entire church in this season to hear the words of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:3, that we ‘make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’,” said Bishop Carter in announcing the amended call.
Read the letter sent to the heads of delegations, conference secretaries, secretary of the General Conference and the chairperson of the Commission on the General Conference.
The Rev. Dr. Maidstone Mulenga is communications director of the Council of Bishops.
Clergy Excellence
The third biennial festival was held in conjunction with Bishops Week, a gathering of the bishops and cabinets from the South Central Jurisdiction. In a panel discussion at the beginning of the festival, the bishops gave advice to their counterparts and those considering the ministry as a career.
Among the speakers was the Rev. Adam Hamilton, founding pastor of the Church of the Resurrection, who shared the knowledge he's gained from building the church into the largest in the United Methodist denomination.
The nine bishops of the South Central Jurisdiction speak to attendees of the Young Preachers Festival on June 27 at Church of the Resurrection. Photo by David Burke
Although the two events were in different parts of the sprawling campus, both groups gathered for an opening to the Young Preachers Festival, followed by a lunch where the bishops dispersed to talk with the 100 young preachers and those considering the ministry. They all gathered again at the end of the day for an ice cream social.The overriding advice from the nine bishops to their young counterparts was to be themselves.
“Speak with your own voice,” Rio Texas Bishop Robert Schnase said.
“Be authentically you,” echoed Bishop Michael McKee of the North Texas Conference.
Several bishops said they have seen pastors through the years who had obviously been imitating other pastors, and any message they might have been trying to deliver was lost.
The bishops encouraged personalization in the sermons of the young preachers.
“Do tell stories,” Bishop McKee said, “but not stories where you’re the hero every time.”
Louisiana Bishop Cynthia Harvey, the lone female bishop currently in the jurisdiction, said women face additional obstacles – citing sermons where she was complimented on her shoes more than her message.
“There are additional responsibilities and additional emotional intelligence,” Bishop Harvey said. “Know who you are and know who it is you’re talking to.”
Oklahoma Bishop Jimmy Nunn echoed the mission of the 4-H club, saying sermons must “honor God, preach to the head, preach to the heart and preach to the hands.”
Great Plains Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. said he follows the lead of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who grasped the hopes and concerns of the people and “took it to a higher plane” in helping the community.
“How is the church an extension of the healing ministry of Christ?” Bishop Saenz asked.
Texas Conference Bishop Scott Jones said he made it a point as a pastor to ask the same question five times in five different ways – through sermons, Bible study and newsletter articles, among other ways.
“Know your people,” Bishop Jones said.
During a Q&A time, young pastors and students asked how they should approach potentially controversial issues in their sermons.
Bishop McKee said the answer is a product of time.
“Walking that line is difficult,” he said. “You’ve got to be trusted. But you’ve got to be a pastor before you can be a prophet.”
Bishop Jones said that time builds trust among a congregation.
“People don’t care how much you know,” he said, “until they know how much you care.”
The two-day Young Preachers Festival included presentations by Dr. Jerusha Neal, assistant professor of homiletics at Duke Divinity School; the Rev. Kevin Murriel, senior pastor of Atlanta’s Cascade UMC; the Rev. Sarah Heath, First UMC in Costa Mesa, California; the Rev. Charley Reeb, senior pastor of Pasadena Community Church in St. Petersburg, Florida; the Rev. Scott Chrostek, campus pastor at Resurrection Downtown in Kansas City, Missouri; and the Rev. Adam Hamilton, founding pastor of Church of the Resurrection, the largest church in the denomination.
Hamilton said he is his own worst critic as a preacher. Noting in baseball, getting a hit one-third of the time is outstanding, he said one-third of his own sermons are good, another third are so-so and the remaining third are what he calls, “Maybe you should come back next week.”
He read a card from a former parishioner who objected to what that person called a liberal bias overriding his sermons and services. Hamilton, who founded Church of the Resurrection in 1990, said such messages bothered him early in his ministry, but that he learned the best defense is to speak one-on-one with the individual to answer any concerns.
“Don’t quit when you receive opposition,” Hamilton said. “It either crushes you or keeps you going.”
Hamilton noted that John Wesley was a rebel in his time, and continued despite opposition from some in his congregation.
“He didn’t quit,” Hamilton said. “He kept going.”
David Burke, communications coordinator, can be contacted at dburke@greatplainsumc.org.
Read more about the festival.
Equipping Disciples
Early bird deadline is today for Resurrection’s Leadership Institute
If you are ready to be challenged, motivated for a renewed commitment to ministry, and seeking Christ-centered inspiration, you will find all this and more at Leadership Institute.
Conference highlights include:
General sessions led by Senior Pastor Adam Hamilton, retracing the life of Simon Peter, a flawed, yet faithful leader
Additional general sessions from a notable lineup of speakers: John Ed Mathison, Barb Roose, Bishop Robert Schnase, Bob Roberts, Debi Nixon and Yvonne Gentile.
Pre-Institute Sessions on Wednesday, Sept. 26 for in-depth learning led by leading practitioners
70 ministry specific workshops offered in a variety of ministry areas, led by Resurrection staff and guest speakers focused on tangible takeaways
Connection with church leaders serving a variety of church settings and sizes from across the nation and around the world
Moving worship from a diverse slate of Resurrection musicians
More information and registration are available here.
Additional questions can be addressed to sharechurchevents@cor.org or by calling 913-232-4139.
Disaster Response
‘Trauma-informed congregation’ workshop set for Sept. 28-29
How does trauma and/or mental illness affect a person and a family? How can the church be more effective in the healing ministry of Jesus Christ and be with persons who struggle with trauma/mental illness? The Come to the Well event will begin the journey toward broadening this understanding, specifically exploring the implications for local congregations.
On Sept. 28-29, East Heights UMC in Wichita will host “Come To The Well: Becoming A Trauma-Informed Congregation.” Rosemary Clark, LMFT, LPC will be the keynote speaker. Clarke will address the biological, emotional and spiritual of trauma and mental health as well as share insights about resiliency. She is a counselor, business owner and empowerment coach in Bluffton, South Carolina.
Throughout her career, Clark has worked with highly traumatized populations. She has provided direct care overseas with our military population, with the economically poor, the severely and persistently mentally ill, and with our veteran population at the VA. Clark believes in a mind-body-spirit model and recognizes the healing power when we feel centered and connected. She blends cognitive behavioral therapy, positive psychology, and mindfulness models to help facilitate healing. In addition to her counseling practice, Clark provides training, workshops and courses to promote wellness. Her message is one of empowerment as she works with others to still the mind and tune into the heart’s intuition.
The conference will consist of breakout sessions on Saturday in which participants can explore in more detail the ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences Survey), “trauma-informed” worship, suicide and the church’s response, helping relationships, living with a child who suffers from mental illness, calming techniques, tending your soul, and exploring the implications for ministry.
Registration is available online. Just click here to register. The cost of the event is $50 per person until Sept. 10. After Sept. 10, the cost increases to $75.
If you have questions about this conference, contact Rev. Dayna Hauschild at dlhauschild@gmail.com
Across the Connection
In other news
- Houston megachurch ponders leaving denomination
- NJ mission restaurant serves up feast, funds
- Illinois bishops: Steer clear of sports betting
- Virginia church make safe zone for young people
- How a Michigan church found renewal
Resources
New social media webinars coming soon
The United Methodist Communications Public Information Team is hosting two upcoming webinars to support local churches as they strive to embrace social media and its uses for outreach and ministry. Your help in promoting these events is appreciated! Both webinars are free and appropriate for users at all experience levels; the events will feature experts answering questions and sharing information about strategies, tips, best practices and more. Need more details? Email PressCenter@UMCom.org.July 26 at noon CT - Live Q&A: Social Media for Churches [http://www.umcom.org/learn/live-qa-social-media-for-churches-prt2]
Sept. 12 at noon CT – Live learning session: YouTube for Churches (registration page coming soon)
Newsletters
- Dr. David Upp -- Mission Link: July 2018
- United Methodist Now: July 9, 2018
- Ministry Matters: July 11, 2018
- Leading Ideas from Lewis Center for Church Leadership: July 11, 2018
The week ahead
- Sunday-July 19: Mission U, Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina
Classifieds
- Halstead UMC seeks youth director
- Church pews available for free
- Topeka Lowman UMC seeks financial secretary
- Independence First UMC seeks music director
- Lay leadership coordinator sought at Great Plains Conference
- Intergenerational discipleship coordinator sought at Great Plains Conference
Conference office
1207 South West Executive Drive
PO Box 4187
Topeka, Kansas 66604, United States
(785)272-9111
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