What is Happening:

Coming up on Saturday through next Tuesday, delegates from United Methodist congregations all over the world (including 4 from the Wilmington area) will gather in St. Louis for a special session of the General Conference called specifically for dealing with the differences in the denomination over issues of human sexuality, especially regarding our members who identify as LGBTQ. This has been a sticking point for decades, and there was a desire expressed in 2016 that our spiritual leaders, the Council of Bishops, would lead us into a better way of dealing with those issues so that we could remain united in mission and ministry. The bishops appointed a commission to work together and make recommendations, and that group came up with 3 possible plans:

The One Church Plan: This is the plan endorsed by the vast majority of our bishops. It would eliminate all references to homosexuality in our Book of Discipline, allowing local churches and pastors to make the decisions they believe are most faithful and beneficial for ministry in their local context. It provides protection for those who do not wish to celebrate same-sex weddings or ordain, so this plan does not require anyone to violate their own conscience.
The Traditionalist Plan: This plan keeps in place all the current language describing homosexuality as “incompatible with Christian teaching” and forbidding ordination and marriage for LGBTQ persons, and it also increases punishment for those found in violation and mandates those penalties.
The Connectional Conference Plan: This plan replaces geographical jurisdictions and aligns Annual Conferences with Progressive, Traditional, or Unity connectional conferences. We would share a smaller, general Book of Discipline, but it would allow for other portions (such as the Social Principles) to be adapted for local contexts. This plan has a high bar for approval, however, because it requires changes to the Constitution of the United Methodist Church.

While no plan is perfect, and there will be some tough discussions and challenges ahead, I believe the One Church Plan is the most faithful to both scripture and Wesleyan tradition, as well as being the most reasonable plan. No matter what plan is passed, however, I am confident that God will continue to be at work in and through the people of St. Paul’s to carry out the ministry we have been called to here. Please join me in praying, both for wisdom for the delegates and for faithfulness and fruitfulness for every congregation throughout the connection.

A Word from Our Bishop:

Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.

I give thanks today for our global family of The United Methodist Church. As the Special Session of General Conference convenes this weekend in St. Louis, I ask you to join with me in doing three things.

First:
Let us pray. Let us pray privately and corporately for the life and mission of our church. As you gather on Sunday, pray realizing that the General Conference session is unfolding. A prayer is provided (above for your use) or pray as the Spirit leads.

Second:
I invite you to be confident in the extending of your ministry out into the community. Effective leadership, faithful and healthy congregations, engaging with children in our public schools, pushing back racism and division, living beautifully together in unity. In these and many other ways, we are doing God’s will and work in North Carolina and the world and this will continue past the General Conference session into the weeks, months, and years ahead. Confidence in God’s presence and power among us is just as contagious as anxiety.

Third:
I invite you to envision a person with whom you disagree on matters related to LGBTQI inclusion in the ministry of our church. Hold that person in your mind’s eye and in the light of God’s love, pray for that person. In this way, we will reach across divisions and seek to be God’s faithful unified people.

May the spirit of Christ abide in all of us in this week to come.

What You Can Do:

Original article HERE

You and I may feel far removed from what is happening in St. Louis, but there are ways we can follow what’s happening and support those doing the work.

Begin with prayer

There are many people involved in the 2019 General Conference Special Session. Lift them up in prayer beginning today.

Pray for your delegates. Your annual conference has elected delegates, half who are clergy and half who are laypeople. Pray for them by name (all delegates are listed by region in this documentbeginning on page 73). Then pray for the rest of the delegates coming to St. Louis from all over the world to make these important decisions for the church.

Pray for your bishop. Bishops do not vote at General Conference, but they lead the sessions. It can be a very taxing job to manage the legislative process of more than 800 delegates. Find your bishop’s name on umc.org when you search by region. Be sure to include the other bishops in your prayers as well.

Pray for support staff. Holding a General Conference takes the work of many behind-the-scenes people. Lift them up in prayer as well. There are long, tiring days ahead for them. Pray for the Holy Spirit to grant them strength.

Pray for your church. Remember to pray for your pastor, staff and members who are answering questions. Pray also for your denomination The United Methodist Church as we wrestle with these disagreements.

Join the UMC prayer initiative. Upper Room is leading us in prayer at umcprays.org. You can sign up to receive prayer posts that guide us in praying for The United Methodist Church during this time.

Get the facts

You may read about General Conference 2019 on social media or secular news. Before responding or reacting, be sure to check the facts. The United Methodist Church has an informative website where you can learn more. Go to www.umc.org/GC2019.

There you will find great resources to help you better understand the issues at hand. For example, one story tells about what a General Conference Special Session is. Another explains what can be found in the Report of the Commission on a Way Forward, the document the General Conference is charged to receive and act upon. Another contains a chart that summarizes the proposed plans the delegates may be voting on.

Scripture and prayer are wonderful ways to support our General Conference. Photo by Mike DuBose, United Methodist Communications.

You can also take a deeper dive into the issues there. One helpful link allows you to download the Commission on a Way Forward report (English | French | Portuguese | Swahili | Spanish), which includes a summary of the work done to understand all sides of the issues. For updates on what has happened since the report was written, there is a link to stories from United Methodist News, our independent news agency that is closely following the story.

Remain receptive

Throughout the Bible, God surprises people. Through the prophets, God said unexpected things to kings, judges and other religious leaders. The teachings of Jesus often confounded the disciples, Pharisees, and others who thought they knew God’s Law well. Paul, the author of much of the New Testament, began as a persecutor of the church, convinced that was God’s will.

Today, we may feel fairly certain we know exactly how God wants this to turn out, what Jesus would have us do, and where the Spirit is leading us. But remember God continues to surprise us.

Spend time with some Scriptures of surprise (we suggest several below). As you read, put yourself in the place of those who think they know what God will do, but are surprised.

Stay informed

UMC.org/GC2019 is the best source for keeping up to date with the General Conference as it happens. A live stream during the sessions allows you to watch and listen in on all of the proceedings.

Additionally, the many stories on the site will continue to help us understand everything that is happening. Remember, UMC.org/GC2019 is the best place to check the facts.

Continue in prayer

In the days leading up to the conference, the days they are in session, and the months that follow, remain in prayer for The United Methodist Church. May God guide us into a continued ministry of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Information about General Conference