UPDATED 11:45 A.M. Oct. 25 to correct links and details.
October 24, 2016 | WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United Methodist Council of Bishops has announced the membership of the Commission on a Way Forward.
"After three months of diligent and prayerful discernment, we have selected 8 bishops, 11 laity, 12 elders and 1 deacon to serve on the Commission," said Bishop Bruce R. Ough, president of the Council of Bishops. "This group is representative of our theological diversity."
Ough said the makeup of the 32-member commission is roughly comparable to U.S. and Central Conference membership.
All of the members of the Commission have already indicated their willingness and availability to serve. The team of moderators -- Bishop Ken Carter, Bishop Sandra Steiner-Ball and Bishop David Yemba -- will soon convene the Commission to begin to organize their work and finalize their meeting schedule.
The Commission's mission is to "bring together persons deeply committed to the future(s) of The United Methodist Church, with an openness to developing new relationships with each other and exploring the potential future(s) of our denomination in light of General Conference and subsequent annual, jurisdictional and central conference actions."
The 2016 General Conference gave a specific mandate to the Council of Bishops to lead The United Methodist Church in discerning and proposing a way forward through the present impasse related to human sexuality and the consequent questions about unity and covenant.
The Commission is a group appointed by the Council of Bishops to assist the Council in fulfilling this mandate. As such, the Council has appointed bishops from across the global connection to serve on the Commission alongside laity and clergy. While clergy and laity will vote at a General Conference on these matters, the bishops have the responsibility to lead the church. Thus, the Commission is designed to inform the Council’s leadership of the General Conference. After hearing concerns that the proposed composition did not include enough laity, three additional laypersons were added from the original pool of more than 300 nominees.
At their fall meeting (October 30 – November 2), the Council will make a decision about a called General Conference and will review a plan to conduct additional and complementary work in annual conferences designed to broaden the conversation with hundreds of lay and clergy members.
Additional information on the members of the Commission on A Way Forward was compiled by United Methodist Insight from Internet searches. While every effort was made to connect individuals with current affiliations, some references may be outdated, for which we apologize in advance.
Jorge Acevedo, USA, Florida, elder, male. Lead pastor at multi-campus Grace Church with sites in Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Sarasota, Fla., author and seminar leader.
Brian Adkins, USA, California, elder, male. Pastor of Open Door UMC in Richmond, Calif., a member of the Reconciling Congregations Network.
Jacques Umembudi Akasa, Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, laity, male. A United Methodist missionary who is program director and pilot-mechanic for the Wings of Caring Aviation Ministry.
Tom Berlin, USA, Virginia, elder, male. Lead pastor of Floris UMC in Herndon, Va. Author of the blog post, "Getting to Church Vitality," describing various categories of United Methodist theological divisions first outlined by Rev. Thomas Lambrecht of Good News.
Matt Berryman, USA, Illinois, laity, male. Executive Director of Reconciling Ministries Network.
Helen Cunanan, Philippines, elder, female. Opening worship speaker for the Clergywomen's Gathering at the World Methodist Conference, pastor of the Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Angeles City, Philippines.
David Field, Europe, Switzerland, laity, male; Academic Coordinator of the Methodist e-Academy in Europe.
Ciriaco Francisco, resident bishop of the Davao Episcopal Area, Philippines, male.
Grant Hagiya, USA, resident bishop of the California-Pacific Area, male.
Hortense Aka Dago-Akribi, Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, laity, female, professor of psychology, University of Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Author of multiple academic papers on the psychosexual effects of patients living with HIV/AIDS.
Scott Johnson, USA, New York, laity, male. Conference lay leader of the Upper New York Annual Conference, one of four people who delivered the Laity Address at the 2016 General Conference in Portland, Ore.
Jessica Lagrone, USA, Kentucky, elder, female, Dean of the Chapel at multidenominational Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky., and former associate pastor of the The Woodlands UMC, home of the conservative Good News caucus near Houston, Texas.
Thomas Lambrecht, USA, Texas, elder, male, vice president and general manager of Good News caucus.
Myungae Kim Lee, USA, New York, laity, female. Executive director, National Network of Korean United Methodist Women and expert in Korean peacemaking ministries.
Julie Hager Love, USA, Kentucky, deacon, female, director of connectional ministries for the theologically conservative Kentucky Annual Conference.
Mazvita Machinga, Africa, Zimbabwe, laity, female, interim dean of student affairs at UMC-related Africa University in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Patricia L. Miller, USA, Indiana, laity, female. Indiana state senator retiring in 2016 after 34 years' service, and executive director of the conservative Confessing Movement.
Mande Guy Muyombo, Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, elder, male. Assistant General Secretary for Africa for the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries.
Eben Nhiwatiwa, Africa, resident bishop of the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area, male. One of the principal authors of a 2015 statement to the American UMC condemning the acceptance of same-sex marriage and asking the church to consider the effects of global terrorism on those parts of the UMC outside the United States.
Dave Nuckols, USA, Minnesota, laity, male. 2016 General Conference delegate from Minnesota Annual Conference and co-lay leader at Minnetonka, Minn., UMC, a member of the Reconciling Ministries Network.
Casey Langley Orr, USA, Texas, deacon, female. Associate Pastor of Discipleship at First United Methodist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.
Gregory Palmer, USA, resident bishop of the West Ohio Annual Conference, male.
Donna Pritchard, USA, Oregon, elder, female. Pastor at First United Methodist Church in Portland, Ore., former district superintendent and General Conference delegate in 2016, 2012 and 2008.
Tom Salsgiver, USA, Pennsylvania, elder, male. Director of Connectional Ministries and Administrative Services, Susquehanna Annual Conference.
Robert Schnase, USA, resident bishop of San Antonio-based Rio Texas Annual Conference, male.
Jasmine Rose Smothers, USA, Georgia, elder, female. Senior pastor, First United Methodist Church in Atlanta. Previously she served as associate director of connectional ministries for the Atlanta-based North Georgia Annual Conference.
Leah Taylor, USA, Texas, laity, female. Attorney who serves as Texas Area Representative with the Texas Methodist Foundation. South Central Jurisdictional Lay Leader.
Deborah Wallace-Padgett, USA, resident bishop of the Birmingham-based North Alabama Annual Conference, female.
Rosemarie Wenner, Europe, bishop of Germany female. Past president of the Council of Bishops who presided at the 2012 General Conference in Tampa, Fla.
Alice Williams, USA, Florida, laity, female. Human resources consultant, 2016 General Conference delegate from Florida Conference.
John Wesley Yohanna, Africa, resident bishop of the Nigeria Episcopal Area in the West Africa Central Conference, bishop, male.
Alfiado S. Zunguza, Africa, Mozambique, elder, male. Executive Secretary - Africa Office at General Board of Global Ministries. Former Executive Director at JustaPaz - Center for Conflict Transformation in Mozambique.
MODERATORS
Sandra Steiner Ball, USA, resident bishop of West Virginia Annual Conference, female.
Kenneth Carter, USA, resident bishop of Florida Annual Conference, male
David Yemba, Africa, resident bishop of the Central Congo Episcopal Area, Democratic Republic of Congo, male
Diane Degnan of United Methodist Communications' Public Information Office and United Methodist Insight Editor Cynthia B. Astle contributed to this report.