TX Conf Elections
A coalition of moderates and progressives in the Texas Annual Conference gained the election of all but one person on its proposed slate of clergy candidates for General Conference 2020 delegates on May 28. Conversely, candidates backed by the Wesleyan Covenant Association swept the laity delegate elections.
The split surprised many because the Houston-based conference is home to the conservative Good News movement and its bishop, Scott Jones, has publicly allied himself with the Wesleyan Covenant Association. Good News and the WCA are part of the Reform & Renewal coalition that engineered the passage of the Traditional Plan at the 2019 General Conference.
Electing more centrist and progressive delegates to GC2020 is one of the resistance strategies that has been suggested at various U.S. church gatherings.
More campaigning reports
Last week, a pastor in the Wisconsin Annual Conference reported that one of his lay members of annual conference had been contacted by the WCA urging votes for its slate of traditionalist candidates. This week, a clergyman in the Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference sent the following email about campaigning there:
“In Illinois Great Rivers Conference, the ‘IGRC for Unity’ lobby is preparing a list of declared traditional candidates (clergy and laity) not to support, working toward a total centrist-progressive delegation of lay and clergy. The posting reads in part:
“’Delegation: Our first step is electing a centrist/progressive lay and clergy delegation on June 6th at annual conference. The great news is that many, many, many of you submitted applications to be candidates – THANK YOU!! That is so INSPIRATIONAL to me!!!
“’Before annual conference, we'll create and distribute a list of candidates who are known to support the traditional plan, so we know who not to elect. And we will continue to share further voting strategy as we move forward with delegate conversations.
“Traditionalists that include some WCA members, but not organized by the conference WCA, are creating suggested names of clergy and laity candidates who affirm the current BOD and see the challenges facing the denomination as far more than sexuality, i.e., not one-issue candidates. A disclaimer is being included that fine and faithful candidates are not necessarily on the list and that the goal is to insure inclusion of traditionally-oriented delegates rather than a clean sweep of one point of view, which would not fairly reflect the diversity in conference churches.”
Defy Love Prevails
Moving toward disaffiliation
From Love Prevails’ Facebook page: “Love Prevails is seeking the names of congregations and their key leaders who are working on disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church. Please be clear, we are not looking for individuals who want to leave the UMC or clergy wanting to surrender their credentials. We are building a critical mass of congregations seriously moving toward disaffiliation.”
Love Prevails invites churches to send it direct messages via its Facebook account.
Media Mentions as of May 28, 2019
Amid LGBT debate, Michigan churches weigh future – The Detroit News
Southern California United Methodist congregations on the brink of schism over national church's ... – OCRegister
Some BN Methodist Church Leaders Join 'Resist' Movement – WGLT News
Lakewood church shows support of LGBTQ community – News 5 Cleveland
Doctrines of the divided United Methodists – Knoxville News Sentinel