Editor's Note: The following post is republished from the Facebook page of Young People's Ministries, a unit of Discipleship Ministries.
The Young People's Statement for #gc2019 received 15,529 signatures in less than 8 hours. The voices in that statement are those that will inherit whatever version of the church arises from today's decisions. CHURCHES WHO THRIVE ARE THOSE THAT TAKE JESUS' MESSAGE SERIOUSLY AND INVEST IN YOUNG PEOPLE. Read these statements and pray for all involved and impacted by today's meetings. ---
YOUNG PEOPLE'S STATEMENT - GENERAL CONFERENCE 2019"This statement comes on the behalf of 15,529 unique young people from around the world who in 13 hours have signed in support. It is signed by lay and clergy, individuals in the candidacy process, and many others who wish to become part of the candidacy process. Many who identify as heterosexual and many who identify as LGBTQ, from here in the US, to our African, European, and Philippine Central Conferences. If you signed in support and are here, would you please stand?
We the young people of the United Methodist Church are not of one mind when it comes to inclusion of our LGBTQ siblings in Christ. And yet through working together, sharing stories, and worshipping side by side we have seen each other’s gifts and fruits for ministry! We have witnessed the incredible ways that God is working through each of us in our own unique contexts. We believe that if we are truly a body we need each other. We need one another, in all of our diversity- to fulfill our call to be the Body of Christ. We as the church need to stop the harm that is done when we debate one another’s humanity and worth, and focus on our shared mission to live into our primary identity as God’s children.
We have witnessed the Spirit at work through the denomination we love, the denomination we call home. Over and over, bishops and delegates have told us from the floor here, they don’t want us to leave, but with all due respect, you are not fighting to keep us here. Only 7% of seated delegates are young people, people under the age of 35. So we are asking for two things.
First, at this year’s annual conference, elect a young person to your 2020 delegation. Not as a reserve, but as someone seated with a vote on the floor. Mentor a young person to run. Advocate for a young person to be elected. Show up for the young people in your life, and actually celebrate them around these tables in 2020. If we are actually part of the Body, it is time to bring our voice and vote around these tables.
Second, we urge you, this body, who has decision-making ability right now, pass the One Church Plan. This plan truly highlights diversity and celebrates unity. This plan is not as far progressive as some of us would like, and is not as conservative as some would like. And yet this is a space where we can come together. This is a space where all can be faithful to our call, instead of being forced out of the place we call home. This is the space that we believe God is calling us, the United Methodist Church. We love the United Methodist Church and firmly believe God’s church is where all are welcome, that is why we urge you to pass the One Church Plan.
Come Holy Spirit, come! Open our hearts that we may follow!"
This statement reinforces the Unity Statement that Young People from around the world created at the Global Young People's Convocation in 2018. It will be read during today's proceedings. We will do our best to share it live.
https://umcyoungpeople.org/…/young-peoples-statement-genera…
2018 GLOBAL CONVOCATION STATEMENT OF UNITY
The Legislative Forum of the Global Young People’s Convocation (GYPC) 2018 discussed and passed the following Statement of Unity. Each Central Conference or Jurisdiction was represented by a maximum of 12 delegates (5 youth, 5 young adults, and 2 adult workers). This Statement is available in French, Portuguese, German, & Russian. Please scroll down to read the translated versions.
"We, as the Young People of the United Methodist Church, agree to be united in Spirit as one body of Christ, despite the diversity of culture, tradition, political ideologies, language, beliefs, nationalities, and personal identities, as we believe that we are all God’s creation and our primary identity is being God’s children.
As young people, we love The United Methodist Church, the unity it offers, and how it welcomes all people, regardless of who they are and what they do in life.
We recognize and celebrate the diversity that comes from being in a global United Methodist connection. We view each person as an essential part of the body of Christ, which is the Church, and that God loves each of us far beyond what we can imagine.
With that, we believe that God's love is engrained in us and part of our identity as United Methodists.
We stand against the spirit of hatred, judgment, and discrimination which creates division instead of unity.
We pray that through the Holy Spirit we can remain united as a body that continues to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."
Young people’s Stance on the Commission of the Way Forward
When the youth and young adults voting delegates of the 2018 Global Young People Convocation were polled on their support of each of the plans proposed by the Commission on the Way Forward, we found the following:
38.46% support the Traditionalist plan60.58% support the One Church plan19.23% support the Connectional Conference plan0.96% abstained
CONVOCATION MONDIALE DES JEUNES DE 2018Déclaration d'unitéEn tant que Jeunes de l’Église Méthodiste Unie, nous acceptons d’être unis en Esprit comme un seul corps du Christ, malgré la diversité de la culture, des traditions, des idéologies politiques, de la langue, des croyances, des nationalités et des identités personnelles ; toute la création de Dieu et notre identité primaire est d'être les enfants de Dieu.
En tant que jeunes, nous aimons l'Église Méthodiste Unie, l'unité qu'elle offre et comment elle accueille tous les gens, peu importe qui ils sont et ce qu'ils font dans la vie.
Nous reconnaissons et célébrons la diversité qui se dégage de notre présence dans une connexion méthodiste unie mondiale. Nous considérons chaque personne comme une partie essentielle du corps de Christ, qui est l'Église, et que Dieu nous aime chacun au-delà de ce que nous pouvons imaginer.
Avec cela, nous croyons que l'amour de Dieu est enraciné en nous et fait partie de notre identité en tant que méthodistes unis.
Nous nous opposons à l'esprit de haine, de jugement et de discrimination qui crée la division au lieu de l'unité.
Nous prions pour que, par le Saint-Esprit, nous puissions rester unis en tant que corps continuant à faire des disciples de Jésus-Christ pour la transformation du monde.
Position des jeunes sur la Commission de la voie à suivre
Lorsque les jeunes et les jeunes adultes qui ont voté lors de la Convocation mondiale des jeunes de 2018 ont été interrogés sur leur soutien à chacun des plans proposés par la Commission sur la voie à suivre, nous avons constaté ce qui suit:
38,46% soutiennent le plan traditionaliste60,58% soutiennent le plan One Church19,23% soutiennent le plan de la Conférence Connectional0.96% se sont abstenus
2018 GLOBAL YOUNG PEOPLES CONVOCATIONEinigkeitsstatementWir, die jungen Menschen der United Methodist Church, verbinden uns dazu im Geiste als ein Leib Christi vereint zu sein, trotz unserer Unterschiede in Kultur, Tradtion, politischen Ideologien, Sprache, religiösen Überzeugungen, Nationalitäten und persönlichen Identitäten, da wir daran festhalten, dass wir alle Gottes Schöpfung sind und unsere Primäridentität ein Kind Gottes ist.
Als junge Menschen lieben wir die United Methodist Church und die Einigkeit die sie versinnbildlicht und wie sie alle Menschen willkommen heißt, egal wer sie sind oder wie sie leben.
Wir erkennen und feiern die Diversität, die aus unserer weltweiten vereinten methodistischen Verbindung entstammt. Wir betrachten jede Person als wesentlichen Bestandteil des Leib Christi, welcher die Kirche ist, und das jede Person von Gott geliebt ist. Diese Liebe geht weit über unser Verständnis hinaus.
Daher glauben wir, dass Gottes Liebe in uns und unserer United Methodist Identitat verwurzelt ist.
Wir setzen uns gegen den Geist des Hasses, der Verurteilung und Diskrimination, der uns auseinander zerrt, statt uns zu einigen.
Wir beten, dass durch die Kraft des Heiligen Geistes wir als ein Leib vereint blieben, der weiterhin Menschen zu Jüngern Jesu macht um die Welt zu verändern.
Die Stellung der jungen Menschen zur Commission on the Way Forward
Als die wahlberechtigeten Jugendlichen und Jungen Erwachsenen bei der Global Young People Convocation 2018 gefragt wurden welchen Plan der von der Commission on the Way Forward, wurde folgendes festgestellt:
38.46% unterstützten den Tradtionalistischen Plan60.58% unterstützten den One Church (Eine Kirche) Plan19.23% unterstützten den Konnexionskonferenzen Plan0.96% enthielten sich
2018 CONVOCAÇÃO GLOBAL DOS JOVENSDeclaração de UnidadeNós, os Jovens da Igreja Metodista Unida, concordamos em estar unidos no Espírito como um corpo de Cristo, apesar da diversidade de cultura, tradição, ideologias políticas, língua, crenças, nacionalidades e identidades pessoais, como acreditamos que nós somos toda a criação de Deus e nossa identidade primária é ser filhos de Deus.
Como jovens, amamos a Igreja Metodista Unida, a unidade que oferece e como ela acolhe todas as pessoas, independentemente de quem são e do que fazem na vida.
Reconhecemos e celebramos a diversidade que resulta de estarmos numa união global Metodista Unida. Nós vemos cada pessoa como uma parte essencial do corpo de Cristo, que é a Igreja, e que Deus ama cada um de nós muito além do que podemos imaginar.
Com isso, acreditamos que o amor de Deus está enraizado em nós e faz parte da nossa identidade como Metodistas Unidos.
Estamos contra o espírito de ódio, juízo, e discriminação que cria a divisão em vez da unidade.
Oramos para que, através do Espírito Santo, possamos permanecer unidos como um corpo que continua a fazer discípulos de Jesus Cristo para a transformação do mundo.
Posicionamento dos jovens sobre a Comissão do Caminho a Seguir
Quando os jovens e jovens adultos, com direito a voto na Convocação Global de Jovens de 2018, foram consultados sobre seu apoio a cada um dos planos propostos pela Comissão sobre o Caminho a Seguir, encontramos o seguinte:
38.46% estão a favor do Plano Tradicional60.58% estão a favor do Plano de Uma igreja19.23% o plano de conferência Conacional.0.96% abstiveram-se
ВСЕМИРНЫЙ МОЛОДЕЖНЫЙ СОВЕТ 2018Заявление о единствеМы, молодежь Объединенной методистской церкви, соглашаемся быть объединенными в Духе, как в едином Теле Иисуса Христа, несмотря на разнообразие культур, традиций, политических взглядов, языков, убеждений, национальностей и личных личностей, поскольку считаем, что все мы являемся творениями Божьими, и наша первичная идентичность - это то, что мы дети Бога.
Будучи молодыми людьми, мы любим Объединенную методистскую церковь, единство, которое она предлагает, и то, как она доброжелательно принимает всех людей, независимо от того, кто они, и что они делают в жизни.
Мы признаем и празднуем разнообразие, которое приходит от разных всемирных методистских связей. Мы видим каждого человека, как неотъемлемую часть тела Христова, то есть Церкви, и что Бог любит каждого из нас так сильно, что мы даже не можем себе это представить.
Со всем этим мы верим, что любовь Бога укоренена в наc и является частью нашей идентичности, как Объединенных методистов.
Мы выступаем против духа ненависти, осуждения и дискриминации, которые создают разделение вместо единства.
Молимся, чтобы через Святого Духа мы могли оставаться единым телом, которое продолжает создавать учеников Иисуса Христа для преобразования мира.
Позиция молодых людей в отношении Комиссии по пути вперед
Когда молодежь и молодые взрослые, обладающие правом голосования на Всемирном молодежном совете 2018 года были опрошены по поводу их поддержки каждого из планов, предложенных Комиссией по пути вперед, то мы обнаружили следующее:
38,46% поддерживают традиционалистский план60,58% поддерживают план Единой Церкви19,23% поддерживают план Конференции по связям.0.96% воздержались