GC Commission Spring 2018
Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton (center), who leads the New York Conference, speaks during a meeting of the Commission on General Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. Seated to the left and right are Duncan McMillan, the commission chair, and Moses Kumar, General Conference treasurer. Photo by Art McClanahan, Iowa Conference.
Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton is episcopal leader of the New York Conference and also a member of the commission that plans the General Conference. As the special called 2019 conference approaches, Bickerton addressed some concerns he’s heard and acknowledged that delegates have a lot of work to do in a very short time frame.
Bickerton spoke with UM News as part of “Seeing a Way Forward,” a video series featuring different perspectives from church leaders on the work of the Commission on a Way Forward.
Watch videos. ‘We don’t know the outcome’ of GC2019
Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton says he understands the anxiety leading up to the called 2019 Special General Conference and the implications it has for the future of the church. He’s encouraging leaders to approach their work in the right frame of mind, body and spirit to make the best decisions possible.
Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton says the short time frame for the called 2019 Special General Conference means the work needs to be as efficient as possible to get a meaningful result.
Short time frame for GC2019 is a challengeBishop Thomas J. Bickerton shares a story from his days as a pastor as advice for those making crucial decisions at the 2019 Special General Conference, which will affect the future direction of The United Methodist Church.
Bishop Bickerton shares his prayers for GC2019
Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton hopes that in the midst of debates during the 2019 Special General Conference, everyone involved will find “civility and a heart of peace."
‘Let God do what God does best.’
Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton of the New York Conference admits he doesn’t know what lies ahead for The United Methodist Church after the 2019 Special General Conference, but he trusts that God has a plan.
This is the seventh in a series of video interviews by United Methodist News Service. View the interviews with Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey,Bishop Christian Alsted, Bishop John Yambasu, Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball, Bishop Bruce Ough, and the Rev. Gary Graves.