Central Conference Group Opposes Dissolution Plans

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Introduction

Greetings to the College of Bishops of the Philippines Central Conference, special greetings to all delegates present. I bring greetings from Zimbabwe and Canada and the Central Conference outreach team.

I am here representing a group of Central Conferences members who are focusing on the future of the global United Methodist Church. This group sent me to present to you a message that it is now time for United Methodists from Central Conferences to help the global denomination to stay united and move forward with our mission of making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

This group brings together United Methodists from across the globe, laity and clergy, from Europe, Africa, Philippines and North America. As we look forward to 2020 General Conference and the legislative proposals submitted forward, we have found it necessary to develop a framework through which we invite all United Methodists to analyze the petitions to General Conference.

“As United Methodists from Central Conferences, we seek to build and prosper a church whose members are connected globally, do mission together, respect contextual settings, celebrate diversity, and value honest, genuine, and mutual anti-colonial relationships in order to strengthen our core mission of evangelism, discipleship and social witness for the transformation of the world.”

We believe that this guiding principle or framework will enlighten our understanding of the dynamics at General Conference and invite all to act for the greater good of the denomination.

How do we see the United Methodist Church?

* United Methodists are a globally connected people.

*United Methodists are people represented through UMCOR [United Methodist Committee ON Relief] as they show up when there is a disaster in any part of the world.

* United Methodists are people with a Council of Bishops that speaks up to the Philippines government when a Bishop gets in trouble for being prophetic and preaching Jesus’s message of demanding justice for all.

* United Methodists are people through GBGM that rally the whole world to pressure the Philippines government to let Tawanda go home, a boy who was born and raised in Sakubva, Mutare, Zimbabwe who was serving as a young missionary in this country.

* United Methodists are globally connected people who have built and supported Africa University, an institution that has given people like me an opportunity to have a university Degree and many other Africans who have become first generation graduates

* United Methodists are globally connected people who send missionaries to the Philippines in 1898 and to Zimbabwe in 1897 to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the missionaries from USA who arrived in Zimbabwe and God show him a vision when he could see young people coming from over the continent of Africa speaking different languages holding books in their hands gathering in the old Mutare valley in search of education. This vision was fulfilled in 1992 when the global Church supported the opening of Africa University the first Institution of higher learning to be supported by the United Methodist on the African Continent.

*United Methodists are the Cross and flame people as we are branded by the fire of Pentecost that has been passed from one continent to another.

* United Methodists are people who invest in healthcare in rural communities across the world so that the sick may be healed and experience the abundance of life that God provides.

With this rich history as United Methodists we cannot allow a small group of Church politicians, basically within the United States of America Church to work on extinguishing the flame from the Cross of United Methodism at General Conference 2020 with their Indiana Dissolution plan. Which they have shortened to Indy = Endy Plan.

The Indianapolis Plan is a plan to end and dissolve The United Methodist Church as they already have an asset sharing plan. They are negotiating with their voices whilst their bodies are already out of the door.

To those of us who are General Conference 2020 Delegates the question before you at this GC2020 is:

Are you going to use your vote to extinguish the Flame of United Methodism by supporting The Indianapolis dissolution Plan to End United Methodist mission across the globe?

We know that The Philippines have submitted a plan for unity. Those of us from Central Conference we are saying here is plan from Central Conferences by central Conference a Plan to keep igniting the Flames of United Methodism. We need all regions to stand behind the Philippines plan for unity and mission together.

We are calling Africa, Europe and like-minded brothers and sisters in the United States of America to support the Philippines Unity plan.

Through this plan the flame will be ignited and catch the spirit to win more souls for Jesus Christ throughout the world.  This Plan will help the creation of regional conferences and bring more contextualization in our global denomination.

Conclusion

This is time the Philippines should spark that flame which will reignite the flames of global United Methodism.

  • Filipinos have spoken.
  • Philippines Bishops have spoken all of them have spoken against extinguishing the flame of global Methodism.
  • African Bishops have spoken against extinguishing the flame of global United Methodism.
  • Germany said no to extinguishing the flame of United Methodism.
  • The Baltic–Nordic Area has spoken against dissolution of the denomination.

Now from here to the gathering, those who travelled from the USA go back and tell everyone that the flame of the global United Methodist will be kept on the cross

Next week I will be in Africa, Zimbabwe with the same message that the Flame is to be kept on the cross and no to dissolution of the United Methodist Church as the African Bishops have said no to it.

From here go to Davao Episcopal Area, Manila episcopal Area and Baguio Episcopal and tell all that the flame of United Methodism is alive and will be kept alive in Minnesota GC2020 and we will reject the dissolution Endy Plan.

The Flame on the cross will be kept ignited so that people called United Methodists will continue in mission making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the wold.

General Conference 2020 should be about giving this flame more spiritual propane gas, firewood, electricity whatever you use in your part of the world to keep warm. With this flame and cross at General Conference 2020 when we reject the Endy Plan of dissolution we will all feel our hearts strangely warmed.

God bless the cross and flame people called United Methodists

I thank you.

The Rev. Dr. Lloyd Nyarota, a member of the Zimbabwe East Annual Conference, represented the Forum of Concerned Central Conference United Methodists before the Philippines Central Conference Coordinating Council on Nov. 22, 2019 at the Tagaytag Retreat and Conference Center. The text is reprinted here with Dr. Nyarota's permission.