A New Vision
Great Plains Annual Conference | May 15, 2025
WICHITA – The new vision statement for The United Methodist Church, unveiled a week earlier by the denomination, dominated the discussion at the May 9-10 meeting of the Connecting Council.
“We’ve been waiting for a vision statement for about 20 years now,” Scott Brewer, conference executive director, told the council.
After watching an explanatory video by the crafters of the new vision by UMC leaders, including Kansas-born Louisiana Bishop Delores Williamston, council members discussed the intricacies of the statement in groups around tables in Hedrick Hall at Wichita East Heights UMC.
“Are we seeking to embrace this?” Brewer asked. “This is a commitment of the whole of the church here in Kansas and Nebraska.”
Council members discussed:
- What would successfully living out this vision as a conference look like?
- What are some examples of how we as a conference are already living out this vision?
- What challenges do you foresee in implementing this new vision within our conference?
- How might the elements of this new vision resonate with our local congregations and communities?
Brewer told the council he appreciated the fundamentality of the vision.
“It’s genuine Christianity,” he said. “It isn’t anything outrageous.”
David Burke
David Burke is a content specialist for Great Plains Conference communications. This post is extracted from a longer article on the conference website.