Metaverse

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UMsConnected has created a "metaverse movement" to provide spiritual formation and support for United Methodists who are feeling "spiritually homeless" as the UMC splinters. (iStock Image)

'UMsConnected' Offers a Way Station on the Journey toward a New UMC

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The messages via social media and email tug at heartstrings:

  • "I'm feeling ... like our beloved church got pushed off a cliff into the unknown."
  • "This separation has caused a rift in decades-old fellowships." 
  • "I feel abandoned by my church that voted to leave the UMC."
  • "My church will leave the UMC in August to join GMC. When or how or will UMC provide those without church wanting to remain in UMC with support of some kind?"

These and other social media messages document how the splintering of The United Methodist Church is wounding souls across the denomination. Fortunately, there's now a way station on the journey toward the UMC's future: a "metaverse movement" called UMsConnected.

UMsConnected is the brainchild of Bishop Ken Carter, who oversees the Florida and Western North Carolina Annual Conferences. Aware that some Florida Conference churches were preparing to leave the denomination, Bishop Carter contacted the Rev. Dr. Steve Harper three weeks before the conference's June 2022 session. A retired seminary professor and author of 31 books, Dr. Harper is known throughout world Methodism as an expert on spiritual formation in the Wesleyan tradition and a frequent guide at spiritual workshops and retreats.

"Bishop Carter asked me to consider heading up a website that could be a gathering place for those who want to stay in The United Methodist Church when their congregations disaffiliate," Dr. Harper told United Methodist Insight in a telephone interview. "After thinking it over, I decided that such a 'metaverse movement' could be valuable to other audiences as well as those feeling spiritually homeless."

The UMsConnected website says it's not a church and doesn't have "members." Instead, its metaverse community has "belongers" who join others for spiritual support.

"As a metaverse movement, UMsConnected expresses words like ‘location’ and ‘interaction’ in new and various ways," says the website's "About" section. "The movement will evolve, meeting needs using a learn-by-doing approach, but it has launched with these basic resources: a website, a group Facebook page, and a podcast."

UMsConnected's "About" section describes the movement as a community that uses technology "to help you experience life together in-person and online. It is a community designed for you if,

  • your congregation has closed;
  • your congregation has disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church;
  • there is no United Methodist Church near you;
  • you feel 'spiritually homeless' and are looking for a supportive faith community;
  • you are a young adult away from your original church home–in school, the military, a new job, etc., and you want to be part of a formative community;
  • you want to be part of online faith formation in the new United Methodist Church."

A mission focused on three words

The website outlines the movement's mission:

"UMsConnected stands at the intersection of Christian spiritual formation in general and the Wesleyan tradition in particular. There is light, life, and love where these two things converge. Our mission is captured in these three words …

  • Vision: To mature participants in a theology of love that expresses itself in personal and social holiness.
  • Intention: To provide online Wesleyan formation opportunities that offer Christ in meaningful and innovative ways.
  • Means: To develop resources that facilitate Wesleyan formation. Anchored by our website, group Facebook page, and podcast, we will go on to provide additional live and on-demand ministries and materials."

In addition to the website, Facebook page and podcast, UMsConnected will offer two online gatherings:

  • "Kindred"—a weekly Zoom group for young adults. It includes experiences of worship and prayer, spiritual formation, and sharing. The first meeting is on Monday, September 12th at 7:00 p.m. The Rev. Christy Holden, currently serving as the director of Gulf Coast Wesley Foundation on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla. will direct the ministry and host its weekly meetings.
  • “Conversations"—a monthly Zoom meeting that features a guest with whom we visit in relation to a particular theme. The first meeting is Thursday, September 15th at 7:00 p.m. (Eastern Time, USA).

Details about both online gatherings will be posted on the movement's Facebook page and in its newsletter, Connections. UMsConnected began its second podcast series, "Believing," on Aug. 2 with an episode titled "Heritage." Its first series, "Connected," also is available.

Two other gatherings are in the works, said Dr. Harper. "Epworth Group," an online spiritual formation group named for John Wesley's childhood home, will be modeled after the traditional Methodist Class Meeting. “Living the Wesleyan Way," a monthly group, will combine the disciplines of common reading and holy conferencing and will be led by the Rev. Dr. Paul Chilcote. Again, details will be announced via the website and Facebook.

Dr. Harper told Insight that other United Methodist leaders have joined UMsConnected's team since its launch two months ago, including a co-director, a resource team leader and a multi-media support service.

The Rev. Kim Ingram, a deacon in the Western North Carolina Annual Conference, will serve as co-director of UMsConnected. Rev. Ingram currently directs Ministry Services & Leadership for Western North Carolina Conference. She also serves on the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM), and as a member of the Southeastern Jurisdiction Episcopal Committee.

In addition to leading the "Living the Wesleyan Way" sessions Dr. Chilcote has agreed to head a team to develop spiritual formation resources, Dr. Harper said. Currently director of the Center for Global Wesleyan Theology at Cambridge University's Wesley House in England, Dr. Chilcote is a retired professor of historical theology and Wesleyan studies.

Studio Wesley brings its multi-media expertise to UMsConnected, said Dr. Harper. "Under the leadership of Derrick Scott III, this team will initially revise the website and create a YouTube, with additional enrichment and expansion to follow," he said.

Answering a big question

As well as providing spiritual formation and support, UMsConnected offers an answer to one of the big questions that United Methodists are asking: What happens to someone's United Methodist membership if their congregation disaffiliates? For now, the website's answers are:

  1. "If your congregation closes or disaffiliates, you are still a United Methodist. Your membership is still in effect.
  2. "You should contact your District Superintendent if you no longer have a church home. Your DS will want to know your situation (and that of others if a group of people is affected), and in that conversation you may be guided to a good next step.
  3. "Generally, transferring your membership to a nearby UMC is your best move. Be sure to inquire if that church will remain in the UMC. You can make this change before your congregation closes or disaffiliates. Being proactive and becoming part of a new UMC congregation is the best transition you can make. The sooner, the better.
  4. "Some, however, will not live near to another UMC. If that is the case, talk with your DS to see what would work best for you. If you are one among others in the same dilemma, you may want to begin a group to hold everyone together until a permanent solution is available."

Regarding the last option, Dr. Harper said that UMsConnected can help interested persons organize an Epworth Group "complete with guidelines and resources."

As a corollary to its main function, UMsConnected's founders hope that its focus on Wesleyan spiritual heritage and theology will counteract false narratives being promulgated across the denomination by dissident forces. Some of this misinformation was seen at work in recent disaffiliation campaigns at First UMC, Jonesboro, Ark., and First UMC, Temple, Texas.

In an Aug. 2 Facebook post, Bishop Carter shared his concerns about how false narratives are undermining The United Methodist Church as congregations splinter off.

"There is misinformation about what the ongoing and future United Methodist Church believes," Bishop Carter wrote. "Some of this misinformation is being shared in local churches. If we do not tell our story, others will construct a story about us, in this instance a false witness about the UMC. This is a violation of the 9th Commandment."

On UMsConnected's inaugural podcast, Dr. Harper characterized the movement as a way for United Methodists to travel through coming years of challenge and change while a new denomination emerges.

"God is guiding us toward a future filled with hope," Dr. Harper said.

For more details about UMsConnected, contact Dr. Steve Harper at umsconnected@flumc.org.

Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011. To reproduce this content elsewhere, please email Insight for permission.