Inclusiveness webinar
October 27, 2022
CENTENNIAL, Colorado – The lead pastor of one of United Methodist’s fastest growing churches, Rev. Matt Miofsky, St. Louis, Missouri, will keynote, along with three of the church’s best-known bishops, an Inclusive VI Zoom Webinar focused on “A New Beginning: An Inclusive United Methodism.” Scheduled for Saturday morning, Nov. 19 by the United Methodist Association of Retired Clergy and Friends (UMARC), the virtual meeting begins at 8:30 am (Mountain Time). Free registration for laity and clergy is open at www.umarc.org
Miofsky leads The Gathering, an expanding mission-minded congregation of United Methodists committed to fighting white racism and embracing inclusive membership and leadership for LGBTQ+ persons. Joining him in outlining a vision for United Methodism will be Bishop Thomas Bickerton, New York, President of the United Methodist Council of Bishops; Bishop Julius Trimble, Indianapolis, of the Indiana Area; and Bishop Karen Oliveto, Denver, of the Mountain Sky, Conference.
“The Holy Spirit is prompting a new United Methodist movement,” declares Rev. Dr. Harvey Martz, vice chair of UMARC and retired senior pastor of St. Andrew United Methodist Church, Highlands Ranch, Colo. “Tragically some churches have chosen the path of exclusion and disaffiliation, but our renewed Methodist movement must find ways to bring God’s inclusive love in Jeus Christ to every community, including places where a majority prefer to exclude LGBTQ+ persons.”
Adding to the conference will be a panel of young pastors who are reaching new constituencies with the message of Christ’s inclusive love. Rev. Kennedy Mwita of Moheto, Kenya, will share how he has built an enlarged congregation friendly to LGBTQ persons in Africa. Rev. Ryan Canady, Denver, will speak about his fast-growing urban congregation that especially addresses drug and alcohol addiction. Rev. Jasper Peters, Denver, will introduce his dynamic congregation called Belong. Rev. Lynn Miller Jackson, Great Falls, Montana, District Superintendent, will provide a vision of how United Methodism is reaching out to all people in rural America.
Popular pop vocalist and song-writer, Kelly Triplett of Denver and Jacksonville, Florida, will sing “live” two of her favorites: “A Place at the Table” and “Neon Bible.” She is a Global Music Award Silver Medalist.
Erin Althaus, Denver, will offer an organizational “Model for Creating Inclusive Congregations. She serves as Project Manager for A Table For All in the Mountain Sky Conference.
Rev. Dr. Kay Palmer-Marsh of UMARC, Longmont, Colo., will introduce and welcome several newly elected bishops of United Methodism who will be leading the inclusive United Methodist movement in the years ahead. She must wait to invite their participation once they are elected at upcoming jurisdictional conferences the first week of November.
UMARC has sponsored six annual international inclusiveness conferences, thanks to generous donors who contribute by sending checks to UMARC at 7185 S. Niagara Circle, Centennial, CO 80112 or making donations via www.umarc.org