Prayer Day Delegates
Delegates pray together during the February 23, 2019, opening session of the Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church. (Photo by Paul Jeffrey for United Methodist News Service.)
First-elected delegates in annual conferences of the U.S. Western Jurisdiction have issued a request for prayer support as they engaged in their final push toward General Conference 2020. In a letter issued Feb. 3 they write:
"We have been hard at work: sharing our hopes and dreams for what our future church may look like, hearing stories from those who have felt silenced by the church, seeking partnerships to enact legislation, and meeting regularly to find our way in an ever-changing landscape of proposals, statements, and legislation.
"As we start and end our times together in prayer, we ask you to pray for us and with us.
"We ask you to pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit as we navigate the rivers of legislation.
"We ask you to pray for hearts of love as we try to meet some of the past and present pain in our denomination with the grace of Christ.
"We ask you to pray for strength for the journey: for the reading, for the meetings, for the traveling, for the effort we and others need to put in for the future of our church and our churches.
"We ask you to pray for our relationships with one another, our respective delegations, and those we will work with around the globe. May they be built on trust, compassion, listening, and grace.
"We ask you to pray for the mission and ministry of The United Methodist Church, in the Western Jurisdiction and around the world, that we may be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ."
The letter concludes by inviting all supporters to use the prayer resource coming soon from The Upper Room at https://umcprays.org.
No doubt all delegates around the world will appreciate our prayers as well.
GCFA Board Officers Discuss Potential Financial Impacts
United Methodism's financial agency is preparing to bring data on the economic impact of the various plans to split up the UMC to the 2020 General Conference. The board issued a press release Jan. 31:
"The Officers of the Board of Directors of the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) held a conference call Friday, January 31 to discuss the potential financial impact of various proposals related to the structure of the Church, including the recently announced Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation. As a result of this conversation, GCFA Staff will be engaging various official bodies of the general Church in conversation about the possible impacts of these proposals on the funding of existing connectional ministries and apportioned funds.
"After receiving input from across the connection, staff will present information and ideas to GCFA’s Board of Directors at a special called Board meeting in advance of the regularly scheduled March meeting."
Meanwhile, take a look (if you haven't already) at the comparison of major proposals to divide the UMC prepared by United Methodist News Service. The chart has been updated to include the "Protocol for Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation."
Media Mentions as of Feb. 3, 2020
Iceland Expands Its Evangelical Ban To Include Anti-LGBT Methodists – Patheos (blog)
Gay rights dispute pulling apart the United Methodist Church – goskagit.com
Methodists trying to keep the faith as proposed split looms – The Winchester Star
Virginia Methodists wrestle with proposal to split denomination – The Daily Progress
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.