The List of Lists

Ah, June- the heat, the humidity, the church elections!

I'm on vacation and have had time to 1) catch up on some home projects, and 2) think about the larger United Methodist Church and our upcoming elections. This really has been a struggle for me as I've tried to approach it prayerfully, spiritually, with a focus on more than merely the relational or political. That's tough though in a very large conference when you don't have much information or know where potential delegates stand.

At this Annual Conference (June 14-17) of North GA UMC we, like all other annual conferences, are preparing for delegate elections for General & Jurisdictional Conferences. The UMC always has a lay & clergy delegates to gather in conference. While laity announce they are interested in being elected in North GA, and then share some basic information with the lay delegates, the clergy are all electable and therefore no one officially "runs." We don't advertise this, we don't fill out a form, but conversations grow over the months as we get closer to these elections held every 4 years. It's easiest to vote for people you know, who have high visibility, or who have the backing of some group of clergy you know.

I'm not running, & while very interested in the near future of the UMC, am neither a potential delegate nor a "king" maker. I'm a deacon mission pastor who loves the UMC and wants to see us do our best work. Serving in Augusta, which is 2 1/2 hours from the conference office in metro Atlanta, I'm barely in the conference! So, the challenge for me is to know who's interested in being a delegate, & that's why I've asked with interest who's on a list (since we don't use a clergy self nominating process which might include a brief bio, their vision, & a photo so you might know the face). In years when I've shown up at Annual Conference not knowing who's "on the list" it would take a couple of ballots to know what was going on & by then a number of the delegates would have the numbers to be elected while it would also become more obvious who might emerge to fill out the rest of the delegation. I vaguely recall around 30 ballots the last time or two we went through this!

Yesterday I received a "combined nomination list." This shared 50 names of clergy vetted by an All Women's Clergy group, the African American women's group, the Deacons, a clergy chaired group, and the Wesley Covenant Renewal Movement. I don't know where this came from, or who compiled it, but they do seem to be well connected. This whole process is an odd tightrope walk for everyone as we desire to stay in covenant with each other, keep the focus on ministry and relationships built on trust, yet elect a representative group of clergy who 1) might have an episcopal nominee who could become bishop in the SEJ, 2) do all this in a way that builds short term and long term ministry focus, and 3) identifies those who will be entrusted as our decision makers who will shape the future of the UMC. I'm sure you see the practical, political, spiritual, and relational challenge in all of this. Of course, each caucus vets delegates who come from their ranks or are well regarded by their group.

There are some things that bug me about some of the lists. I wonder how many clergy didn't cast a prevote. By that, I merely indicate that there are a lot of independent clergy, folk who stay busy in ministry, and folk outside of metro ATL who are outside of the current system of conversations leading up to the election. Still, there are some very strong clergy on the list that I'll vote for, though it is noteworthy there are many other strong clergy in North GA UMC that I don't see listed. Too bad there isn't an Indy Clergy List!

Another issue would be if the group is working in ways that create unity or division. Maybe I'm naive, but I don't see North GA as a divided or divisive group during normal seasons. If a group seems to be creating an "order" within the clergy order, or within the conference, I'm not voting for any of their vetted delegates. While I might be sympathetic toward some of their objectives their process and exclusion ultimately say more about them than their list.

On the plus side I do like the variety of clergy who might represent us when I look over these names-- with the addition of my Indy List. I'm much more comfortable with a diverse group that reflects the variety of North GA than some bland, lock step sort of group that has a narrow agenda. We do best as Methodists in conference when our voices are all heard and when we listen for the voice of God.

Here's the list of lists that was originally in an Excel format. You'll notice some clergy show up in multiple lists (the original was alphabetized and color coded!).

All Women(25)
Dave Allen Grady
Susan Allen Grady
Jane Brooks
Jim Cantrell
Carol Cook
Coy Hinton
Jonathan Holston
David Jones
Sondra Jones
Karen Kagiyama
Millie Kim
Beth LaRocca-Pitts
Mary Gene Lee
Sharma Lewis
Nora Martinez
Yvette Massey
Joy Melton
David Melton
Jimmy Moor
Amy Morgan
Alice Rogers
Jasmine Smothers
Renita Thomas
Jacqui Rose Tucker
Bridgette Young

African American Women (16)
Sherry Austin
Joe Crawford
Jonathan Holston
Walter Kimbrough
Bernice Kirkland
Sharma Lewis
Nora Martinez
Yvette Massey
Leon Matthews
Marvin Moss
Renita Thomas
Byron Thomas
Jacqui Rose-Tucker
Robert Ward
Richard Winn
Bridgette Young

Deacons(5)
[Note: my clergy order is smaller, therefore, we typically offer a few of our group for consideration by the annual conference]
Margaret Freeman
Nancy Lane
Nora Martinez
Joy Melton
David Melton

Moor (23)
Dave Allen Grady
Susan Allen Grady
Jane Brooks
Jim Cantrell
Glenn Ethridge
Jonathan Holston
David Jones
Karen Kagiyama
Bernice Kirkland
Beth LaRocca-Pitts
Nora Martinez
Leon Matthews
Joy Melton
David Melton
Jimmy Moor
David Naglee
Adam Roberts
Alice Rogers
Phil Schroeder
John Simmons
Wiley Stephens
Renita Thomas
Byron Thomas

Wesleyan Renewal (8)
[Note: this is a partial list as members will be sent a text update
as balloting proceeds.]
Jim Ellison
Richard Hunter
Sharma Lewis
Diane Parrish
Juan Quintanilla
Chuck Savage

Some Clergy on my Indy list worth consideration:
Bill Britt
Richard Chewning
Dana Everhart
Tom Davis
Jim Higgins
Jamie Jenkins
Marvin Moss
Dee Shelnutt
Doug Thrasher

How do you find 31 clergy delegates -13 for General Conference, 13 for Jurisdictional Conference, and 5 Alternates- out of 1000 clergy? Who is missing from the list? Are there any Independents out there we've overlooked? What might God be doing that is going to surprise all of us? And who will the episcopal nominee be?

I'm looking for people with proven leadership in the conference, with a strong Wesleyan Christian approach, with a great sense of teamwork and unity, and with roots in the best of our tradition yet ready to embrace our future with enthusiasm and Methodist zeal as we make some necessary institutional changes. I hope we have a delegation that reflects the best of our North GA Annual Conference, and has a range of clergy & laity who are excited to be part of the larger work of the UMC as we follow the way of Christ today and tomorrow. This 2012 General Conference is going to call for our very best efforts, and some strategic decisions in mission and ministry which will have long term consequences. I'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and best choices as we "pre-conference" in hopes that by listening to each other we'll better hear God.

Local News Coverage of Tampa FUMC

There's always more to the story...

Here's some of the local press to fill in the blanks. The background information on steady funding, a $2 million bequest, & the conference interest in starting a new church- from an outsiders perspective- does cloud the situation. How do you balance the local congregation in the work of the annual UM conference in terms of missional viability? These folk don't seem as out of step as I would have first supposed.

Tampa FUMC

What if a Church Isn't Missionally Viable?

John Meunier recently shared blogs about the FL UMC conference closing the Tampa FUMC. Historically conferences have closed churches which were not financially viable, i.e. that could support a clergy of some sort, could pay apportionments, etc. I'm aware of at least one congregation in North GA that was closed in recent years & it seemed like a small church caught in long term dissension which couldn't be overcome.

See Meunier at Tampa Church & UMC Expectations for the information.

Bishop Whitaker speaks to the issue, though does not name the Tampa situation, at "Why Discontinue Congregations?"

Here's a key section worthy of conversation:
"The main reason today to discontinue a congregation is that it can no longer fulfill the mission of the United Methodist Church. This is a different time than a generation ago. In the past, as long as a congregation could pay its bills, including its connectional giving, it was allowed to continue. Today, the Church expects every congregation to possess missional vitality. If the congregation is no longer able or willing to accomplish the mission of the United Methodist Church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, then the Church has a responsibility to discontinue that congregation and seek new ways to fulfill its mission in that location."

Will to be missionally vital or to be closed become a new norm for UM congregations?

Missional Manifesto

I've been absent for awhile as mission trips, everyday ministry, and then unexpected, historic tornadoes have taken attention.

I've just found an intriguing manifesto, and currently listening to a dialogue with the author Alan Hirsch regarding this recent document. I enjoy some of the approach and challenges that Hirsch offers in his writing so this got my attention. These are Baptist and evangelical thinkers, but they've surprised me a little as they are trying to build a stronger theology for mission as well as to make a strong tie between an ecclesiology driven by mission. This isn't the typical Baptist fare and deserves some attention and discussion in UMC circles. Of course, we'll take what is useful to a Wesleyan view and can find applications and use to our perspective.

They begin the missions document by defining God as a "sending God" which frames the document. While their first affirmations on authority and gospel shows their theological and denominational affiliation their discussion might have some clues that even Methodist congregations and the UMC may learn from as we also seek to be in church in mission. I'd be curious how you view the document since the UMC is currently struggling as we look at numbers, upcoming General Conference, and how to best position ourselves given the various realities. I REALLY appreciate that this is a theological manifesto yet has much practical application.

The Manifesto offers that a "missional community is one that regards mission as both its originating impulse and organizing principle" & then points to the Christological nature of mission/church. The document states that "Missional represents a significant shift in the way we understand the church. As the people of a missionary God, we are entrusted to participate in the world the same way He does-- by committing to be His ambassadors. Missional is the perspective to see people as God does and to engage in the activity of reaching them. The church on mission is the church as God intended."

Part of the live video I just heard included discussion by Hirsch as to how the church needs to develop metrics which gauges the "impact of those outside the church." As Hirsch said that I wondered what the "game changer" view might mean for my church and denomination.

Missional Manifesto