UMC Districts Are the Solution

I'm continuing to think about a contextually appropriate Methodist Christian mission. And I'm continuing to study that troublesome John 4 passage. Who, in their right mind, would start a Samaritan ministry so early. So, here goes the trouble that's percolating with me these rainy Georgia days.

How does a United Methodist annual conference, or more specifically a district, go about planning for the future of its mission and ministry?

Some clarifications are in order.

I'm a "company man" in many respects and therefore not just trying to cause trouble. Really, I like strategy, love theology, and believe that the stories of faith in the Bible are still being played out today. Add a little Holy Spirit in the mix and I know that God continues to want us to let the Kingdom and His will be done on earth, and even in our denominations!

As I think about this contextually appropriate ministry I don't merely mean a district superintendent, or district committees, that "hand down" from the main office what the clergy and churches are supposed to do. We've proven this doesn't work, that the incentive isn't high, and that while we'll all put on the "game face" that none of us get excited about this institutional game that is so far removed from the work of the Kingdom. We've all been to mandatory meetings that are composed of the same annual business, the same reports, and the same "encouragements and reminders" that neither excite us for mission of the Kingdom or better equip us for leadership in following Christ and helping others to follow Him today. I'm wondering about a denominational approach that is beyond the institutional with strong local impact in mind.

Nor do I mean those district committees where we sit around talking about what we want to offer this year based on the same models and approaches we've used the last 30 years. Now, don't get me wrong I'm not just being ugly because I'm one of these folks and often in the meetings! But I know myself, group think, and institutional approaches well enough to know we get locked into routine rather easily. And the year becomes the decade becomes the career of such things before we know it. Rather, I'm thinking of the ways stronger congregations have a visioning process with focus on mission and ministry particular to their context of demographics, calling, location, and work of the Kingdom here. Such a planning process in a more aggressive, ministry motivated church will often chart a course for the next 5-10 years of impact. Why aren't annual conferences and districts as missionally motivated? It seems a great way to better know the churches and communities, and thereby make better appointments to achieve the goals. UMC districts are in a key missional strategy position yet are severely underutilized in most cases.

Recent conversations and thinking about the Kingdom of God and new ways of being a denomination have me curious about the application, approach, and leadership necessary for a vibrant UMC district. Note that a LOT of the conversation heading toward GC 2012seems to be on annual conference or congregation. I sincerely hope we don't leave out the neglected district. A strategy of renewal and reform MUST engage strategy and leadership in the UMC district!

Let me get rather pointedly specific and use the Augusta District of the North Georgia UMC as a brief case study.

If you don't know us we are a large geographic district, primarily rural, stretching from Augusta to Milledgeville, Greensboro, and Washington. Here's a map of the churches in the
Augusta District UMC. You can see it spans 11 large counties (and may even sneak across a county line somewhere to include another county). I've served this district since 1994 and still think of myself as a missionary here! We are somewhat detached from the annual conference as we are very unlike metro ATL and retain a distinct middle GA approach to life. Some clergy, OK maybe many, would see an appointment in Augusta District as a problem. Yet some clergy love the people, the churches, and the great opportunities here. You'll find 70 congregations and a few other UMC related ministry settings in the district. Many of these counties are stable to declining, and in recent years continue to see that drain of young families leaving for more favorable economic and educational options elsewhere.

Note these reported Church Membership numbers reported in 2010 and that many of the smaller congregations didn't show a count. Of course, actual worship attendance averages would be less in most cases, half would you guess on a regular Sunday? Yet, to me, this is like a roll call of all those towns and locations you might think of as familiar, as home.

Aldersgate 992
Ararat 38
Asbury 150
Barton Chapel 63
Berlin 134
Blythe 33
Boneville 33
Burns Memorial 291
Central 36
Cokesbury 261
*Covenant 146
Dearing 62
Dunns Chapel 65
Eatonton 859
Friendship 120
Gracewood 116
Greensboro 798
Grovetown 132
Harlem 530
Hephzibah 239
Hopewell 198
Lewis Memorial 863
Liberty/Greene Co 165
Liberty/Hephzibah 218
Lincolnton 307
Macedonia 205
Mann Memorial 251
Martinez 295
Marvin 429
Mesena 105
Milledgeville 1051
Mize 319
Montpelier 122
*Mosaic 293
Mt. Hope 10
Philadelphia 152
Pierce's Chapel 10
Pierce Memorial 146
*Quest 263
Riverview 178
Shiloh 163
St. James 254
St John 611
+St Mark/Marks Church Road 58
St Mark/Washington Rd 579
St Paul 133
Salem 20
*+Transformation 170
Trinity on the Hill 2546
Thomson 825
Walker 225
Warrenton 172
Washington First 349
Wesley 2735
Wesley Chapel 140
White Oak 36
Woodlawn 438
Young Memorial 128

+denotes predominantly African American congregations. While some congregations may have some diverse ethnicity's represented there aren't really any multiethnic congregations at this stage. It is noteworthy that there are 2 cross racial appointments with African American clergy serving predominantly white congregations at Marvin UMC and St. Luke.

*denotes new church starts less than 10 years old. 3 are in growing, suburban Columbia County while Transformation is in stable/declining Richmond County. The factors in urban Richmond County are radically different than the rural situations.

It's obvious that some of these congregations will close in the next decade. Yet, how will Methodism continue to share the Good News throughout the district? Will we create new partnerships among locations? return to earlier forms of circuits or pastor sharing? or develop something new and exciting which helps us to continue ministry through the district?

If you look at the demographics for these counties the UMC efforts continue to be "out of tune" with middle Georgia reality. Most of the counties represented in the Augusta district, with the exception of Columbia County, have significant African American populations. I've always heard that we've left it that way due to some agreement, whether formal or informal I don't know, with the AME and CME churches that we wouldn't establish African American congregations. Thus, Augusta/Richmond County continues in an awful spiritual decline as we do not share the gospel with the whole community and as UMC congregations fail to share the gospel with the next generation of workers and leaders who will fill the pews.

In Augusta/Richmond County the population is 201,949 with an African American population of 107,369. Yet, on any given Sunday, the United Methodist Church probably has only 200 African American brothers and sisters in worship! The spiritual segregation once spoken of as confined to the hour on Sunday has now pervaded the entire community. The younger generation of African Americans have left the historic black churches and now neither the African American congregations nor the white congregations have a voice. What does this say about our mission and ministry in the community? What does this say about our future in Augusta? How can we create a new multi ethnic reality that better mirrors the schools, the malls, the community?

If you dig into the statistics you'll quickly see that I'm not exaggerating about the present dilemma. 43% of families in Richmond County are single parent. You may also know that single parent homes tend toward poverty and myriad issues and challenges which are related to these factors. Add to this that our area has higher than state average for folk never married. The stats don't break out what percentage lives together versus truly always single, but you get the idea. 17,000 families (over 20%) fit that category of struggling city center or "urban grit." While 45% of Augusta/Richmond County considers themselves a spiritual person only 18% think it's important to attend religious services.

There are some very natural bridges here for Methodist style mission and ministry if we mobilized our resources and dreamed with God what the Kingdom might look like in Augusta. What dynamic Wesleyan style ministries could reach out to such folk if we were intentional, and had a concerted denominational effort in ministry? These are the sorts of important efforts which DON'T take place if a DS isn't missional, if districts merely do institutional business as usual, or if an annual conference doesn't engage in strategic ministry approaches in each district.

Don't even get me started on clergy who spend their career in metro ATL or merely pass through a district on their way to a "better appointment" nor on bishops who don't know a district in enough depth to give leadership. But, again, it's the system we've built together. The question isn't so much where we have been, but where we will go from here.

So, some mission questions, as I continue to find myself in a questioning mode these recent weeks:

Who is in charge of the missional/evangelistic/church strategy for UM's to reach a district? a conference? Is there such a strategist?

What directions would we go if we were more aggressive in strategy? What churches will close & what new efforts will be employed? What clergy should deploy here as best matches for the mission? What funding do we redirect so that district, churches, new church starts, Wesley Foundations, and the mission of the district is all on the same page for the next 5-10 years?

I'm convinced that UMC Districts are a driver in the future of the UMC, but we've got to be more aggressive, we've got to be more strategic, and we've got to have the right people in leadership if we are to embrace the Kingdom which is seeking to grow in Augusta.

Report of Conference Task Force at #NGAC11

An important report we heard, but didn't receive in writing, comes from the North GA UMC Conference Task Force established at NGAC09. We have struggled for a few years now with the financial implications of the Simpsonwood Retreat & Annual Conference headquarters, with funding issues related to clergy including pre-1982 pensions, and with some "next steps" for NGAC in these and other matters as we seek to be in ministry and keep the budget.

See the full report at
NGAC Conference Task Force

North Georgia AC Day 4 Official Wrap Up

#NGAC11 Last Day

North Georgia AC Day 3 Official Wrap Up

WOW, there's far too much to say for my unofficial report, so I'll save that for Saturday. In the meanwhile find the official news at
North GA UMC AC #3.

North Georgia AC Day 2 Official Wrap Up

An exciting, busy, historic day full of Methodist conferencing was held in Athens GA. See NGAC 2011 Wednesday for the official report.

Official North Georgia Annual Conference Report- Day 1

In addition to my more personal view of the conference from last night find the
Day 1 Official Report from North GA UMC.

North Georgia UMC Annual Conference 2011- Day 1

Imagine a family reunion complete with worship, church business, elections, ordinations, networking, and LOTS of eating and meeting and you'll have a good idea of a United Methodist annual conference meeting. This year is a little different with delegate elections for the UMC General Conference in 2012 which gathers UM delegates from all the conferences across the world, and in our case, delegates for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the UMC which will do business including the important working of electing bishops.

Some of the main activities of Day 1 includes the official business of the Board of Ordained Ministry, & then the clergy in executive session acting on the BOM recommendations. This includes the mix of receiving the names of those clergy newly commissioned or ordained, hearing the names of those who are retiring, and hearing of a great variety of situations ranging from continuation of education or status to changes of status in relationship to the conference. You see, in United Methodism clergy aren't members of a local congregation but are members of the conference, and that makes this a family reunion in many respects as it may be the only time in the year that we see each other.

A new twist that I'm experiencing this year, and really enjoying I might add, is keeping up with other delegates through Twitter. I've never really gotten into Twitter, though I find that it allows for a level of conversation, immediate response, and everything from humor to good insight that you might get with a friend or two in your row though seldom with 30 friends at once!

Tonight's worship is the ordination service & is always a favorite as families, friends, churches, and the conference gather to ordain the deacons and elders who have fulfilled all the requirements of the North Georgia Conference and have already proven themselves to be effective in ministry. Tonight will see 6 full connection deacons and 18 full connection elders be ordained!

Bishop Watson shared some words for them, and for all the clergy in executive session this morning, that got my attention: "This is our holy calling. This is our work. This is our covenant." So, we welcome these new full connection clergy into the family, and we too are renewed and challenged in this holy calling.

And this is just Day 1 of our 4 day Annual Conference! More news tomorrow as we get the results of the first ballots, as we see if there is any impact from caucus groups, lists, texts and tweets of lists, local pastors voting, etc.

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.