Delegation affirms Call To Action Letter

3/1/2012

At the conclusion of the presentation from Mary Casad from the Connectional Table, Missouri Bishop Robert Schnase shared a letter from the Council of Bishop’s entitled For the Sake of a New World, We See a New Church. The letter calls for change in the church, specifically endorsing the Call To Action restructuring proposal from the Connectional Table.

Because it was near the end of the meeting, the delegation opted to take the letter under consideration before taking further action on it. The following week, the delegation conferred about the letter via e-mail, and voted overwhemingly to affirm its spirit and direction.

“This is our way of saying that we recognize the dire need for change, and we are encouraged by the work that has gone into preparation of the Call to Action,” said the Rev. Cody Collier, head of the Missouri delegation. “While specific aspects of the proposal from the Interim Operations Team may be modified at General Conference, we believe the overall aim of forming a new church that is clear about its vision is a positive change.”

The letter states in part: “We see a new church. It is a renewed church that is clear about its mission and confident about its future, a church that is always reaching out, inviting, alive, agile, and resilient. We see a church that is hope-filled, passionate, nimble, called of God and courageous. It is a church that is passionately committed to the doctrine, mission and vision of the Wesleyan movement. The church takes risks to reach new people for Jesus Christ, and it searches continuously for creative ways to help each person grow in grace, love and holiness.”

To read the entire letter, go to http://umccalltoaction.org/leader-voices

Comments

1. Edward Wyers wrote on 3/1/2012 5:48:19 PM
In the description of this new church, I may have jumped to a conclusion which isn't correct. What I am responding to is a passionate church, I don't hear you saying a compassionate church. So we jump headlong into this new church witbout caring for people? I know! It even sounded ridiculous to me
2. Thomas Sanders wrote on 3/2/2012 4:09:33 PM
With some trepidation, I must ask: "Can anything good come out of the Council of Bishops?" Bless their hearts, it is hard for them to see anything but through a lens of church maintenance. Is not "Grow[ing] vital congregations that will make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world," still primarily institutional maintenance? Why not just "make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world," as a mission?
3. Amy B. Turner wrote on 3/2/2012 6:06:53 PM
Having read all I can find on Call To Action, I feel it is too much power in too few hands.
4. judi warren wrote on 3/3/2012 1:13:10 PM
Amy Turner has it right. Too much power. The book of Discipline is larger than the Bible. Let each church and pastor take care of themselves.