The Blog of Keith H. Mcilwain.
Disciple of Jesus / Husband of Robyn /
Father of 4 / Grandfather of 1 /
Global Methodist Pastor / Beatles fan / Steelers fan
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Themes of General Conference 2012
* The rise in influence & power of the Central Conferences makes the UMC a truly global church... finally.
* The great mistrust in the UMC involving bishops, clergy, laity, agencies & the various political/theological factions dominates conversations.
* The debates & decisions on sexuality were not hateful but examples of tough love; we ought to be able to disagree in love without impugning those who disagree with us.
* The UMC's inability to agree on definitions of words like holiness, inclusion, justice & love prevents real, meaningful unity.
* The Holy Spirit was present but often moves in ways which we find confusing or disappointing; we should learn from the ways in which the Spirit moved unexpectedly rather than discounting any divine presence.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
So, do you think the Holy Spirit was acting through the Judicial Council, as I heard some saying?
As an observer on the floor, the lack of shared definitions to words that you pointed out was a theme that stuck out to me. It led to many people talking past each other.
John - absolutely. I think the Spirit moved THROUGHOUT the Conference. The Spirit's guidance was prayed for; I have no reason to doubt it.
Jonathan - absolutely. It's a problem we've had for years. My hope is that we are brave enough to name it and seek common ground on those terms. If we can't, we're in trouble.
Post a Comment