At a recent ACCYM meeting, Arkansas Conference youth and young adults took a vote on the plans proposed by the Commission on a Way Forward, as well as the two additional plans; The Simple Plan and the Modified Traditional Plan.
The ACCYM Youth voted after a presentation by Karon Mann on the five plans that will be discussed at General Conference in St. Louis this February. They decided to use a similar process to the one used for the Global Young People’s Convocation (GYPC). They voted for the plan they felt best represented themselves, and the results are listed below.
- One Church Plan: 26 votes
- Connectional Conference Plan: 5 votes
- Traditional Plan: 1 vote
- Simple Plan: 1 vote
- Modified Traditional Plan: 0 votes
Current ACCYM President John Mark Mathis was present at the vote and wished to share his thoughts on General Conference and his hope for the future United Methodist Church.
A letter from Mathis is featured below.
As a current senior, my life is about to change forever as I go out and explore what adulthood has in store for me. One thing that has been consistent is the time I spend in church, and specifically, the Methodist Church.
The Way Forward and the current decision is a scary thing. Not only does this affect the church’s current generation, but it will also impact the younger generation and generations after.
As a youth, I love to learn more, and I have been able to learn more about The Way Forward and all the plans in place. We have talked about it in our local youth group, but I learned most of my current knowledge at our ACCYM meeting when Karon Mann spoke to youth and adults alike and gave us a deeper understanding on the plans for the upcoming General Conference.
Karon gave us a more precise explanation of the plans and was able to answer any questions my peers or I had. It was an excellent opportunity to dig in.
No matter what happens, I believe that God will still move so powerfully in the United Methodist Church, as well as the world.
– John Mark Mathis
Greenbrier FUMC, ACCYM President