As United Methodist delegates worldwide prepare for General Conference (April 23 – May 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina), some have questions about the future of the church and the possible impact of the General Conference’s decisions on the life and ministry of the United Methodist Church in the Arkansas Conference. In response, and after five different Zoom conversations with members of our conference, Bishop Laura Merrill and General Conference lead delegates Karon Mann (lay) and Rev. Mark Norman (clergy) have collaborated on the following document. While no one can predict exactly the outcomes of the conference, we are presenting information that is factual and based on what we do know. We hope it will contribute to an environment of hope, transparency, and trust in the power of God working through the people of the United Methodist Church.
Our Identity and Task
As our church moves through and beyond the coming General Conference, it is important to begin with clarity on who we are, what we know, and why we are here.
We know we are rooted in centuries of scripture and Christian tradition.
There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the maker and preserver of all things, both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead, there are three persons of one substance, power, and eternity–
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
–Article I of The Articles of Religion of The United Methodist Church
We know we are at our best when we act out of love and trust rather than fear.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear;
for fear has to do with punishment,
and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.
We love because he first loved us.
–1 John 4:18-19
We know that the open table of Jesus Christ shapes our identity and our work.
Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him,
who earnestly repent of their sin,
and who seek to live in peace with one another.
–Service of Word and Table,
United Methodist Hymnal
We know that we are called to promote unity in the midst of diversity.
I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner
worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another in love,
making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace:
there is one body and one Spirit,
just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,
who is above all and through all and in all.
–Ephesians 4:1-6
We know that different people in different settings will need to do ministry differently.
We believe that our primary identity is as children of God…
Through relationships within and among cultures
we are called to [learn] from each other,
showing mutual respect for our differences and similarities
as we experience the diversity of perspectives and viewpoints.
–United Methodist Social Principles,
Book of Discipline Paragraph 161.A
So, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:
everything old has passed away;
look, new things have come into being!
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ
and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;
that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself,
not counting their trespasses against them,
and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.
–2 Corinthians 5:17-19
We know that in a divided world, we are called by Christ to disagree in love and to take up the ministry of reconciliation.
For he is our peace; in his flesh, he has made both into one
and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us,
abolishing the law with its commandments and ordinances,
that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two,
thus making peace…
–Ephesians 2:14-15
We know that every congregation is called to be a place of welcome, where disciples answer God’s call and grow in love.
Let mutual affection continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
–Hebrews 13:1-2
General Conference
The United Methodist Church is a global body. Amidst such diversity of backgrounds and experience, the General Conference (GC) is our denomination’s legislative body and the only voice that can speak for the whole church. They have the authority to change parts of our Book of Discipline and our Social Principles. The GC typically meets every four years, but after several delays of the 2020 conference due to covid, the GC will meet in late April of this year in Charlotte, NC. Arkansas will send a delegation of 8 people–four clergy (Rev. Mark Norman, Rev. Michael Roberts, Rev. Lynn Kilbourne, Rev. Jessie Teegarden) and four laity (Karon Mann, Todd Burris, Elizabeth Fink, Regina Norwood)–to GC. They will be supported by reserve delegates. Later this spring, they will share a detailed report to the Arkansas Conference on the decisions that will come before them for a vote.
For more information, A Beginner’s Guide to General Conference 2024
Key Issues Before the General Conference
The main items before the conference are:
- Regionalization
Legislation before the GC would equalize the structure and functioning of the US alongside that of other parts of the global church. A comprehensive, 5-part explanation of this proposal and its significance can be found here. A focus on what regionalization would and would not do is found in Part 4 of the larger document. - Revised Social Principles: In 2012 the GC called upon the General Board of Church and Society to initiate the process for revising the United Methodist Social Principles. In 2019, Church and Society unveiled a revised draft of the Social Principles that had been created by a team of writers from Africa, Europe, the Philippines, and the United States. These will be submitted for approval to the upcoming General Conference. The Revised Social Principles include expanded content on the need for Christians to protect and care for all God’s creation. These changes come at a time when the impact of global climate change is being felt more and more around the world.
- Disaffiliation
There are some delegates who will attempt to extend disaffiliation from the UMC as an option for churches going forward. Others will seek instead to ensure that the season of disaffiliation is behind us. - Human Sexuality
Our current Book of Discipline prohibits the credentialing and appointment of “self-avowed, practicing” gay clergy. It also prohibits same-gender weddings officiated by United Methodist clergy or in United Methodist facilities. A number of petitions have been submitted to General Conference to completely remove any mention of homosexuality, which would leave churches and clergy free to serve according to their conscience and context. However, no one can say in advance what decisions the General Conference delegates will make.
Many questions have been raised about implications for the Arkansas Conference if changes are made to the Book of Discipline regarding homosexuality. While we cannot know in advance what decisions the General Conference delegates will make, there are several things we can share about the ARUMC that we hope can help alleviate concerns as we prepare for GC 2024.
How We Make Pastoral Appointments
The possibility of changes to the Book of Discipline regarding homosexuality (see above) has led to concerns among some as to how such changes might affect our process of appointing pastors to churches. We hope a clear understanding of that process will address many of those worries.
In contrast to a call system, where congregations undertake a search process to find a pastor, United Methodist pastors are appointed by the bishop and cabinet, which includes the district superintendents. The appointment system and itineracy of ordained pastors (which means they can be moved from place to place) are central to the missional structure of our church. It is the way we connect called, gifted, trained leaders with local communities of faith in order to grow the Body of Christ in the world.
Appointments are generally made each spring and occasionally at other times during the year in response to retirements, the availability of new clergy, changing needs at the local level and needs in the lives of pastors and their families. A process of consultation occurs every fall between DSs, congregations, and pastors to share information and discernment on the state of the current ministry partnership. In January, the bishop and cabinet take the consultation information and begin to address the puzzle of appointments of pastors to churches in the annual conference.
Our cabinet takes this work seriously and prayerfully. They will spend 22 full days in meetings in the spring of 2024, devoted largely to appointment-making. Individual superintendents will also spend many additional hours coordinating and setting up new appointments.
The principle we follow in this work is that the mission of the church comes first. Our goal and calling from God is to resource every church the very best we can, given the circumstances before us. Each congregation, whether large or small, bears the call of God upon it to serve their neighbors as disciples of Jesus Christ in love and grace. Each person authorized by the church to serve in a pastoral role is called to help the church in that mission. So, we strive to make matches that allow all to thrive together in the local context.
There are many challenges to ministry today, and all of us are having to learn new things. But while we might appoint a pastor to a church in hopes of a new season of growth, what we do not do is intentionally send leaders to places where they will not be welcomed, nor do we make appointments in a spirit of forcing people to accept or believe something. We rejoice in the diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and theological perspectives among our people and our churches, and we are committed to respecting that diversity. We listen in consultation, assess the needs of the context, and prayerfully initiate pastor-congregation relationships, seeking life-giving ministry in every place.
Clergy, Weddings, and the Authority to Decide
Our tradition gives to the conference Board of Ordained Ministry the authority to determine a candidate’s fitness and readiness for ordination or licensing as a pastor. Members of the board are elected by the annual conference and comprise both laity and clergy of different sorts. They too, take their work seriously, walking with candidates through months and years of discernment, education, and accountability. Clergy agree to uphold “the highest ideals of the Christian life” (2016 Book of Discipline, Paragraph 304.2). Decisions to recommend candidates for ordination or licensing must then be approved by the clergy session of the annual conference. Some United Methodists are hoping for the freedom to consider the gifts and commitment of any person who feels called to ministry, including members of the LGBTQ community. Others support our order as currently written. But even if these restrictions are lifted, only representatives of the Arkansas Conference will decide who will be ordained or licensed in Arkansas.
Once serving as ordained or licensed clergy, pastors cannot be compelled to perform particular weddings. Similarly, regarding the use of church facilities for weddings and other functions, full decision-making authority lies with the congregation’s board of trustees and pastor. There is no proposal currently before the church and no state law that would abridge these forms of authority. Again, some United Methodists are hoping for full pastoral freedom to perform weddings for any appropriately committed couples in their ministry settings, and a change in our disciplinary language could be made to permit this. But even with a language change, pastors and local leaders would continue to have the freedom to make choices appropriate to their contexts.
As we move through the next several months, we ask that you keep all the participants in General Conference in your prayers. We also invite you to be in prayer for the United Methodist Church and its people, with all their mixed hopes and prayers. We pray, not for the sake of an institution. We pray for the sake of strengthening a diverse body of many perspectives, called by Christ to pour out healing, saving grace in a diverse world. We need each other for this work, and we can trust the Holy Spirit to help us do it together. May all we do be a witness to the power of the love of God.
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For more information about the United Methodist Church and the Arkansas Conference, here are some helpful links:
The General Conference Official Website
The United Methodist Church Website
The Arkansas Conference Website
United Methodist Foundational Documents and Beliefs
General Conference: How to talk to your church before, during, and after