Shortly following the hope- and joy-inspiring General Conference, a handful of us from across our previous connection who spent ourselves and yearned for exactly these moments gathered on Zoom. We affirmed the great leadership of our delegation, and our hearts are saturated with optimism for what the Global Methodist movement is becoming in the world.
One of us, known for wisdom statements, reminded us of our need to move towards what we have proclaimed is our mission. He first reminded us that the practices we brought into this new denomination are not transformative, and our mission and ministry must be. Then he raised the question that roasted my heart: “Will our congregations be focused on comfort or conversions?”
I believe this is the question to which every Global Methodist must boldly respond.
Since 2023 (aka following disaffiliations), my work has been prescribing and challenging congregations to move through a litany of three action words in their personal and corporate discipleship: Survive – Stabilize – Thrive.
The disaffiliated church, or remnants of those whose votes did not prevail, survived some time ago. Most who survived needed to take some time to stabilize, i.e., discern whether to become Global Methodist, mourn congregational losses, and determine what our “new and now” would be to move into the thriving ministry our Methodist movement declares.
These are exciting days, days where we can thrive. The dark cloud of potentially becoming a “dead sect” has given way to clear sunny skies of enthusiastic praise, optimism, and most importantly, faith-filled opportunity. My prayer is that individually and collectively across the Upper Midwest, our focus will be on those who do not yet know Christ over congregational or personal comfort. I admonish and challenge you to the ministry of sharing scriptural holiness across the land you inhabit.
The great news is, this is happening in many places, and I write to encourage the same across this multi-state region. To hear passionate stories of this vein, find the podcast What You Have Seen and Heard, hosted by Rev. Dr. Travis Stevick, and listen to the interviews of men and women serving in diverse ministries who are focusing on conversions over comfort. Certainly, there are many thriving ministries; I lift these specific stories because of their accessibility.
Dear friends, in my years of pastoring, I have found there are always roofs that need replacing, congregational traditions to keep, and I also know they alone will not “shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon Earth,” as our foundational leader, Mr. Wesley, proclaims is the Methodist mission.
The prayer, admonition, and encouragement is simple: in everything our congregations and people do, let us focus on conversions, not comfort!
