Scott Church Monthly Newsletter
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June 2024
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Scottnews
General Conference Recap: … and Know that I am God
By Rick Wolcott*
Nearly 800 delegates from across the worldwide United Methodist Church gathered in Charlotte, North Carolina April 23 – May 3 for the postponed 2020 General Conference, which couldn’t meet because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The six lay and six clergy delegates of the East Ohio Conference had front row seats in the middle section of classroom tables inside the Charlotte Convention Center for General Conference, which is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church. The assembly meets at the beginning of each quadrennium to consider revisions to church law, adopt resolutions on current moral, social, public policy, and economic issues, and approve plans and budgets for church-wide programs for the next four years.
General Conference delegates each sit on a legislative committee that meets during the end of the first week of the conference. Those committees consider submitted petitions and resolutions related to their particular area and determine which will be forwarded for potential action by the General Conference. The legislative committees include Church and Society, Conferences, Discipleship, Faith and Order, Financial Administration, General Administration, Global Ministries, Independent Commissions, Judicial Administration, Local Church, and Ordained Ministry.
The legislative committees considered more than 1,000 petitions during the 10 days of General Conference.
Regionalization Legislation
Day 3 of General Conference made history when delegates by a vote of 586 to 164 adopted the first piece of worldwide regionalization legislation presented by the Standing Committee on Central Conferences. Under the legislation, the U.S. and the central conferences in Africa, Europe and the Philippines would each become regional conferences with the same authority to adapt The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, the denomination’s policy book, for more missional effectiveness. Additional regionalization legislation was adopted later in the conference.
“The goal of regionalization is to be able to honor who we are as a worldwide denomination and to be able to honor the contextual, missional realities of each of those regions. And what regionalization does, it really gives a sense of agency to the different regions to be able to contextualize mission and ministry in order to expand their mission and reach in that particular area,” shared Bishop Tracy S. Malone, resident bishop of the East Ohio Conference and president of the Council of Bishops. “The gift of regionalization is that we still remain connected; connected around our mission as a church, connected in our essentials of the faith. We are a connectional church. We value unity. We value diversity. We value difference. So, regionalization really is a plan and a way forward for the church to help us live more fully into that unity and into that diversity.”
The creation of regional conferences around the globe requires amending the denomination’s Constitution. For that to happen, the next step is that at least two-thirds of aggregate voters at Annual Conference and Central Conference sessions will need to vote to approve the regionalization legislation.
Removal of Restrictive, Prohibitive Language from The Book of Discipline
Further history was made on days 8 and 9 of the postponed 2020 General Conference when delegates approved legislations that would remove restrictive, prohibitive language from both the Constitution and the Social Principles in The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church. Delegates voted 692 to 51 to remove the current restrictions on “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy and on performing same-sex marriages, while protecting those who choose not to perform same-sex marriages or have a same-sex marriage in their church. At the morning break many delegates, bishops, and observers gathered at the boundary of the plenary session space celebrating, hugging, crying, and singing.
The next day General Conference delegates, by a vote of 523-161, approved as amended legislation that will revise the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church removing the phrase “the practice of homosexuality … is incompatible with Christian teaching.”
“These decisions will pave the way for the full welcome and inclusion of our LGBTQia+ siblings in the total life of the Church,” said Bishop Tracy S. Malone. “These last two days, in particular, have been good. God’s Spirit and God’s light is shining in our Church, and we are renewing our commitment, we are reclaiming who we are, and all these decisions that we have made is a claiming that God’s Spirit is continuing to renew the Church, and for that I say, ‘thank you, Lord.’’
Deacons Granted Authority to Preside at Sacraments
In what presiding Bishop David Graves called a “historic moment,” on Day 9 of General Conference delegates adopted new legislation granting authority to Deacons to preside at the sacraments in their ministry settings. This means Deacons can now offer Holy Communion and conduct baptisms where they have been appointed to serve, whether that is a church, outreach ministry, or mission.
Number of Active U.S. Bishops Reduced
On the final day of General Conference delegates approved a plan from the Interjurisdictional Committee on the Episcopacy to move from the current 39 bishops serving the five jurisdictions in the U.S. to 32 bishops.
“The reduction in the number of bishops in the United States necessarily requires that every jurisdiction will have fewer bishops than we prefer. That also means that every bishop will likely bear a larger workload, working with multiple annual conferences as they lead the Church,” said Rev. Andy Call, who serves on both the Interjurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy and the North Central Jurisdiction Committee on Episcopacy.
Six bishops will serve the North Central Jurisdiction, of which the East Ohio Conference is a part, effective September 1. Two of the nine current bishops in the NCJ are retiring at the end of
2025-2028 Quadrennium Budget Adopted
By a vote of 647 to 31 General Conference delegates approved a 2025-28 denominational budget of $373.4 million. That total is contingent on collection rates being at 90% or more for the next two years. If giving is below that percentage, the budget bottom line will be $353.6 million.
“We are committed to trust in God that our members will support the church with their prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness,” said Rev. Moses Kumar, general secretary of the General Council on Finance & Administration. “Together, we hope to achieve a combined 90% collection rate in 2025 and 2026. This isn’t about funding and financial support. This is about ministry and mission.”
Reflecting the effect of the loss of a quarter of U.S. churches to disaffiliation, the budget will be between 38% and 41% lower than the one set by the 2016 General Conference.
Gavel Passed to the New Council of Bishops President
On April 30, at the conclusion of General Conference Day 7 the gavel of leadership was passed in the Council of Bishops. New Council of Bishops President Bishop Tracy S. Malone of the East Ohio Conference is the first Black woman in the history of the global denomination to ascend to the pinnacle of episcopacy leadership.
“It gives me great joy to receive this honor that has been bestowed upon me, and I consider it a privilege for my colleagues to have elected me as the president of the Council of Bishops. To God be the glory,” Malone said.
During General Conference …
- 26 laypersons were consecrated to a lifetime of service as deaconesses and home missioners.
- 16 missionaries were commissioned.
- Methodist concordat partners were invited and recognized during Methodist Family Day.
- voted to adopt the Compass account balance retirement plan for clergy. Learn about the new clergy retirement plan.
- approved climate justice petitions that: direct churches to conduct annual audits of the carbon footprint of their buildings, grounds, and facilities; encourage annual conference sessions to reduce energy waste and consumption; and update or re-adopt existing church resolutions on creation care. Learn more about this adopted legislation.
- approved a resolution asking that United Methodist institutions not buy government bonds from Israel, Turkey, and Morocco, given that those nations have engaged in long-term military occupations. Learn more about this adopted legislation.
- elected the nine members of the Judicial Council.
- agreed to a full communion relationship with the Episcopal Church.
- approved the departure of four Eurasian annual conferences that plan to become the autonomous Christian Methodist Church. Learn more about this decision.
Delegates at General Conference Also
Be Still and Know that I am God
“Being still is surrendering to God in prayer, trusting in the Lord with all of our heart, and with all that concerns us, leaning not on our own understanding and letting God direct our paths. Being still is not God’s call to rest but it is God’s call for us to get out of God’s way,” Bishop Tracy S. Malone declared to the laity and clergy in the room and to those watching online around the world.
Sending Forth
General Conference ended with Council of Bishops President Bishop Tracy S. Malone presiding over the final plenary session. She sent delegates home to their respective mission fields with this message: “As you go forth from General Conference, tell the world about Jesus. As you go, tell them about his love. As you go, be love. Be joy. Be peace. Be patient. Be kind. Be good. Be faithful. Be gentle. Be the body of Christ. As you go, be still and know that God is God, and God can be trusted. Let us walk together, beloved of God and let us never grow weary or tired of doing the work of the kin-dom. Amen.”
*Rick Wolcott is executive director of Communications for the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Noisy Offering cans are beside the bench outside the church office if anyone wants to bring loose change in!!
Sundays
- Coffee with Friends 10 a.m.- Service at 10:45a.m.-
Mondays
5pm to 6pm-Harrision Co. Health Dept. Free Senior Exercises
Wednesdays
10am to 11am -Harrison Co. Health Dept. Free Senior Exercises
-Bible Study or Prayer Group will start again in September at 11a.m. -
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Calendar
June 2nd Recognition Service for Bill and Carol Spiker, with Meal to follow Sunday June 9th Service will be at Sally Buffalo Stage at 11am with Communion June 11th at 7pm Finance and Ad. Board Meeting June 12th-June 15th Annual Conference in Akron Sunday June 16th Speakers from All in Community June 17th-June 23rd Pastor Leslie is on vacation |
Pastor’s Pen June 2024
Greetings beloved in Christ! We have a very eventful June this year! June 2nd we are having a recognition Service for the Spikers, all are invited with a meal to follow. June 9th we are having service out at the stage at Sally Buffalo starting at 11am with a Christian Concert at 12:30pm. June 12th thru June 15th I will be at Annual Conference in Akron. June 16th we are having speakers from All In Community, this group helps support those that have been released from jail and prison. I will be on vacation from June 17th to June 23rd.
Psalm 46:10 states, “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” As we get ready for summer and all of the busy and exciting things that we all do when the weather gets warm, let us not forget to find moments every day to simply sit with God, to be still and see the wonderous things that He is doing in our lives and in our community. I hope that this month finds you seeing and hearing from God. That His blessings are with you every step. “Be Still and Know.”
Go in peace, love and grace; Pastor Leslie
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June 2024 BIRTHDAYS ANNIVERSARIES
4th Bettie Sedgmer 5th Bill and Carol Spiker 4th Chris Evans 7th Mark Miller 19th Gary & Kathy Barker 11th Mark Rothel 19th Gary Howes 21st Brian Satterfield 23rd Dean Dunlap 26th Ed Sobolewski
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Scott Memorial United Methodist Church
817 E. Market St.
P. O. Box 155
Cadiz, Ohio 43907
Phone:
(740) 942-2825
E-Mail:scottchurch@scottumc.net