2023 Mississippi Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church

Note to Reader: I present this summation as the personal experience of the author and in no way as an official representative of the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church.

This year our conference was led by our new Bishop, Sharma D. Lewis. She brought to the floor a calming presence in conducting the business of the conference and just as powerfully led us in worship bringing strong truths and encouraging words rooted in the scripture. Her message over the course of the 4 days was, "We need to change the narrative" and how very right she is. 

Since 2019, paragraph 2553 has been at the forefront of many churches discussions and actions. In some cases to the detriment of the local church. It was added to the Book of Discipline as a path to disaffiliation from the denomination after decades of argument and disagreement over human sexuality. The Book of Discipline does not allow self avowed practicing homosexuals to be ordained in the UMC, furthermore, it does not allow for same sex marriages to be conducted. This has not changed and failure to get the vote to change it, led to a splintering of the church. The Book of Discipline can only be changed, added to or amended at General Conference. What has also not changed are the Doctrinal Standards and Theological Task of the United Methodist Church. 

General Conference was postponed in 2020 due to Covid. In 2022 a group of "Traditionalist"  led the way for many congregations to follow in forming a new denomination called the Global Methodist Church. Suddenly a flood of material was disseminated in articles, podcast, webinars and video clips making unsubstantiated claims against the UMC, it's Bishops and Clergy on subjects of theology and teachings. Between that and the expiration of Paragraph 2553 in December 2023 a wave, like a tsunami, of churches sought to disaffiliate, but in this authors opinion, not always for the reasons the paragraph was written. Propaganda and misinformation compounded the division as many churches used 2553 to disaffiliate when their root reasons revolved around owning their own property, controlling who stood in the pulpit and the fear that at some point in time those two human sexuality questions (ordained homosexuals and same sex marriage) could be changed by vote in a future General Conference. The further dilemma is that by the very nature of connectionalism, a founding essence of Methodism, we are to love and connect with all people, to invite ALL people to the table. Continued work must be done to resolve how this fits together for God's purpose. We are not meant to be quitters, we are meant to stay and do the work. I will however, say that when a local church body is in unison with each other, with a high percentage that determine they should go a certain way, it can be a peaceful change. It is when the percentage to stay or go is closer to 50/50 that discord and division occurs which is unhealthy for a church body.

Having said all that, I was profoundly encouraged when Bishop Lewis reminded us the word FEAR is about False Evidence Appearing Real. This is so very true and I found it to explain why so many people I have known to be clear headed and rational, suddenly presented fiercely stated arguments that were irrational, unfounded and without validation or reference regarding the origin of the information. Worse yet that information was then disseminated to others, without validating it. So, the narrative up until now has been Discernment for Disaffiliation (or Stay UMC), Bishop Lewis is calling for a change in the narrative of the D word (disaffiliation) to Discernment and Discipleship. Lets move on and get back to the work God calls us to in making disciples of men and nations for the transformation of the world which dates back to the founders of Methodism. 

Those founders also presented 3 Simple Rules that Bishop Lewis reiterated;

• DO NO HARM
• DO GOOD
• STAY IN LOVE WITH GOD

The resounding message she made clear. In your discussions with each other do not harm with words or actions. Love and pray for one another and walk with God while we get back to doing his work. This is only a portion of the encouraging and uplifting messages she and others delivered. Worshiping in that arena with the Conference body was amazing.

During the business sessions, 189 Mississippi Churches were approved for disaffiliation and we mourned the loss of those congregations, those brothers and sisters in Christ and blessings were given for their future journeys. We affirmed the closure of 28 churches and the merger of Christ UMC & St Paul UMC  in the Gulf Coast District.

Resolutions were ratified for.............

• A call to prayer at noon each day (set your watches now): for our churches, clergy & families, our Bishop, our communities, our country and world. 
• Our retired & disabled Clergy to receive the same tax benefits of active clergy for housing &rental allowance.  
• Every district and local congregation to participate in programs designed for the eradication of racism. That DS & Clergy will encourage and participate. Note: there was a strong message attached that said this work must start in the individual heart to be successful. 
• The Board of Ordained Ministry will establish a task force to determine the effects of debt limit on candidates for provisional membership and ordination.
  
•  Resolutions 5, 6 & 7 were affirmed to go to committee for further work.

The delegates to 2024 General Conference were introduced, prayed over and commissioned for the work they will do in April. It was encouraged that all who can afford to go to general conference should go and also go to the Jurisdictional Conference where they select Bishops. Going is an educational experience and support of the MS Conference Delegates.

An extensive amount of time on Friday morning was spent explaining an email sent out by David Stotts to clarify the use of Paragraph 2548-2549, using "Closure of a Church" to acquire property. In essence, the closure of a church has been historically due to dwindling membership and the inability to financially sustain the church. In this case, the remaining members vote to close the church. It requires 50% plus 1 to affirm closure. The deeds to the property are signed over to the Trustees of the conference for disposition at their discretion and the members are transferred to a church(s) of their choosing. The church then enters a Memorandum of Understanding with the trustees of the conference, which outlines the clergy appointment & use of the property for the remainder of the conference year when the closure is ratified at annual conference.  Once closure is ratified, the trustees determine the disposition of the property as outlined in the MOU. In some cases property is returned to the congregation after meeting certain agreed-upon financial responsibilities. This should NOT be construed or misinterpreted as disaffiliation, it is not. 

Other reports that were given during the 4 day conference were so good. I will try to summarize some that made a big impact on me here:

Lay Leader Report: Lay Servant Ministries is meant to be an active part of every local church. It is more than having a single Lay Leader for the church, which BTW holds a lot more responsibility than most realize. The Lay leader of a local church sits on multiple committees to "represent the laity of the church" It is a LOT! In addition to that the Book of Discipline outlines what can be achieved by having a full and active Lay Servant Ministry in the local church. It is the work of Lay Servants that helps "Take Jesus to the streets", Lay Servant Ministries can assist in Pastoral Care of the congregation through visiting the sick, the elderly, & shut ins. They serve in sharing the word of God in and outside the church. All should consider taking one or more of the many courses the conference offers in Lay Servant Ministries from Basic to Lay Speaker and should you feel so called all the way to Lay Minister. Four New Certified Lay Ministers were recognized for completing their course work.

The Bethlehem Center  Located in Jackson, MS -offers Child care, education, services to children and families. They are in their 86th year. They are funded through grants, donations and mission shares. They recently did an extensive remodel and restoration thanks be to a 50k grant. If you are ever in Jackson they invite you to a tour.

Lighthouse Churches: Churches that welcome those who's church has gone through disaffiliation or who feel disenfranchised by the upheaval happening in our churches over disaffiliation.They are a beacon of love & light for those searching to find their way.

Methodist Children's Homes: Advocates for children and youth, many have serious mental health issues or have been sexually abused, or part of sex trafficking. Swanson house is about ready for occupancy (July) to house youth. "Please consider donating to help these children & youth get out into the real world and be their best selves. They go to public school and Methodist Children's Homes are places they can strive to have the life they should have been given in the first place."

Camp Lake Stevens Remains a UMC Retreat and youth camp for faith formation. 2022 they hosted over 1100 campers, in 9 programs. The biggest addition is a new pool. It is 12ft longer with a splash pad for younger campers. They are experiencing a stellar year and look forward to over 1200 campers this summer and continue serving using the values of Connect, Cultivate, Explore, Grow and Renew.

 

Wesley House Community Center, Inc. provides a "Hands up" approach to
serving Christian Relief, Child Advocacy Services, & Sexual Assault Crisis Center in East Mississippi. They provide food, clothing & bill assist programs. They helped feed 23,500 individuals. They continue offering child care services at affordable rates and have expanded the sexual assault crisis center into Philadelphia MS.

Wesley Campus Ministries: Guide and support students at College, 14 campus buildings. This big question of "What will happen with disaffiliation?" Funding is dropping, as funds drop possible student ministry may have to discontinue and reopen as a 501c3. The priority is students. If those on campus Methodist Ministries are lost, the only other options are Baptist Student Unions, but can cause a shift in theology (from Methodist to Baptist), so work is being done to figure out how to keep these ministries open. Please give to keep these ministries going.

The Barn (at Perk): Built after 6 Wesley Campus Ministry Students died in a tragic accident. The Barn was built to house the College Campus Wesley Ministry as an alternative to to outside clubs. It has successfully been self sustaining as it is rented out as an event venue when not hosting student ministry activities. It is described as a community of loving and gifted people that share their gifts and graces to love others. The testimony given by one of the students was compelling. She had lost faith, turned from God, but "The Barn" turned her around. Thankful for God who finds worth in those who feel unworthy. 

A Remembrance and Thanksgiving Service was held and was a very moving service with bagpipes and bell tolls after each name read of clergy and clergy spouses that passed away during 2022/2023

Ordination Service: Four Clergy were ordained in full connection as elders and eight entered into provisional status. We pray and encourage them all in their ministries. As it was stated, "we see the Bishop ordain and lay hands on them, what is not seen is the story that brought them to this rail". The ordination process in the UMC is substantial and a culmination of hard work & God's grace. God Bless these Clergy.

There were other Reports- so many wonderful mission projects and other things being done throughout our connection. The full set of recordings can be found on the conference website or on You tube. The overwhelming take away was "I need you, You need me, we are all in Gods family, pray for me, I will pray for you, I will not harm you with my words, I love you, WE NEED EACH OTHER TO SURVIVE" For a complete look at all the photos taken at Conference go to: Photos from Conference