tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46154961997214983232024-03-18T15:53:08.021-05:00UM & GlobalDedicated to fostering conversations about the global nature of The United Methodist ChurchDavid W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.comBlogger1231125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-24779555759304942992024-03-14T09:00:00.001-05:002024-03-14T09:00:00.131-05:00Jefferson Knight: Embracing Regionalization Over Disaffiliation: Safeguarding the Legacy of The United Methodist Church in Africa<p><i>Today's post is by Jefferson Knight. Knight is Program Director of the United Methodist Human Rights Monitor in Liberia and a delegate of the Liberia Annual Conference to the 2024 General Conference of the United Methodist Church.</i></p>
<p>In recent times, The United Methodist Church finds itself at a crossroads, facing a critical decision that could shape its future trajectory significantly. The proposal of disaffiliation has surfaced, threatening to disintegrate the UMC in Africa and erase the rich history and heritage that our forefathers have diligently preserved over generations. However, amidst this uncertainty, there exists a viable alternative - regionalization - that promises to uphold the unity and continuity of the church while honoring its legacy.</p><p>The United Methodist Church stands as a testament to the enduring faith and resilience of its members in Africa and world-wide who have upheld the teachings and traditions of the church with unwavering dedication. Throughout the centuries, African United Methodists have played a pivotal role in shaping the identity and mission of the church on the continent, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose among its members.</p><p>The richness of The United Methodist Church in Africa is not measured in gold or silver, but in the unwavering faith of its members, the resilience of its communities, and the love that binds us together. From the bustling streets of Monrovia to the remote villages of Zimbabwe, the message of hope and salvation preached by the church has touched the lives of millions.</p><p>When whispers began to circulate about disaffiliation from The United Methodist Church, some voices from across the ocean are suggesting that Africans should break away from the global denomination. But the leaders and members of the church in Africa stand firm, our faith unshaken. We do not need anyone to tell us how to practice our faith. The Holy Bible remains supreme in our hearts and our minds. We will not waver in our devotion to the teachings of Jesus Christ.</p><p>The prospect of disaffiliation poses a significant threat to the cohesion and stability of the UMC in Africa. By severing ties with the global denomination, African United Methodists risk isolating themselves from a broader network of support and resources, potentially leading to fragmentation and discord within the church. Moreover, disaffiliation could result in the loss of vital connections with sister churches worldwide, hindering opportunities for collaboration and mutual growth.</p><p>Furthermore, the dissolution of the UMC in Africa through disaffiliation would represent a profound loss of heritage and history for the church. The legacy of our forefathers, who labored tirelessly to establish and nurture The United Methodist Church in Africa, would be jeopardized, leaving future generations disconnected from their roots and traditions. The wealth of knowledge and experience accumulated over centuries would be at risk of being forgotten and diluted if the church were to splinter and disperse.</p><p>In contrast, regionalization offers a path forward that preserves the unity and continuity of The United Methodist Church in Africa and elsewhere while honoring its heritage and legacy. By aligning with neighboring regions and forming a cohesive network within the global denomination, African United Methodists can maintain their connection to the broader church body while fostering a sense of solidarity and shared purpose.</p><p>Regionalization provides a framework for collaboration and shared decision-making, enabling African United Methodists to retain autonomy and agency within the church while benefiting from the resources and support of the global denomination. By embracing regionalization, the UMC in Africa can ensure its continued existence and relevance in an ever-changing world, upholding the values and principles that have guided the church for generations.</p><p>We are United Methodists in Africa, and we will remain faithful until the day our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, returns.</p><p>In conclusion, The United Methodist Church stands at a pivotal moment in its history, faced with a choice that will shape its future for years to come. By rejecting disaffiliation and embracing regionalization, African United Methodists can safeguard the legacy and heritage of the church while promoting unity and continuity within the global denomination. Let us honor the sacrifices of our forefathers and preserve the rich tapestry of history that defines The United Methodist Church, ensuring its enduring presence and relevance for generations to come.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-60367977213417942232024-03-07T09:00:00.002-06:002024-03-07T09:00:00.146-06:00Recommended Readings: European United Methodist Bishops on 2nd Anniversary of Ukraine War<p>February 24 marked two years since Russia invaded Ukraine, setting off a war that persists to this day. United Methodists around the world marked this anniversary, but perhaps none so closely as European United Methodists.</p><p>Bishop Harald Rückert of the Germany Episcopal Area marked the occasion with a <a href="https://www.emk.de/fileadmin/meldungen/2024/240224_Zwei_Jahre_Ukrainekrieg_Brief_EN.pdf" target="_blank">joint letter to his fellow UMC bishops</a> Christian Alsted (who oversees Ukraine) and Eduard Khegay (who oversees Russia). In it, Bishop Rückert offered his prayers for both bishops and the United Methodists under their care and expressed his hopes for peace.</p><p>Bishop Alsted marked the anniversary of the war by traveling to Ukraine. You can see several of his reports from that trip about worshipping and serving with Ukrainian United Methodists on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nbarea" target="_blank">the Nordic and Baltic Episcopal Area Facebook page</a>.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-81422976368285219242024-02-29T09:00:00.001-06:002024-02-29T09:00:00.128-06:00Jae Hyoung Choi: St. Basil, Charity, and Justice<p><i>Today’s post is by Rev. Jae Hyoung Choi. Rev. Choi is Missionary in Residence with the General Board of Global Ministries.</i></p><p>I visited Kenya recently as a member of Global Ministries' core team for Global Mission Fellow (GMF) training. During the program, we had the opportunity to visit Kibera. A Kenyan guide mentioned that Kibera is one of the largest slums in the world, along with Soweto in South Africa, where I had a chance to visit during the 2019 Africa regional missionary gathering.</p><p>Observing GMFs engage in programs with children in Kibera brought back memories of Parola, an informal settlement in Manila, Philippines. Parola served as a refuge for those initially arriving in Manila to escape poverty, owing to its proximity to the bustling market called Divisoria. While Parola was smaller than Kibera, the living spaces were considerably narrower. Due to the illicit practice of electricity tapping, known as “jumping,” Parola often experienced fires.</p><p>I recalled a grandmother who tragically lost her beloved grandson in one such fire. While she went to the market to buy food, locking the door from outside for the child’s safety, the fire consumed her home. I also knew a woman raising nine children, three of her own and six brought by her husband from other women, who made ends meet by doing laundry in other people’s houses. Despite outward smiles, it seemed they might be silently shedding tears, enduring unspeakable suffering.</p><p>I pondered the meaning of missionary work for individuals facing ongoing poverty, injustice, and discrimination. What does it truly mean to “participate in God’s mission” amidst these challenges?</p><p>In recent months, I studied Basil, a figure from the fourth-century Cappadocian Fathers. While renowned for his Trinitarian theology, my focus delved into his social teachings and his acts of charity. </p><p>His Christian ownership principles, rooted in natural law and the Scriptures, offer profound insights into contemporary socioeconomic and structural issues. Perhaps his concern for land issues in his homeland, Cappadocia, led him to advocate the Christian ownership principle based on the biblical mandate, “The land belongs to God (Leviticus 25:23),” which underscores a commitment to distributive justice and equitable resource access, promoting communal responsibility.</p><p>However, the historical evaluation of Basil’s charitable activities is divided. In 369 AD, a severe famine left many in poverty, some even starving to death. Basil mobilized his assets and connections to aid the poor, establishing the Basiliad, a massive complex dedicated to caring for the poor and sick, which moved Emperor Valens to donate land.</p><p>Yet, the church’s charity, including Basil’s, during that time is now facing reassessment in a new light. Historian Peter Brown notes that the eastern church during Basil’s time earned the title “Lovers of the Poor” not only due to its active charity but also because it was an era when the Roman Empire’s unjust economic system mass-produced the poor.</p><p>Some wonder whether Basil’s words were prophetic but his deeds were priestly. Why did Basil, who approached the core of social justice through his land ownership teachings, focus only on charity in practice?</p><p>Basil’s charitable work was intertwined with his ascetic monasticism, which was based on Hellenistic dualism. At that time, the monastic movement’s ultimate focus was the coming kingdom, emphasizing helping the poor rather than solving poverty itself.</p><p>The fundamental reason seems to be his dichotomous worldview dominating his ascetic monastic movement. Ioannes Karayannopoulos comments that Basil’s ultimate orientation was “to the other real life [heaven],” so “Basil does not consider it his duty to try to change [the present system].”</p><p></p><p>Today, charity remains essential to the church's mission. However, the church must hear that the world is voicing criticisms of its charity. Books like “Toxic Charity,” “When Helping Hurts,” and “When Charity Destroys Dignity” illustrate this phenomenon. Kibera, Soweto, and Parola call for justice beyond charity.</p><p></p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-30572972835164115152024-02-22T09:00:00.026-06:002024-02-22T09:00:00.140-06:00Jefferson Knight: Addressing Human Sexuality in the United Methodist Church Book of Discipline: A Missional Imperative<p><i>Today's post is by Jefferson Knight. Knight is Program Director of the United Methodist Human Rights Monitor in Liberia and a delegate of the Liberia Annual Conference to the 2024 General Conference of the United Methodist Church.</i></p>
<p>The United Methodist Church is currently embroiled in a significant crisis regarding the definition of marriage within its doctrine. The looming conflict arises from the potential attempt by the General Conference of The United Methodist Church to change the definition of marriage, a move that could lead to serious repercussions across its global connections.</p>
<p>One of the primary reasons for the potential conflict is the disparity in the legal and cultural context of marriage across different regions, particularly in relation to same-sex marriage. In the United States, same-sex marriage has been legally recognized since the landmark Supreme Court decision in 2015. However, this legal framework is not universally applicable, especially in other parts of the world, such as Africa and certain other regions.</p>
<p>In many African countries, laws criminalize same-sex marriage, reflecting deeply ingrained cultural and religious beliefs. As a result, any attempt by The United Methodist Church to change its definition of marriage to include same-sex unions would clash with the legal and cultural norms prevalent in these regions, potentially causing significant discord within the global church community.</p>
<p>Furthermore, United Methodists in the United States and other Western countries may find themselves in a constant state of conflict with the Book of Discipline of the UMC if they were to adhere to their national laws, which permit same-sex marriage, while other countries, particularly in Africa, maintain laws that explicitly criminalize such unions.</p>
<p>This stark contrast in legal frameworks creates a complex and challenging situation for the church, with divergent interpretations of the Book of Discipline causing tension between different regions and members.</p>
<p>This situation has led to the formation of the Global Methodist Church, a US-based denomination that broke away from The United Methodist Church, and it has also led to the disaffiliation of churches from the UMC, mainly in the United States.</p>
<p>In light of these challenges, it is evident that The United Methodist Church must seek a solution that respects the diverse legal, cultural, theological, biblical, and regional contexts within which it operates. One potential path forward could involve defining marriage within the Book of Discipline based on regional contexts wherever applicable.</p>
<p>By acknowledging the legal and cultural differences across its global connections, The United Methodist Church can strive to define marriage in a manner that respects the varying perspectives and realities of its members. This approach would entail recognizing and respecting the legal frameworks and cultural norms related to marriage in different regions, thereby allowing for a more inclusive and harmonious coexistence within the church.</p>
<p>Moreover, establishing a framework that respects regional variations in the definition of marriage would help mitigate potential conflicts and foster a spirit of unity and understanding within The United Methodist Church. By embracing diversity and adapting its doctrine to reflect the complex realities of its global membership, the church can navigate the current crisis and emerge with a strengthened sense of inclusivity and community.</p>
<p>However, it is essential to recognize that the missional context of the church extends far beyond the confines of any single issue, including human sexuality. The UMC's global reach necessitates an approach that acknowledges and respects the diverse cultural, social, and theological perspectives of its members across different regions. The proposal to regionalize the church as proposed by the Christmas Covenant underscores the recognition of these differences and the need for a more localized understanding of faith and practice.</p>
<p>The idea of regionalization holds significant potential for addressing the complexities surrounding human sexuality within the UMC. Rather than attempting to impose a singular stance on this issue that may be incongruent with the beliefs of certain regions, a regionalized approach allows for the accommodation of diverse perspectives in accordance with the unique cultural and contextual factors at play.</p>
<p>In conclusion, the crisis facing The United Methodist Church in relation to the definition of marriage underscores the need for a thoughtful and inclusive approach that respects the diverse legal, cultural, and regional contexts within the church's global connections. By defining marriage in the Book of Discipline based on regional context wherever applicable, the church can pave the way for a more harmonious and respectful coexistence, ensuring that all members feel valued and heard within the broader church community.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-15769209940219856072024-02-08T09:00:00.033-06:002024-02-12T05:20:46.783-06:00Recommended Reading: Cambodian Theology Students<p>Cambodia is one of six <a href="https://umcmission.org/mission-initiatives/" target="_blank">Mission Initiatives</a> supported by Global Ministries. Mission Initiatives are endeavors to spread Methodism to countries where it did not previously exist. The Cambodia Mission Initiative is a unique undertaking because it is jointly sponsored by Global Ministries, Connexio (the mission agency of Swiss United Methodists), the Korean Methodist Church, the Singaporean Methodist Church, and the World Federation of Chinese Methodist Churches. Together, these five agencies have sponsored the growth of <a href="https://umccambodia.org/mcc/" target="_blank">the Methodist Church in Cambodia</a>, a soon-to-be-autonomous denomination.</p><p>Part of the process of a church growing toward autonomy is developing indigenous leadership, which the Methodist Church in Cambodia has done. Congregations are led by indigenous pastors, and there is a Methodist Bible School for training pastors. As part of their <a href="https://connexio-hope.ch/index.php/projekte/asien-2/kambodscha/" target="_blank">partnership with Cambodia</a>, Connexio has shared a recent <a href="https://connexio.ch/index.php/2024/02/01/jetzt-findet-meine-familie-meinen-christlichen-glauben-richtig-gut/" target="_blank">interview with two students</a> at the Methodist Bible School (<a href="https://emk--schweiz-ch.translate.goog/2024/02/01/jetzt-findet-meine-familie-meinen-christlichen-glauben-richtig-gut/?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de" target="_blank">translated into English here</a>). The interview is a good snapshot of what life is like for young adults preparing to enter the ministry in Cambodia. It's worth reading for the sake of learning more about Methodism in Cambodia, Mission Initiatives more broadly, and pastoral ministry in different cultures.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-24136803736765261162024-02-01T09:00:00.081-06:002024-02-01T09:00:00.142-06:00David W. Scott: Exploring Intercultural Connectionalism<p><i>Today's post is by UM & Global blogmaster Dr. David W. Scott, Mission Theologian at the <a href="https://umcmission.org/">General Board of Global Ministries</a>. The opinions and analysis expressed here are Dr. Scott's own and do not reflect in any way the official position of Global Ministries. This piece originally appeared as <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/exploring-intercultural-connectionalism">a commentary on the United Methodist News Service site</a> and is republished here with permission.</i></p>
<p>As 2024 begins, many United Methodists are looking toward <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/looking-ahead-to-general-conference-next-year">the next General Conference</a>, to be held April 23-May 3. This legislative gathering has the potential to make significant changes to The United Methodist Church through <a href="https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-is-regionalization-series">regionalization</a> and other proposals.</p>
<p>Whatever happens at this General Conference, it will be historic. For over 240 years, General Conference has always had a majority of U.S. delegates; however, 2024 is very likely to be the last time a regular General Conference will have a majority of delegates from the United States.</p>
<p>The upcoming shift in delegates reflects a shift in membership in The United Methodist Church. Even before the recent wave of local church disaffiliations, membership decline in the United States and membership growth in Africa meant that more United Methodists have been living outside the United States than in it for the past several years. This membership shift coincides with a season in which United Methodists are seeking to reexamine and revitalize relationships with ecumenical partner Methodist churches throughout the world.</p>
<p>These changes present United Methodists and their ecumenical Methodist partners with a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is to shift from centuries of U.S.-dominance in the church. The opportunity is to reflect better the multinational, multicultural nature of the church universal. Multiculturalism has been part of the church since its beginning in Acts 2 and will continue to be part of the church in heaven, according to Revelation 7:9-10.</p>
<p>For the church to avail itself of the divine opportunities of being a multinational, multicultural church, it will need to engage in both deconstructive and constructive work.</p>
<p>The deconstructive work involves letting go of the presumption that the church should revolve primarily around Americans and their values, concerns and standards, and dismantling or reconfiguring the structures that solidify that presumption.</p>
<p>This work is underway throughout the church, often carried out under the term “decolonizing church.” One example of such work is the book of essays I have edited with Filipe Maia, “<a href="https://www.cokesbury.com/Methodism-and-American-Empire">Methodism and American Empire: Reflections on Decolonizing the Church</a>.”</p>
<p>The bishops’ initiative over the past several years to “dismantle racism” is a related endeavor, and many other scholars, agencies and church leaders are involved in such efforts as well.</p>
<p>The constructive work necessary for becoming a truly multinational, multicultural church is for the church to increase its capacity to communicate and work across cultures and contexts. Communicating and collaborating across cultures requires not just intellectual commitment to the importance of being a worldwide church. It requires specific skills in listening, seeking understanding, being flexible and adapting.</p>
<p>Again, this work is being carried out in many spots throughout the denomination. One such effort that I am involved in is a joint theological task force between the United Methodist boards of Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry. Joining me in that work are the Rev. Dr. Greg Bergquist, Dr. David Field, the Rev. Dr. Paulo Roberto Garcia, the Rev. Dr. Jean Claude Maleka, Deaconess Darlene Marquez-Caramanzana, the Rev. Dr. Connie Semy Mella, Dr. Amos Nascimento, Dr. Hendrik R. Pieterse and Dr. Ulrike Schuler.</p>
<p>This task force was convened to reflect on theological grounds for greater collaboration between the two agencies. One of the major insights from our joint reflection is a concept we are calling “intercultural connectionalism.”</p>
<p>The term “intercultural connectionalism” builds on the Methodist tradition of connectionalism as a central ecclesiological concept. I have written about <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/the-many-meanings-of-connectionalism">connectionalism</a> elsewhere, but briefly it refers to the structures, practices, relationships and theology that connect local congregations to one another, in the process creating something that is greater than the sum of its parts.</p>
<p>Adding the term “intercultural” recognizes that the connections that make up The United Methodist Church (and its ecumenical partners) cross lines of culture and other elements of difference. Intercultural connectionalism thus offers a factual description of the current nature of The United Methodist Church. (And much of its history, too, if we have eyes to see it — as in, for instance, <a href="https://methodistreview.org/index.php/mr/article/view/291">this article</a>.) It also offers a normative aspiration — that the church will learn to connect in ways that take cultural differences seriously.</p>
<p>Indeed, to push the claim further, we cannot truly understand the nature of United Methodist connectionalism unless we consider various cultural perspectives on the concept. I have written elsewhere about how the understanding of what a denomination is <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/political-context-and-the-meaning-of-church">varies across contexts</a> and how <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/european-united-methodists-emphasize-connectionalism">European</a> and <a href="http://www.umglobal.org/2022/04/bayanihan-and-connectionalism.html">Filipino</a> United Methodists have unique perspectives on the nature and meaning of connectionalism.</p>
<p>Thus, intercultural connectionalism involves a different approach to theological reflection in and for the denomination. It requires that United Methodists engage in intercultural dialogue as we seek to understand the nature of our church and how God is calling us to join in God’s mission around the world.</p>
<p>While General Conference does provide a venue to engage in intercultural dialogue, United Methodists should avoid associating intercultural connectionalism only with General Conference. Although it brings together United Methodists from around the world, General Conference, because of its limited time frame and legislative focus, may not always be the best place for United Methodists to engage in deep listening and learning across cultures.</p>
<p>Instead, it is better to think of intercultural connectionalism as a principle that various parts of the denomination can incorporate into their practices. This includes the general agencies, the Council of Bishops, the ecumenical office, the Commission on Faith and Order, scholarly networks and mission partnerships. Whenever United Methodists from varying cultural backgrounds gather, attention should be paid to how those cultural backgrounds inform their understanding of United Methodism and what they can learn from one another.</p>
<p>The Global Ministries/Higher Education theological task force <a href="https://www.gbhem.org/news/a-season-for-renewal-and-a-joint-commitment-to-our-worldwide-connection/">has developed a discussion guide</a> to help United Methodists and their ecumenical Methodist partners engage in conversations related to intercultural connectionalism. The study guide, which is available in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish and German, moves from reflections about our Wesleyan origins through our history to our hopes for healing and renewal and the actions inspired by those hopes. The four-session discussion guide can be used in various settings, from the local church to seminaries to connectional bodies.</p>
<p>The guide ends with questions about how we can act as United Methodists. This is significant, because while conversation and conferencing are important realms in which to live out intercultural connectionalism, intercultural connectionalism must also characterize our joint work in the world. United Methodists have always had a strong sense that one’s faith must be lived out. Living out our faith with others from different cultural backgrounds, as together we engage in mission and ministry, presents new opportunities to learn from one another.</p>
<p>In this regard, United Methodists can learn from Interfaith Youth Core and other interfaith organizations which have concluded that generating understanding across differences should involve not just talking about those differences but also joining together in positive work in the world. Such joint work builds understanding and relationships. As I have argued elsewhere, <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/the-many-meanings-of-connectionalism">relationships are a vital component of connectionalism</a>, necessary to make organizational connectionalism work.</p>
<p>The Global Ministries/Higher Education task force, and the increased alignment between the two agencies broadly, including sharing a general secretary, represents a further opportunity here. Not only is education an important part of mission around the world, but this interagency collaboration is also a chance to bring scholarly conversation about intercultural connectionalism and the application of intercultural connectionalism in mission practice together.</p>
<p>Alignment between the two agencies creates possibilities for deeper learning about and better practice of intercultural connectionalism.</p>
<p>United Methodists are part of a multicultural church that is tied to partner Methodist churches from yet more cultural backgrounds. This has long been true and will only become truer in the future. For the church to embrace this blessing from God, we must live into the reality and the opportunity of intercultural connectionalism.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-82633985125202624792024-01-25T08:55:00.163-06:002024-01-25T08:55:00.155-06:00David W. Scott: On International Mission and Cosmopolitanism<p><i>Today's post is by UM & Global blogmaster Dr. David W. Scott, Mission Theologian at the <a href="https://www.umcmission.org/">General Board of Global Ministries</a>. The opinions and analysis expressed here are Dr. Scott's own and do not reflect in any way the official position of Global Ministries.</i></p><p>International mission, by its nature as international, involves crossing national boundaries and, by its nature as mission, involves Christian practices of love and caring. Thus, international mission necessarily involves caring for and about others who are from a different nationality than oneself.</p><p>Put another way, international mission involves an extension of what Geert Hofstede and others have called the "moral circle" - the group of people who are within one's sphere of moral concern - those whom one sees as having the same moral rights as oneself - to life, health, happiness, love, etc. International mission is not the only way such an expansion happens - migration or contact with immigrants is another significant means - but it is an important way for Christians around the world to come into contact with people from other countries.</p><p>Granted, this extension may be imperfect and not lasting. Someone may participate in international mission and show concern for others without believing that those others are entitled to be treated by the same standard as oneself. Or, a Christian who takes a short-term mission trip may feel concern about the life conditions of those they encounter while on the trip, but three years later may largely have forgotten this new concern for people in other lands.</p><p>At the other end of the spectrum, however, international mission may be completely transformative of how one sees one's moral world. The annals of mission, especially of long-term mission, are replete with stories of Christians in mission who come to have a deep and abiding concern for the people of another country, wanting good for the people of that other country just as much as they want good for the people of their own country.</p><p>Beyond even that, there are stories of Christians in mission who come to see themselves as attached not just to another country and their own home country but attached to all countries, to see themselves as "citizens of the world." An academic term that describes this sense of connection to and concern for people all around the world is "cosmopolitan," which literally means "citizen of the world." It is clear that at least some Christians through their engagement in international mission take on a cosmopolitan outlook on life.</p><p>There is at least a little academic literature on missionary cosmopolitanism in the past two centuries of Western-led and then global Christian international mission. (See, <a href="https://ohiostatepress.org/books/titles/9780814214268.html#:~:text=Missionary%20Cosmopolitanism%20in%20Nineteenth%2DCentury%20British%20Literature%20explores%20the%20notion,spurred%20on%20by%20cosmopolitan%20ideals." target="_blank">this book</a> for instance.) But the notion that Christians' sense of citizenship extends beyond a particular nation to encompass all goes all the way back to the roots of Christianity (as in, for instance, <a href="https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0101.htm" target="_blank">the Epistle to Diognetus</a>).</p><p>Much of the academic discussion of cosmopolitanism, though, is not linked to religion but rather to secular forms of what might be called globalization - international trade, migration, international professional and cultural networks, etc. Moreover, secular cosmopolitanism is positively correlated with urban areas, wealth, and education and can carry a critique of rural provincialism.</p><p>These characteristics of secular cosmopolitanism and the existence of missionary cosmopolitanism raise for me a variety of questions, including the following:</p><p>First, to what extent is an openness to people from other countries a prerequisite for becoming involved in international mission, and to what extent is increased concern for people from other countries a result of participating in international mission? Both could be true. In a way akin to prevenient grace, perhaps a nascent openness to concern for others from other countries allows for the actual extension of moral concern to those others after participating in international mission. Yet I am left with the question of whether international mission only transforms the moral circles of those with larger than average moral circles to begin with or whether international mission has the power to potentially transform the moral outlook of anyone.</p><p>Second, if it is true that The United Methodist Church is <a href="http://www.umglobal.org/2023/11/the-umc-is-rural-church-in-urbanizing.html" target="_blank">a disproportionately rural church</a> but secular cosmopolitanism is associated with urban living, where one is more likely to encounter people, goods, and ideas from other countries and cultures, then where does that leave the outlook for cultivating cosmopolitanism among United Methodists? Are United Methodists, because of their rural distribution, less likely to adopt cosmopolitan outlooks on the church than people in other, more urban, denominations, or does Methodists' penchant for mission increase their cosmopolitanism?</p><p>This question feels particularly important to me as the UMC looks forward to a more world-wide future. The ability to successfully live into that future seems to depend, if not on widespread cosmopolitanism, at least a sustained sense by enough people in enough parts of the church that they have a moral and religious connection to fellow denomination members throughout the world. A successful worldwide church cannot be the work of a few church bureaucrats or denominational insiders but must be rooted in the impulses of people in local congregations.</p><p>Third, where does the rising tide of nationalism over the past decade leave international mission and missionary cosmopolitanism? Nationalism emphasizes one's identity in connection to their home nation (however defined). It is thus in tension with cosmopolitanism, which views the world in a supranational way (that is, beyond one nation). Is international mission destined to decline or to become more of a niche endeavor if its association with cosmopolitanism goes against the nationalist trends of the day?</p><p>While I do believe that Christianity requires that we enlarge our moral circles, I don't think it necessitates that all Christians adopt a cosmopolitan view of the world. It is possible to live as a good Christian without much of a sense of the world community. Indeed, the vast majority of Christians across time and space have oriented their lives primarily toward local concerns. This localism often does not even rise to the level of nationalism, let alone cosmopolitanism.</p><p>Still, as someone who cares about the church as an international body, who cares about mission, including international mission, these questions about international mission and international Christian community on the one side and the idea of cosmopolitanism on the other leave me somewhat unsettled. Even if it will not be a primary concern for all Christians, how does the church keep alive the sense of the transcendent kingdom of God, which is beyond all nations or other allegiances, in the world, but not of it?</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-76302527018835062362024-01-18T09:00:00.001-06:002024-01-18T09:00:00.135-06:00Methodism and American Empire Book Now Out!<p>I (David) had previously shared <a href="http://www.umglobal.org/2023/10/david-w-scott-and-filipe-maia-methodism.html" target="_blank">an announcement and description</a> of a book I have co-edited with Filipe Maia: <i><a href="https://www.cokesbury.com/Methodism-and-American-Empire" target="_blank">Methodism and American Empire: Reflections on Decolonizing the Church</a></i>. At the time, the book was available for pre-order. I am happy to share that it is now printed and available for purchase! You can find it on <a href="https://www.cokesbury.com/Methodism-and-American-Empire" target="_blank">Cokesbury</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Methodism-American-Empire-Reflections-Decolonizing/dp/1791030653/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6OSBXRO9722E&keywords=methodism+and+american+empire&qid=1704734893&sprefix=methodism+and+american+empire%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, or wherever you buy your books. Note that in addition to being the denominational book seller, as of this writing, Cokesbury has the book at a discount over Amazon.</p><p>Here is the brief description of the book from the publisher (Abingdon):</p><p>"<em>Methodism and American Empire</em> investigates historical trajectories and theological developments that connect American imperialism since World War II to the Methodist tradition as a global movement. The volume asks: to what extent is United Methodists’ vision of the globe marred by American imperialism? Through historical analyses and theological reflections, this volume chronicles the formation of an understanding of The United Methodist Church since the mid-20th century that is both global and at the same time dominated by American interests and concerns. <em>Methodism and American Empire</em> provides a historical and theological perspective to understand the current context of The United Methodist Church while also raising ecclesiological questions about the impact of imperialism on how Methodists have understood the nature and mission of the church over the last century. Gathering voices and perspectives from around the world, this volume suggests that the project of global Methodism and the tensions one witnesses therein ought to be understood in the context of American imperialism and that such an understanding is critical to the task of continuing to be a global denomination. The volume tells a tale of complex negotiations happening between United Methodists across different national, cultural, and ecclesial contexts and sets up the historical backdrop for the imminent schism of The United Methodist Church."</p><p>I am very impressed by the contributions to this volume of all the authors, and I think the book will make an important contribution to some really significant conversations going on in The United Methodist Church (and beyond). It was also a joy to work with Filipe Maia on this book. You can hear some more of his reflections related to it on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-commitment-to-hope-with-filipe-maia/id1662692088?i=1000638742943" target="_blank">this Bar of the Conference podcast</a>. I'm proud to have worked on this book, and I hope you will check it out.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-7673012534903050642024-01-11T09:00:00.012-06:002024-01-11T09:00:00.140-06:00The Future Is Networks<p>January is a time for making predictions about the future, so here’s a prediction: The future is networks, not formal institutions.</p><p>This prediction requires some elaboration of what I mean by networks and formal institutions. The prediction should also be qualified somewhat: This is less a prediction of what is to come and more an observation of how human organization has already been changing, coupled with an assumption that such a shift will continue.</p><p><b>Networks</b></p><p>A network may be defined as a collection of separate individuals or organizations that come together for collaboration. A network is definitely a type of organization itself, in that it organizes people or other organizations. Networks are, though, defined by their relational nature – relationships are the basis of their organization. There is a large literature in several social science fields on network organizations, and this post does not even begin to scratch the surface of this literature, but this definition will do.</p><p>A network may also be a type of institution, in that it may involve “<a href="http://www.umglobal.org/2021/09/the-umc-and-institutional-decline-what.html" target="_blank">rules, beliefs, norms, and organizations that together generate a regularity of behavior</a>,” though it lacks much formalization of these rules, beliefs, norms, and organizations. Instead, a network relies on relational ties to produce those qualities. Moreover, the focus of a network may not be so much on regularity of behavior as on responsiveness, that is, on coordinating behavior in response to particular conditions or events rather than coordinating behavior toward a pre-determined end.</p><p>As relational organization, networks involve (relatively) equal status among their constituent parts. They may be organized around common interests or a shared desired outcome. They may also be short- or long-term oriented. Networks, especially those organized around shared interests, are often open ended, with the purpose of the network evolving as its constituent relationships evolve. Thus, networks are a relatively flexible form of organization.</p><p>Networks usually serve as avenues of communication among their members and for exchanging or pooling resources around shared objectives. A network may carry out a project as an organization itself, but more often, networks serve to loosely coordinate the activities of their members through exchange of information. Thus, those members are the primary actors in carrying out any work, not the network.</p><p><b>Formal Institutions</b></p><p>A formal institution may be defined as an organization with formalized rules and structures for working towards a goal or goals. Such formalized rules and structures include aspects such as legal incorporation, by-laws, assigned roles and responsibilities within the organization, clearly defined leadership roles, organizational hierarchies, defined mission and vision, etc. Formal institutions as organizations are defined by their formalized nature.</p><p>Formal institutions tend to be goal oriented. They are very concerned with regularity of behavior and planning toward a particular end. They exist to direct the behavior of constituent parts and the use of labor and financial resources towards certain goals.</p><p>Formal institutions tend toward a long-term orientation. Their formality gives them a greater permanence, and some of a formal institution’s efforts are likely to be directed towards the continuation of the institution. Formal institutions can and do change, grow, and shift over time, but their focus is on regularity.</p><p><b>Contrasts</b></p><p>Both networks and formal institutions are solutions to the problem of collective action – how can humans act together for the sake of achieving goals beyond what any individual is capable of? Formal institutions and networks can be thought of as two ideal types of solutions to this problem with actual organizations falling somewhere in the middle. Moreover, networks are often composed of formal institutions as members. Again, there is a large literature available for those interested in the spectrum of organizational types.</p><p>Each of these solutions is better at some things and in some situations. Networks have advantages at information sharing and are more flexible. Formal institutions are better at standardization and central coordination.</p><p>Yet whatever the absolute advantages and disadvantages of each organizational form, there has been a significant shift in recent decades away from formal institutions towards networks. Formal institutions were one of the crowning achievements of the modern era of human history – the world coordinated through bureaucracy, in a non-pejorative sense. In the 21st century, however, the flow is in the other direction, towards the creation of more networks and the dismantling of some existing formal institutions.</p><p><b>Applications for Churches</b></p><p>This shift from formal institutions to networks has implications for many areas of life, the church among them. Three ways in which this shift will impact churches are in denominational structures, ecumenical organizations, and ministry collaborations.</p><p>Denominations are, at their most basic, an organization that brings together multiple congregations. Yet there are varying ways in which denominations can serve to organize congregations, and some are more similar to networks, while others more closely resemble formal organizations. Some of this depends on polity. (Baptists tend more towards networks; Methodists towards formal organizations.) But even within a denomination, shifts are possible. Thus, for United Methodists, a shift towards a more network understanding of denominational structures would mean structures that serve to equip and coordinate churches in their own work rather than structures that seek to represent churches through the work of the denomination.</p><p>A similar principle applies to ecumenical organizations. At one time, the National Council of Churches was a significant organizational force, carrying out major work itself, work that was supported by the member denominations because of the formal structures that tied them to the NCC. Nowadays, the NCC serves more as a forum for discussion among member denominations, who may sign off on statements released by the NCC, but who maintain more autonomy in deciding what of the NCC to go along with.</p><p>Such a shift applies to more local and regional forms of ministry collaboration as well. In the past, inter-congregational ministry efforts may have involved forming new formal organizations with carefully balanced representation from participating congregations and extensive binding agreements as to how the congregations would relate to one another and the new entity. Now, though, inter-congregational ministry is more likely to be ad-hoc and project-based, involve a sharing of information rather than entering an MOU, and/or involve creating an informal “coordinating committee” instead of founding a new 501(c)3 entity.</p><p>Again, these are not necessarily bad or good shifts; they’re just different. Walter W. Powell, in his 1990 article, “<a href="chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://web.stanford.edu/~woodyp/powell_neither.pdf" target="_blank">Neither Market Nor Hierarchy: Network Forms of Organization</a>,” wrote that “the open-ended quality of networks is most useful when resources are variable and the environment uncertain.” In that way, the shift away from formal institutions towards networks is a reflection of other shifts going on in society. </p><p>The point is not to try to resist this shift or to try to be the first to hop on the bandwagon. The point is to recognize the ways in which how we as humans collaborate and organize work are changing so that we may continue to do what Christians have always done: work together to make disciples and transform the world.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-82008568904942177732024-01-04T09:00:00.026-06:002024-01-04T09:00:00.136-06:00Recommended Listening/Viewing: Thursdays at the Table<p>For over a year, Bishop <a href="https://www.unitedmethodistbishops.org/person-detail/2455172" target="_blank">LaTrelle Miller Easterling</a> of the Washington Episcopal Area has conducted a video podcast called "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzjja0KEoJl9utGxfxfkh8Vvng-6uDUBs" target="_blank">Thursdays at the Table</a>." Bishop Easterling's conversation interview style makes for engaging and thoughtful theological material.</p><p>Two recent episodes, both embedded below, are likely to be of particular interest to United Methodists who are interested in mission and service to others. First is a conversation with Rev. Janet Wolf about shifting from charity to partnership understandings of service. Second is a conversation with Fr. Gregory Boyle, SJ, about the spiritual underpinnings of transformative work in society. Both episodes are well worth their hour-long length.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="332" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g6iqD5WCBD4" width="399" youtube-src-id="g6iqD5WCBD4"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Practicing Resurrection with Janet Wolf</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="332" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MEfHUMdT0Dw" width="399" youtube-src-id="MEfHUMdT0Dw"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Going to the Margins with Gregory Boyle</div><p><br /></p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-12625543752323419242023-12-14T09:00:00.004-06:002023-12-14T09:00:00.139-06:00An Open Connectionalism and Change as Perfection<p><i>Today's post is by UM & Global blogmaster Dr. David W. Scott, Mission Theologian at the <a href="https://www.umcmission.org/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">General Board of Global Ministries</a>. The opinions and analysis expressed here are Dr. Scott's own and do not reflect in any way the official position of Global Ministries.</i></p><p>A pastor I know used to refer to The United Methodist Church as "perfecting the church of the 1950s." While I think he intended this comment to critique backward-looking tendencies in the church, I think it also highlights a danger in how United Methodists think about perfection.</p><p>Perfection is an important concept for Methodists historically. For John and Charles Wesley, "Christian perfection" was a synonym for "entire sanctification." Both terms denoted a state in which believers were completely filled with God's love such that all their actions expressed that love and not sinful impulses. Thus, early Methodists were asked whether they were "going to to perfection."</p><p>Perfection was a concern for theologians long before Wesley, mostly for those theologians drawing on Platonic philosophy. But this Platonic heritage in Christian theology is the source of a danger in how United Methodists think about perfection.</p><p>Platonic theology states that what is perfect is eternal and unchanging. Change, in Platonic philosophy, is seen as problematic and imperfect. This notion that change is imperfect raises various problems in theological philosophy ("How can an unchanging God really interact with a constantly changing world?"), but it also potentially creates problems in how we understand Christian perfection in humans and in the church.</p><p>If we are to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48), and part of God's perfection is God's unchanging nature, then we may assume that Christian perfection should imply that Christians, or at least the church, should be unchanging as well.</p><p>However, Wesley's notion of perfection wasn't about being unchanging; it was about love. Christian perfection is perfection in love. And love is never static. Recent insights into Trinitarian theology have highlighted how even within Godself, the three members of the Trinity are always engaged in active (not static) love with one another. Many metaphors are used to describe the relationship within the Trinity, but a helpful one here is a dance. Dancing involves movement. It is anything but static and unchanging.</p><p>If the Trinity is involved in an active and ever-changing dance of love and we are called to be perfect in love just as our heavenly Father is perfect in love, then we may expect that perfection in love is not static but active, not immutable but modulating, ever responding in new and delighted ways to how others are moving in the communal dance of our collective Christian life.</p><p>This insight, I believe, can be extended from individuals to our understandings of the church as well. If God is perfect in an active, loving sense, and if individual Christians can be made perfect in an active, loving sense, then does it not make sense to hope that the church will be perfected in an active, loving sense as well? And if the church is being perfected in an active, loving sense, then we must expect that the church will be ever changing, ever responding to the movement of the Holy Spirit and God's call to engage the changing world around the church.</p><p>This claim is more than saying that church structures need to be reformed every now and then. It is saying that our fundamental understanding of what the church is must be open. It must expect and even eagerly anticipate that the church will continue to shift and change as it continues to strive for perfection by reaching out in love to God and the world as it presently is (and not as it was decades ago!). As the church experiences new insights into God's love and as it responds in new ways to the ever evolving needs and nature of the world, the church itself will change.</p><p>For United Methodists, an important concept that describes our understanding of our church is "connectionalism." Connectionalism refers to the relationships, structures, and theologies that connect the various components of the church (congregations, conferences, agencies, etc.) to one another as together they join in God's mission to the world. </p><p>An open and dynamic understanding of Christian perfection calls us to an open and dynamic understanding of connectionalism.</p><p>Of course, changes in what constitutes the United Methodist connection are a historical fact. The number of annual conferences and the number of levels of conferences have been in constant flux over the 239 years of history of the UMC and its predecessors. Practices of conferencing and who attends conferences have altered. Geographic areas have been added to and departed from the UMC. Agencies have been created, merged, and reconfigured. Relationships among United Methodists have shifted.</p><p>But beyond these historic facts, which we may accept or bemoan, a theology of an open connectionalism reassures us that such change is a necessary and important part of the church adapting to its ever new missional call to spread scriptural holiness and reform the world. Therefore, we may expect, even demand, that the church continue to change and adapt for the sake of better loving God and neighbor. Moreover, such changes are not a betrayal of our faith but an expression of it -- an expression of our deepest convictions about the nature of the Christian life.</p><p>The end of one year and beginning of another is always a time of taking stock of the changes of the past year and anticipating the changes of the year to come. As United Methodists engage in this spiritual work, may we keep in mind that our connectionalism must be open, and may we eagerly look forward to how Christ will lead our church in new steps in the dance of love in the year to come.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-7209772188700968722023-12-07T09:00:00.002-06:002023-12-08T12:42:26.089-06:002023 Publications on Methodist Mission and Evangelism<p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">As the year winds down, we are taking a moment to review scholarship on Methodist mission and evangelism from 2023. The following is a list of books and articles published since the beginning of the year by scholars in the Association of Methodist Professors of Mission or by other scholars about topics related to Methodist mission and evangelism. Readers are encouraged to consult these sources for the latest in scholarship about Methodist mission and evangelism.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;"><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif">Bellini, Peter J., <i>Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and the Image of God: Can Machines Attain Consciousness and Receive Salvation?</i> (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2023).</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17.6px;">Bellini, Peter J., <i>Thunderstruck: The Deliverance Ministry of John Wesley</i> (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2023).</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;"><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif">Chilcote, Paul W. "Mapping Global Methodist Theology," <i>Holiness</i> 8 (Aug. 2023), 76, https://doi.org/10.2478/holiness-2023-0011.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;"><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif">Chilcote, Paul W. <i>Multiplying Love: A Vision of United Methodist Life Together</i> (Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 2023).</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;"><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"></span></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Dharmaraj, Glory E., "Sisterhood and 'Sistering': Restating Relationships in the Cartography of Missional Collaborations – Dallas Bethlehem Center, A Case Study," in <i>Creative Collaborations: Case Studies of North American Missional Practices</i>, edited by Dana L. Robert, Allison Kach-Yawnghwe, and Morgan Crago (Oxford: Regnum, 2023).</span></span></p><div><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">Gordon, Sarah Barringer, "Staying in Place: Southern Methodists, the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, and Postwar Battles for Control of Church Property," </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px;">The Journal of the Civil War Era</i><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;"> 13 (2023), 281, https://doi.org/10.1353/cwe.2023.a905166.</span></div><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;"><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif">Leffel, Gregory P., Charles J. Fensham, George R. Hunsberger, Robert A. Hunt, William N. Kenney, Gregg A. Okesson, Hendrik R. Pieterse, "What We Mean by Public Missiology," <i>Missiology</i> 51 (July 2023), 268, https://doi.org/10.1177/00918296231176757.</span></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">Kim-Cragg,</span><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;"> </span><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">David Andrew, "</span><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">'We Take Hold of the White Man’s Worship with One Hand, but with the Other Hand We Hold Fast Our Fathers’ Worship': The Beginning of Indigenous Methodist Christianity and Its Expression in the <i>Christian Guardian</i>, Upper Canada circa 1829,"</span></span><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17.6px;"> <i>Religions </i>14:2 (2023), 139; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020139.</span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Park, Joon-Sik, "The Missional Implications of the Theology of H. Richard Niebuhr," <i>International Bulletin of Mission Research</i> 47 (July 2023), 380, https://doi.org/10.1177/23969393231168540.</span></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Pedlar, James E., <i>British Methodist Revivalism and the Eclipse of Ecclesiology</i> (London: Routledge, 2023), https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003224327.</span></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Robert, Dana L., <i>The Dutch Reformed Women's Missionary Movement from the Cape and the Mt. Holyoke Connection</i> (Mzuzu, South Africa: Luviri Press, 2023).</span></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Robert, Dana L., "Introduction," in <i>Restoring Identities: The Contextualizing Story of Christianity in Oceania</i>, edited by Upolu Lumā Vaai and Mark A. Lamport (Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2023).</span></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;"></span></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Robert, Dana L., Allison Kach-Yawnghwe, and Morgan Crago, editors, <i>Creative Collaborations: Case Studies of North American Missional Practices</i> (Oxford: Regnum, 2023).</span></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Robinson, Elaine A., <i>Leading with Love: Spiritual Disciplines for Practical Leadership</i> (Minneapolis: 1517 Media, 2023).</span></span></p><div><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17.6px;">Santiago-Vendrell, Angel, and Misoon (Esther) Im, "The World Was Their Parish: Evangelistic Work of the Single Female Missionaries from the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, to Korea, 1887-1940," </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px;">Religions </i><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17.6px;">14:2 (2023), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020262.</span></div><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Smith, Ronald E., <i>Henry Clay Morrison: Remember the Old Paths</i> (Wilmore, KY: Francis Asbury Institute, 2023).</span></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Teasdale, Mark R. "A Bias for the Gospel," International Bulletin of Mission Research 47 (Jan. 2023), 69, https://doi.org/10.1177/23969393221100770.</span></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Von Gonten, Kristen, "Emma Stone Poteet Pilley and Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Missions to Asia," <i>Methodist History</i> 61 (Apr. 2023), 13, https://doi.org/10.5325/methodisthist.61.1.0013.</span></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Whiteman, Darrell L., "The Conversion of a Missionary: A Missiological Study of Acts 10," <i>Missiology</i> 51 (Jan. 2023), 19, https://doi.org/10.1177/00918296221117711.</span></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Whiteman, Darrell L., "Foreword" to Laura Heikes, <i>Finding God: Discovering the Divine in the Gritty and Unexpected</i> (Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2023).</span></span></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17.6px;">Whiteman,</span><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif" style="font-size: 17.6px;"> </span><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Darrell L., "My Pilgrimage in Mission," <i>International Bulletin of Mission Research</i> 47 (July 2023), 536, https://doi.org/10.1177/23969393231173853.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span face="Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17.6px;">Whiteman, Darrell L., "Remembering the American Society of Missiology 1973–2023: Remarks at the 50th Anniversary Banquet Celebration," <i>Missiology</i> 51 (Oct. 2023), 378, https://doi.org/10.1177/00918296231190918.</span></span></p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-7996276272881433012023-11-30T09:00:00.091-06:002023-11-30T09:00:00.131-06:00Highly Recommended Listening: Bar of the Conference Podcast<p>When I (David) started this blog over a decade ago, blogs were an important venue for discussing ideas related to the church, with multiple authors making regular insightful contributions. There were <a href="http://www.umglobal.org/2014/10/does-blogosphere-reinforce-white.html" target="_blank">problems with representation in blog authorship</a>, but it still felt like a significant medium. That has seemed less and less true over the 10 years I've written this blog, as internet ecology has changed.</p><p>However, newer forms of media have arisen to replace the blog as venues for having thoughtful conversations about the church, its mission, and its future. None of these have been more significant than the podcast. Moreover, podcasts have some real advantages over blogs. They usually take the form of dialogue, thus including more voices. Podcast hosts represent a greater range of gender and racial diversity than blogs did. They're often longer form, which provide more space for deep reflection.</p><p>There are now multiple excellent United Methodist podcasts and video podcasts. And one of the best is undoubtedly <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bar-of-the-conference/id1662692088" target="_blank">Bar of the Conference</a>, hosted by Derrick Scott III.</p><p>The focus of Bar of the Conference is "the stories shaping the future of the United Methodist Church." It is structured as hour-long interviews by Derrick Scott of various significant United Methodists. The interviews include both personal story-telling about how the interviewees came to United Methodism as well as insightful conversation into the current realities of The United Methodist Church, including how the passage of the Traditional Plan in 2019 changed the church and how people see General Conference 2024 playing out.</p><p>Many of the people Scott interviews have personal and/or professional connections to the UMC outside the United States, including <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-kingdom-for-all-with-simon-osunlana/id1662692088?i=1000601468962" target="_blank">Simon Osunlana</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inclusion-from-a-global-perspective-with-israel-alvaran/id1662692088?i=1000605775647" target="_blank">Izzy Alvaran</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-global-future-for-the-umc-with-mighty-rasing/id1662692088?i=1000608988790" target="_blank">Mighty Rasing</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-about-the-context-with-betty-kazadi-musau/id1662692088?i=1000613724093" target="_blank">Betty Kazadi Musau</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/africa-coming-of-age-with-rev-ande-emmanuel/id1662692088?i=1000618902822" target="_blank">Ande Emmanuel</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-of-a-zimbabwean-united-methodist-with/id1662692088?i=1000619921905" target="_blank">Lloyd</a> <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-of-a-zimbabwean-united-methodist-with/id1662692088?i=1000620627980" target="_blank">Nyarota</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-for-the-future-church-with-kah-jin-jeffrey-kuan/id1662692088?i=1000627237265" target="_blank">Jeffrey Kuan</a>, and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-passion-and-principles-with-neal-christie/id1662692088?i=1000630479963" target="_blank">Neal Christie</a>. Other American interviewees have a particular interest in mission, including <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-holy-movement-of-women-with-tara-barnes/id1662692088?i=1000595756727" target="_blank">Tara Barnes</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leadership-for-the-church-were-called-to-be-with/id1662692088?i=1000606806937" target="_blank">Katie Dawson</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-bridges-across-difference-with-rev-dr-cynthia/id1662692088?i=1000622703780" target="_blank">Cynthia Weems</a>, and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-foundation-for-future-mission-with-lisa-greenwood/id1662692088?i=1000623601117" target="_blank">Lisa Greenwood</a>. Racial justice and LGBTQ inclusion are also strong themes across the podcasts.</p><p>If I were starting <i>UM & Global</i> from scratch in 2023, I would start it as a podcast. And I would be lucky if it were nearly as good as Bar of the Conference. Bar of the Conference does a lot of the work that this blog has tried to do over the past decade, and it is doing it in a fresher, more contemporary format.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-7524667380892832892023-11-16T09:00:00.002-06:002023-11-16T09:00:00.141-06:00David W. Scott: The Challenges of Being a Rural Church in an Urbanizing World<p>Last week, I wrote a blog post entitled "<a href="http://www.umglobal.org/2023/11/the-umc-is-rural-church-in-urbanizing.html" target="_blank">The UMC is a rural church in an urbanizing world</a>" in which I argued just that. I ended by asserting that there are missional, financial, cultural, and other implications of this thesis for the mission and ministry of the church. This post will expand on those implications.</p><p>But before I do that, I want to make clear that I do not think it is a bad thing to be a rural church.</p><p>There are plenty of tropes made by urban dwellers in cultures around the globe about rural areas and rural people. Biases and stereotypes flow both ways between the city and the country, but the church's mission strategy can never be driven by assumptions that "those people" are not entitled to the same things that "we" are. As someone who has lived half my life in towns under 10,000 people and the rest of it in small to medium cities, I can vouch that there are differences between those contexts, but one is not inherently a better or worse place. The church must be clear that all people are worthy of the gospel, no matter where they live.</p><p>The UMC is a rural church because it has been successful at sharing the gospel with rural people. That is a success, and we should not be ashamed of it. We should also not be content to stay with the successes of the past if they distract us from what God is calling us to do now. But I believe that rural ministry is part of God's call to Methodists in the past, present, and future.</p><p>The challenge then, as it always is, is to think critically about the context so that we can better and more faithfully answer God's missional call. I will highlight three challenges posed to rural ministry from the current context of urbanization.</p><p><b>Stagnant and declining populations</b></p><p>The flip side of growing urban populations around the world is that rural populations are often not growing. Indeed, in some settings, rural areas are facing depopulation or population aging as people, especially younger people, move from rural areas to urban areas. Rural areas with a stagnant to declining population mean that there are only so many people that the church can include as members. This number of potential members is further limited when rural areas are experiencing overall declines in religiosity, such as is common in Western countries as a whole.</p><p>Small congregations are not necessarily a problem. Most United Methodist congregations are small. But when the Methodist tradition and current denominational systems emphasize growth in membership, that creates a problem because of the gap between expectations of growth and the limited margin for growth that exists in many rural populations.</p><p>Part of the solution to the problem of this gap between expectation and reality is to develop better theologies around faithful persistence that can provide a sense of meaning and accomplishment for churches that are located in populations where dramatic evangelistic growth is just not likely.</p><p>Another missional implication is that if the church believes in continuing to bring the gospel to new people, it cannot afford to be just a rural church. It also needs to expand into urban areas. Part of the Methodist DNA can help here. Methodist geographic expansion has historically been driven primarily by migrants. Often that has included migrants from rural areas to cities. Thus, the church needs to think about how it can better support its members who move from rural to urban areas and how it can capitalize on them as potential evangelists and missionaries who can bring Methodism with them to the city.</p><p><b>Rural income limits</b></p><p>Rural areas are not necessarily poor, though rural poverty exists just as surely as urban poverty does, even if it looks different. Yet the church faces a couple challenges related to the money it can bring in from rural areas for mission and ministry.</p><p>In some rural areas, the church does face challenges in raising money because of poverty and other economic conditions. Appalachia is a rural area of the United States with extensive poverty and many United Methodist churches. Rural inhabitants there have less money, on average, to give to the church. In rural areas of developing countries, many rural residents are subsistence farmers who raise crops for their own consumption but do not earn a cash income. That may mean they have no money whatsoever to give to the church, though they may have other assets and resources to give.</p><p>In all rural areas, smaller populations mean smaller groups of donors and therefore smaller total donations than would be possible in a city-wide giving campaign. This is true regardless of whether the rural area is wealthy or poor.</p><p>God is more concerned with our generosity than the total given (as in the story of the widow's mite). Yet, when there are price tags associated with certain church-related activities (paying for a roof, supporting a missionary's salary, contributing to a pastor's retirement fund, running a tutoring program, etc.), there is the potential for mismatch between the amount that a rural area can generate and the amount necessary for these activities.</p><p>This challenge highlights the importance of connectionalism and cooperation in the church's mission and ministry in rural areas. If one church cannot run a tutoring program by itself because of limited finances or limited volunteers, can it partner with other churches to run the program? This partnership may be ecumenical with churches in the same area or partnership with other United Methodist churches that are not too far distant.</p><p>A broader answer to this challenge is that the church needs to think more deeply about how it supports agriculture as the basis of rural economies. This can range from seeing agriculture as the direct source of giving (as in programs like <a href="https://growinghopeglobally.org/" target="_blank">Growing Hope Globally</a>) to recognizing that the better the agricultural economy is in rural areas, the better the community will do and therefore the more resources will be available for mission and ministry in the church (as in the <a href="https://umcmission.org/yai/" target="_blank">Yambasu Agricultural Initiative</a>).</p><p><b>Inefficiencies of scale</b></p><p>Underlying both of the above issues is a basic challenge of all facets of life in rural areas: inefficiences of scale. In many instances, it is cheaper and easier to provide good and services to larger, more concentrated populations in urban areas than it is to provide those services to small, more spread out populations in rural areas. In the secular world, this economic reality shows up in everything from the closure of rural hospitals and consolidation of rural school districts in the United States to more difficulty in buying things, especially specialized items, in rural areas everywhere to the lack of cell phone and broadband internet access in many rural areas around the world.</p><p>In the church world, the rise of megachurches are a clear expression of this same market logic. It is more efficient to provide religious services to 10,000 people who travel to one location than it is to provide religious services to 10,000 people spread out among 200 small, rural churches. More buildings, pastors, and travel are required for rural ministry.</p><p>Again, having 200 churches with an average of 50 attendees each is not necessarily a bad thing in itself. The problem for rural ministry arises when a drive toward efficiency in the church comes into conflict with the realities of rural ministry.</p><p>Part of the answer to that problem is to question the premise. Is more efficiently provided church ministry better church ministry? Not necessarily so. If the church really values rural ministry and takes seriously the missional call to engage people in rural areas, then it would just accept higher costs. Indeed, mission is rarely the most cost-effective thing to do, but God consistently calls us to missional generosity with our resources. In some instances, it may make sense for the church to think about what missional investment by urban churches in rural churches might look like, recognizing that rural churches are not just recipients of mission but potential sources of mission giving and mission personnel, as the above sections highlight.</p><p>Another response to this challenge is to think carefully about what sort of infrastructure is really necessary to carry out mission and ministry in rural areas. If there is a relatively stable congregation of 12 people, does that congregation need a building, or does it make more sense to meet as a house church? Where is it more effective to have a pastor serve a multi-point charge full time, and where does it make sense to have a bivocational pastor serve a single point charge part time?</p><p>Again, the Methodist tradition of connectionalism is highly relevant here. Methodists have never believed that each congregation should be completely autonomous and sufficient in itself. We have always believed that the church depends on gifts and assets being shared across and pooled among congregations. As I mentioned in my last post, practices like circuit riding, quarterly meetings, and revivals were a means to overcome the efficiency challenges of rural ministry, and modern-day versions of these old Methodist practices remain relevant for rural ministry today.</p><p><b>Conclusion</b></p><p>Urban (and suburban) ministry has its own challenges that I have not tried to address in this post. Certainly, as the world urbanizes, we must also think more carefully about that ministry context as well. But even as urban areas and churches there grow, the UMC will continue to have a significant rural constituency in many settings around the world. It does not benefit the church as a whole to ignore or take for granted the rural portion of itself.</p><p>Ultimately, the goal for the rural and urban ministries of the church should be the same that it is for the church as it extends itself missionally across cultures, nations, and other boundaries. The goal must be for the church in each location to reflectively engage with its local context while the church in all locations joins together in mutual sharing and partnership for the sake of advancing God's kin(g)dom. May it be so, in the city, in the country, and everywhere in between.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-60032164127262830522023-11-09T09:00:00.002-06:002023-11-10T14:03:14.358-06:00The UMC is a Rural Church in an Urbanizing World<p>The UMC is a rural church in an urbanizing world.</p>
<p>This is perhaps a bit of hyperbole, but it underlines important facets of the history and present of The United Methodist Church in many locations around the world, facets that have significant implications for the mission and ministry of the UMC in the present age.</p>
<p>In this post, I will share some historical and anecdotal evidence to support the two components of the argument: first, that the UMC is in many ways a rural church, and second, that the world is urbanizing. In a future post, I will look at the missional, financial, cultural, and other implications of this thesis.</p>
<p><b>The UMC Is a Rural Church</b></p>
<p>I know of no database that has yet been compiled that conveniently provides the percentage of UMC congregations or congregants in rural vs. urban areas. This is true both in the United States and even more so around the world. Thus, my argument will be more historical and anecdotal than statistical.</p>
<p>In the United States, the classic elements of Methodist history - circuit riders, class meetings, camp meetings - were all associated with Methodism's spread along the rural frontier of the new United States. Circuit riders were a successful innovation to bring religion to small, widely dispersed rural settlements. Class meetings kept the faithful going between visits from the circuit riders. And camp meetings provided a place for rural people to gather together for religious (and secular) experiences not available in scattered communities of a few dozen people. These elements combined to allow Methodism to spread well across the new republic, mostly in rural areas. While Methodism would eventually get into urban missions (at the end of the 19th century), and while there were some areas (such as New York City) that had early urban Methodist congregations, the focus for most of US Methodism's early history was on the rural hinterlands, not the cities.</p>
<p>The success of this rural strategy is still apparent in the distribution of UMC congregations in the United States today. Prior to disaffiliation, the UMC had more churches than the US had post offices. This was not largely the result of plentiful churches in urban and suburban areas but rather the continuation of the many rural congregations started by early Methodists, especially east of the Great Plains (where almost all the population lived prior to the Civil War and where the majority of the US population lives still today).</p>
<p>Indeed, if you compare a map of congregations per county in 2020 of United Methodists and Catholics, you can easily tell the more rural composition of United Methodists (on top below) and Catholics (on bottom). The Catholic map allows you to clearly identify Dayton, for instance, because of the urban nature of US Catholicism. The United Methodist map includes many congregations per county in entirely rural parts of Appalachia.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfb30zdT6xSgDGFAYty7mZF_8_sZDUxey8PCIUgeaZ7c7WcgvFnk9GGza4sFu71wyiTQDUMf4AlJsDrw_rSnyTQnmLR0g7xB1TO5SqR4lsQ-GAMJXYz4uy0MH9vDB9alx8mZwPxdMmti68PPpPf4pnjmn7ZfYeNYn-8oj9-XYUD8gOC0J_tqYufFsWg1RF/s1897/UMC%20vs%20Catholic%20Church%20congregations%20per%20county.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1700" data-original-width="1897" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfb30zdT6xSgDGFAYty7mZF_8_sZDUxey8PCIUgeaZ7c7WcgvFnk9GGza4sFu71wyiTQDUMf4AlJsDrw_rSnyTQnmLR0g7xB1TO5SqR4lsQ-GAMJXYz4uy0MH9vDB9alx8mZwPxdMmti68PPpPf4pnjmn7ZfYeNYn-8oj9-XYUD8gOC0J_tqYufFsWg1RF/w400-h359/UMC%20vs%20Catholic%20Church%20congregations%20per%20county.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>
<p>If a rural focus, rural distribution, and rural character has marked US United Methodism, this is true in many other countries around the world.</p>
<p>The current largest episcopal area in the entire UMC is the North Katanga Episcopal Area. The portion of that episcopal area in the DR Congo is almost entirely rural in its composition. There are, to my knowledge, no cities of over 200,000 in an area that contains almost a million United Methodists. These United Methodists, like many in the United States, live in small towns and villages.</p>
<p>In Zimbabwe, although there are now United Methodists throughout the country, an early comity agreement with the British Methodists meant that the British Methodists focused on the cities during the early evangelization of the country, while the predecessors of the UMC focused on the rural area. It was only after United Methodists migrated from rural areas to cities that the denomination opened churches in urban areas.</p>
<p>In Mozambique, there was no United Methodist congregation in the capital and largest city of the country until decades after the church was established, a testimony to the early rural focus of the church on one district of eastern Mozambique.</p>
<p>In Nigeria, the UMC has a strong presence in Jalingo, a state capital about the size of Des Moines, Iowa. But, like Des Moines, Jalingo is merely an anchor for Methodism that is spread throughout the rural areas of the territory as well.</p>
<p>Manila is a huge metropolitan area, and the UMC has always had a presence there, and one of the three Filipino episcopal areas is focused on Manila. But the Baguio Episcopal Area to the north includes mostly rural areas and small cities. Baguio itself, the urban center of the area, only has a population of about 345,000.</p>
<p>The UMC in Norway has congregations in the nine largest cities in Norway. But it also has congregations in three small villages north of the Arctic Circle. If the UMC there is perhaps concentrated near Oslo, it has by no means shunned rural areas.</p>
<p>This is not a comprehensive survey, and there are, of course, counter examples. I have already acknowledged United Methodism in metro Manila. And The United Methodist Church in Liberia, for instance, has a urban flavor to it because of its historic base among Americo-Liberian settlers, who were originally based in Monrovia and other newly formed urban areas.</p>
<p>Still, looked at broadly, I think it is fair to say that The United Methodist Church at very least has strong rural roots in many places throughout the globe and that these roots remain evident in the geographic distribution of the church to this day.</p>
<p><b>The World Is Urbanizing</b></p><p>Many of the historic, rural roots of the UMC described above were set during the 19th century. It is fair to point out that most of the world lived in rural areas in the 19th century. A rural focus for the UMC was notable but not out of line with the experiences of the majority of humanity.</p><p>But there has been a dramatic transformation of where and how humans have lived in the past century, as ever larger numbers and percentages of people congregate in urban areas, a process social scientists refer to as urbanization.</p><p>The United States became a majority urban country about a century ago, in the early 1920s. At the present, almost 80% of the US population lives in urban or suburban areas. Only 21% remain in rural areas of the country. The trend in other developed countries was similar, a steady march to the cities beginning in the late 19th century and continuing on such that the vast majority of the population lives in urban areas at present.</p><p>Yet urbanization has not only been a process in developed countries. Over the past half century, there has been a massive population shift in developing countries as well, as people flock to cities. The majority of the world's population now lives in urban areas. <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/overview#:~:text=Today%2C%20some%2056%25%20of%20the,people%20will%20live%20in%20cities." target="_blank">The World Bank predicts</a> that by 2050, 70% of the world's population will live in cities.</p><p>This move from rural to urban areas (and the creation of many new urban areas) represents a fundamental change in human societies that has implications for all areas of human life. But religion is certainly one of the areas impacted by the shift to cities. And The United Methodist Church, as a church with rural roots that is facing a rapidly urbanizing world, would do well to be cognizant of the missional, financial, cultural, and other implications of this process of urbanization and what they mean for the mission and ministry of the church. I will explore that further in a subsequent piece.</p>
<p></p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-63374965035058828932023-11-02T09:00:00.051-05:002023-11-02T09:00:00.141-05:00Recommended Reading: AI Is Into the White Savior Complex<p>One of the more public-facing uses of AI (artificial intelligence) is in creating images. There are several websites that will allow you to enter prompts and receive back AI-generated pictures. These images are created by computers based on patterns detected in an existing trove of images on the internet.</p><p>As reported in <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/10/06/1201840678/ai-was-asked-to-create-images-of-black-african-docs-treating-white-kids-howd-it-" target="_blank">this NPR article</a>, researcher Arsenii Alenichev decided to test AI image generation on an issue related to global health. While existing images of white, Western doctors treating black, African children abound, Alenichev wanted to see if he could get AI to generate the opposite: images of black, African doctors treating white, Western children. In short, he couldn't.</p><p>Although Alenichev's results were not intended to be scientific, they do point to two important findings that are relevant to Christian mission:</p><p>1. These results show how prevalent the white savior trope is. There are so many existing images of wealthy, white, Westerners helping poor, black, Africans (and others who are not wealthy, white, Westerners) that imagining the reverse is nigh impossible, even for extremely powerful computers. But if we (humans) can only imagine help and mission flowing in one way (from wealthy, white Westerners to others), it is impossible to create reciprocal mission relationships that are based on mutuality. We are locked into patterns where wealthy, white Westerners are givers and everyone else, especially poor, black Africans, are receivers. There is no mutuality possible in such a scenario. We need to expand our missional imaginations.</p><p>2. While artificial intelligence has a wide range of potentially beneficial applications, it cannot overcome the human biases that shape the world as it is. Because artificial intelligence operates by assimilating content from the internet (and elsewhere) and detecting patterns in that content, it is constrained by the pre-existing biases and prejudices that are part of existing content. That content is overwhelmingly made by Westerners and thus reflects the national, social, racial, economic, and other biases common on the West. Computers might save us from some things, but they won't save us from the biases in our hearts. We will need to continue to rely on the Holy Spirit to carry out that work.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-61885422841458819172023-10-26T09:00:00.001-05:002023-10-26T09:00:00.145-05:00Recommended Viewing: Rev. Musi Losaba on African Assets and Aspirations<p>A couple months ago, the <a href="https://www.methodist.org.uk/" target="_blank">Methodist Church in Britain</a> released <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E4THREc8lY" target="_blank">a video interview</a> with Rev. Musi Losaba. Rev. Losaba is the Director of <a href="https://methodist.org.za/?page_id=4263">the Mission Unit</a> of the <a href="https://methodist.org.za/" target="_blank">Methodist Church of Southern Africa</a>. The MCB and MCSA have a historic relationship and an on-going partnership.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="358" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2E4THREc8lY" width="430" youtube-src-id="2E4THREc8lY"></iframe></div><p>The first part of the ~11-minute interview described the situation of the MCSA and some of the current challenges the church is facing, including recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, a common theme for churches around the world. This first part of the interview is certainly worth watching for a better sense of the global Methodist family.</p><p>Then, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E4THREc8lY&t=300s" target="_blank">at 5 minutes into the video</a>, Rev. Losaba begins to talk about what he sees as the church's assets and its aspirations. He talks about the church's land and its people as important assets that the church possesses for mission. He talks about the need to redefine partnership among African churches and churches in the West, away from a focus on finances in which the West gives to Africa and towards a mutuality of sharing of various gifts by all partners. Rev. Losaba names relationship as the ultimate goal of mission partnership.</p><p>Rev. Losaba's vision of mission theology is one to be affirmed. It's also strikingly similar to themes raised up by United Methodist leaders at the <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/consultation-charts-way-for-missional-church" target="_blank">African Partners Consultation</a> <a href="https://umcmission.org/news-statements/partnership-in-mission-with-mutual-respect-and-accountability/" target="_blank">convened by Global Ministries</a> in Maputo, Mozambique, in April. Leaders there also talked about African assets, including land and people, and the need for more mutual partnerships.</p><p>The vision for a new approach to mission is not lacking. It only remains for all of us - regardless of location and denomination - to live into it.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-76441817085230259162023-10-19T09:00:00.014-05:002023-10-19T09:00:00.136-05:00Philip Wingeier-Rayo: Celebrating 150 Years of Methodism in Mexico: Napoleon, Cinco de Mayo, and Reform<p><i>Today's post is by Rev. Dr. Philip Wingeier-Rayo. <a href="https://www.wesleyseminary.edu/faculty-directory/" target="_blank">Rev. Dr. Wingeier-Rayo</a> is Professor of Missiology, World Christianity and Methodist Studies at <a href="https://www.wesleyseminary.edu/" target="_blank">Wesley Theological Seminary</a>.</i></p><p>What does Cinco de Mayo have to do with Methodism in Mexico? Restaurants, schools, and breweries in the U.S. have made the holiday popular—mostly for commercial gain. However, few can articulate the history or significance of the Cinco de Mayo holiday. Some people wrongly assume that it is Mexican Independence Day. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mexico launched its war on September 16, 1810, and won its independence from Spain in 1821, while the Battle of Puebla happened over 50 years later on May 5, 1862. Mexico’s victory was against the French army. </p><p>Now what were the French doing in Mexico? This brings us to our topic of Methodists in Mexico. But first a little background.</p><p>Ever since Hernan Cortez and Spanish conquistadors conquered the Aztecs and Emperor Moctezuma in 1521, politics in Mexico have been intimately intertwined with religion. The Spanish arrived with the sword in one hand and the Bible in the other. The Roman Catholic Church and clergy enjoyed broad ranging power, influence, and wealth – owning approximately 1/3 of Mexican land.</p><p>This began to change when President Benito Juarez (1806-1872) and the liberals advocated for the separation of church and state and freedom of religion. They fought for a constitutional federal state, subjugation of the army to civil authorities, public education, freedom of religion, and the equal distribution of wealth through the sale of unused church property. In 1856, the liberal government headed by Juarez passed the <i>Ley Lerdo</i>, which ordered the sale of church lands (monasteries, cemeteries, etc.) not used for religious purposes. The Catholic Church and clergy fought back in the War of Reform (1858-1860). The liberals won this war and recaptured Mexico City in 1860, passing the freedom of religion law, which allowed other denominations besides Catholics to legally operate in Mexico. The government carried out reforms, nationalizing Catholic properties and secularizing charitable institutions (e.g., hospitals). The liberals turned around and sold these properties to the public, which allowed for the creation of a Mexican middle class.</p><p>The Roman Catholic clergy and conservative allies were on the losing end of these reforms and encouraged French Emperor Napoleon III to intervene, which he did under the pretext of an outstanding national debt to France. The French invaded Mexico in 1862, and Napoleon named Maximiliano I to be emperor of Mexico. A sense of national pride and sovereignty rallied Mexican troops, who initially defeated the French army on May 5 at the Battle of Puebla. The victory was short-lived as the better-equipped army advanced and entered Mexico City in 1864. Maximiliano I tried to create a unified government, but he was caught between the competing claims of liberals and the coalition of conservatives and clerics. In 1867, Maximiliano was defeated by Benito Juarez and executed, marking a victory for the liberals and for the Reform. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>What does this have to do with Methodism? </b></p><p>The liberal government found an ally in North American and European Protestants who believed in literacy, public education, health care, democracy, and ministry in rural areas—especially to the indigenous populations. A former Franciscan convent on Gante Street in Mexico City was one once of the properties confiscated and sold by the liberal government. It was and is a majestic site. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, the lands had been used by Emperor Moctezuma as a garden before it became the first and largest Franciscan convent in New Spain. Between 1862 and 1873 after being sold during the <i>Reforma</i>, this building had various owners and was used for different purposes. In 1865, it was home to the Chiarini Circus, which Emperor Maximiliano once attended with his wife, Carlota. While the National Palace was under repair during 1868-9, this site became a place of legislation as temporary home to the Chamber of Deputies. It was also used as a theatre, restaurant, and cantina, among other functions. </p><p>In 1871, the Missions Committee of the Methodist Episcopal Church approved $10,000 for missions in Mexico. The following year, William Butler, missionary and founder of the Methodist Church in India, was named secretary of the American and Foreign Christian Union and was tasked with mission work in papal lands, specifically in Latin America. Ms. Matilda Rankin, a Congregationalist based in Brownsville, Texas, invited the Butlers to go to Mexico, and so on February 1, 1873, the family sailed for Veracruz and took a train to Mexico City. The Butlers purchased the former Franciscan monastery for $16,300 to start the first Methodist Church. They began an orphanage with 37 girls, and Mrs. Butler established a support group for mothers every Tuesday night. </p><p>Alejo Hernández became the first Mexican to be ordained by the MEC, South in December of 1871. Born in Aguascalientes, Hernández came to Brownsville, Texas, in search of a Protestant Bible and was ordained a deacon by Bishop Enoch Martin in Corpus Christi, Texas, and then he traveled back to Mexico City to assist Butler to help the new Methodist mission on Gante Street in 1873. The same year, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South sent Bishop JC Keener, and he purchased the former chapel of St. Andrew on the corner of San Andres and Callejon 57 streets in Mexico City. </p><p>The liberal reforms and defeat of the French army created a window of opportunity for the Methodists, along with the Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and other Protestants, to begin mission work in Mexico—150 years ago this year. To honor this history, the Methodist Church of Mexico will hold a celebratory conference later this year with the theme “Renovation and Future,” to be held at the Santisima Trinidad Methodist Church at Gante Street 5, November 30 – December 2.</p><p></p><p></p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-87346697505615401342023-10-12T09:00:00.001-05:002023-10-12T09:00:00.153-05:00David W. Scott and Filipe Maia: Methodism and American Empire<p><i>The following is a preview excerpt from the Introduction to</i> <a href="https://www.cokesbury.com/Methodism-and-American-Empire" target="_blank">Methodism and American Empire: Reflections on Decolonizing the Church</a><i>, edited by David W. Scott and Filipe Maia. The forthcoming book will be published by Abingdon Press in January 2024 and is available for pre-order now: <a href="https://www.cokesbury.com/Methodism-and-American-Empire" target="_blank">https://www.cokesbury.com/Methodism-and-American-Empire</a>.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p>
<p><i>Methodism and American Empire: Reflections on Decolonizing the Church</i> investigates historical trajectories and theological developments that connect American imperialism in the post-World War II period on the one hand and Methodist and Wesleyan traditions on the other. Methodist and Wesleyan traditions have been shaped by the imperial practices and mindsets of their American members, even when they aspire to be global denominations united by a shared Methodist conviction in connectionalism as an ecclesial principle. </p><p>The United Methodist Church, the largest denomination in the Wesleyan family, was founded in 1968 and strove to uphold the connectional principle in an ecclesial structure that was global in scope. United Methodists are unique in both the fact that they represent a typical example of an originally Unites States-based denomination and that they currently embody the distinct tensions and fractures of a global church. The complex negotiations that take place across different national, cultural, and political contexts have set up the historical backdrop for the imminent schism of The United Methodist Church. They might also be perceived as symptoms of lingering forms of American imperialism that persist in global Methodism.</p>
<p>The guiding question that informs the reflections in this volume is: to what extent is Methodism’s vision of global connection marred by American imperialism? To tackle this question, <i>Methodism and American Empire </i>offers<i> </i>a series of historical and theological analyses that focus on the entanglement of Methodism and empire in the second half of the twentieth century and the twenty-first century. This chronological focus recognizes the significance of the recent wave of globalization in shaping American empire, Empire writ large, and global Methodist denominations such as The United Methodist Church. It also seeks to capture the intersections between global and American tensions in church and society. With this volume, we seek to provide a historical perspective to understand the specific context of The United Methodist Church while also raising ecclesiological questions about the impact of imperialism on how United Methodists have understood the nature and mission of the church over the last century.</p>
<p>From the start of North American colonies of European powers, empire has characterized the American experience. The role of empire in shaping the United States extends far beyond its origins as an imperial hinterland itself or its turn-of-the-twentieth-century heyday of possessing its own colonies. Empire as concentrated, top-down power that seeks to control others for the sake of its own agendas is a constant within U.S. history. The impulses and perspectives of empire have characterized and continue to characterize American politics, economics, culture, and religion in a thorough-going way. Empire is a basic strategy by which those with power in the United States have sought to unite larger groups for the sake of asserting power over others, even as those within these in-groups often act against their own interests by participating in such imperial projects. Thus, empire is a technique of exploitation of those within and beyond the empire, especially those on the margins.</p>
<p>At the turn of the twenty-first century, the category of Empire became an important concept in political philosophy with the publication of Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri’s <i>Empire</i>.<a href="https://gbgm-my.sharepoint.com/personal/dscott_umcmission_org/Documents/Research/Methodism%20and%20Empire/Chapters/Methodism%20and%20Empire%20for%20UM%20&amp;%20Global.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><sup>[1]</sup></span></sup></span></a> The book traces changes in the political constitution of sovereignty over the last decades of the twentieth century to suggest that we no longer live in the age of <i>imperialism</i>. In contrast to it, the concept of Empire speaks to a political and social situation that lacks a clear center of power and where national imperialist interests give room to transnational corporations and political alliances. For Hardt and Negri, Empire represents <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">a new dispensation of sovereign power “composed of a series of national and supranational organisms united under a single logic of rule.”</span><a href="https://gbgm-my.sharepoint.com/personal/dscott_umcmission_org/Documents/Research/Methodism%20and%20Empire/Chapters/Methodism%20and%20Empire%20for%20UM%20&amp;%20Global.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;">[2]</span></sup></span></a> Under the conditions of Empire, sovereign power no longer rests at the seat of the monarch or the head of government; it has been dispersed throughout transnational entities that, though still potentially connected to nation-states, transcend the agency of any one nation. Empire is quite adept in accepting and incorporating regional and cultural differences while proliferating structures of power that remain more homogenous, more widespread, and more global. Empire is more insidious because it is more subtle, more incisive because it does not rely exclusively on imposition, and more ubiquitous because it shapes people’s subjectivities on a deeper level.</p>
<p>The passage from imperialism to Empire is therefore a central aspect of Hardt and Negri’s analysis of power in the latter portion of the twentieth century. Yet if Empire today can operate beyond the central control of a nation-state, it remains true that concentrations of power continue to be clustered around the United States and its wealthy global partners. Whether as symptom of a passage to Empire or as the stubborn nature of sovereign power, the force of the nation-state remains steadfast and has been reclaimed by nationalistic movements as of late.</p>
<p>This book demonstrates that global Methodism is an example of the complex interplay between imperialism and Empire, between a U.S.-centric perspective on globalization and a transnational ecclesial body that lacks an exclusive center of power but that nevertheless finds itself structurally caught up in a typically American mindset. By paying close attention to the impact that the United States had in the shaping of global Methodism, specifically The United Methodist Church, this book will point out that ecclesial developments can be situated in this larger context of Empire. </p><p>That is to say, when Methodists in multiple settings negotiated a common understanding of a “global denomination,” they did so in a “globe” that was being created in the image and likeliness of empire. We will show that these negotiations were always tied to the central role the United States played in global Methodism. At times, it is possible to observe Methodist traditions that have too quickly been subsumed by the logic of Empire. In other instances, we hope to demonstrate, Methodist voices might be perceived as resisting imperial forces and shaping what might be understood as a subversive view of the globe.</p>
<p>This volume provides a critical perspective on the efforts of The United Methodist Church and other Methodist bodies in constructing a global denomination. Through archival research, historical analyses, and theological reflections, this volume chronicles the formation of a global ecclesial ethos amongst United Methodists since the mid-twentieth century. These accounts demonstrate how the denomination has struggled to find a balance between centralized ecclesial authority and local and national autonomy. The authors in this volume suggest that this ecclesial tension ought to be understood in the context of imperialism.</p>
<p>Methodism as a denominational tradition has historically resisted U.S. imperialism even as it has often also succumbed to it. That process of struggle and contestation is on-going, as references to an on-going split in The United Methodist Church indicate. We hope this volume will give encouragement to those engaged in that struggle</p>
<p>This volume contains contributions from the following:</p>
<p>A Foreword from Joerg Rieger</p>
<p>David W. Scott and Filipe Maia: “Introduction: Methodism and the Spirit of Empire”</p>
<p>Joon-Sik Park: “The Worldwide Nature of The United Methodist Church: A Historical and Missiological Reflection”</p>
<p>Philip Wingeier-Rayo: “The Autonomous Process of Latin American Methodism: A Critical Review”</p>
<p>David W. Scott: “American Power in the Global Church in Ecumenical Methodist Perspective”</p>
<p>Jørgen Thaarup: “The UMC Discipline: A Parallel Power Structure to the American Administration of the Nation”</p>
<p>Darryl W. Stephens: “A Global Ethic for a Divided Church”</p>
<p>Taylor Denyer: “Ecclesiastic Empires: American Conflict and the African UMC”</p>
<p>Lloyd Nyarota: “The Struggle of African Voices in The United Methodist Church”</p>
<p>Cristine Carnate-Atrero and Izzy Alvaran: “The Christmas Covenant: Toward Decolonizing UMC Polity”</p>
<p>Filipe Maia: “Whither Global Methodism?”</p><div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
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<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="https://gbgm-my.sharepoint.com/personal/dscott_umcmission_org/Documents/Research/Methodism%20and%20Empire/Chapters/Methodism%20and%20Empire%20for%20UM%20&amp;%20Global.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;">[1]</span></sup></span></a> Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, <i>Empire</i> (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000).</p>
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<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="https://gbgm-my.sharepoint.com/personal/dscott_umcmission_org/Documents/Research/Methodism%20and%20Empire/Chapters/Methodism%20and%20Empire%20for%20UM%20&amp;%20Global.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><sup><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;">[2]</span></sup></span></a> Hardt and Negri, xii.</p>
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</div>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-45127212340033199532023-10-05T09:00:00.001-05:002023-10-05T09:00:00.138-05:00Recommended Readings: Methodist Marriage Debates in Norway<p>There's been a significant debate in Norway in the past month about Methodist marriage, but it has nothing to do with whether the UMC in that country should consecrate same-sex marriages. Instead, the discussion has been among Methodists, the government, and law experts over whether minor changes to the Methodist marriage liturgy since 1991 invalidated the approximately 800 marriages performed by Methodist clergy since then.</p><p>Here's the background: In Norway, church bodies are required to submit their wedding liturgies to the government in order to get government approval in order for church-performed marriages to be recognized by the government. The Methodist Church in Norway did that in 1970, and the government approved the liturgy and agreed to recognize marriages performed by the church. Then in 1991, 2009, 2017 and 2019, the church made minor changes to the liturgy to modernize it. The church, however, considered these changes sufficiently minor that they did not require re-approval from the government.</p><p>Then, at the beginning of September, one of the major newspapers in Norway, <i>Dagen</i>, published <a href="https://www.dagen.no/nyheter/dagen-avslorer-nesten-800-ekteskap-kan-vaere-ugyldige/" target="_blank">an article</a> which included an interview with a law professor who asserted that these changes to the marriage liturgy of the Methodist Church in Norway could make the weddings performed invalid in the eyes of the state. This set off a debate across multiple publications about the professor's claims.</p><p>Methodist theologians and church leaders worked with the relevant government body (Bufdir) to explain the changes and reassure them that these changes did not constitute significant revisions that would require re-approval from the government. The government now seems satisfied with this response, and the marriages should not be invalidated.</p><p>This story is worth sharing for two reasons:</p><p>1. It's always good to know about and sympathize with in prayer the challenges that fellow Methodists around the world are experiencing.</p><p>2. It's a fairly dramatic example of just how differently people think about church, marriage, and law in different national contexts around the world. To many US Americans, the idea of the government approving church liturgies is likely incomprehensible. But it's an accepted reality for Norwegians.</p><p>To read more, see the following links (use a web translator to translate from Norwegian):</p><p><a href="https://www.metodistkirken.no/ugyldige-vigsler-oppslag-i-dagen">https://www.metodistkirken.no/ugyldige-vigsler-oppslag-i-dagen</a></p><p><a href="https://www.metodistkirken.no/arbeider-hardt-for-a-rydde-opp-i-forvirringen-om-vigsler">https://www.metodistkirken.no/arbeider-hardt-for-a-rydde-opp-i-forvirringen-om-vigsler</a></p><p><a href="https://www.metodistkirken.no/vigsler-vil-nok-bli-ettergodkjent-av-statsforvalteren-om-det-er-nodvendig">https://www.metodistkirken.no/vigsler-vil-nok-bli-ettergodkjent-av-statsforvalteren-om-det-er-nodvendig</a></p><p><a href="https://www.metodistkirken.no/oppdatering-om-vigsler-i-metodistkirken">https://www.metodistkirken.no/oppdatering-om-vigsler-i-metodistkirken</a></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=722842773217309&set=a.337998871701703">https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=722842773217309&set=a.337998871701703</a></p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-73867574581256557092023-09-28T09:00:00.104-05:002023-09-28T09:00:00.154-05:00David W. Scott: The Coming Pastoral Shortage as a Missional Concern<p><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px;">Today's post is by UM & Global blogmaster Dr. David W. Scott, Mission Theologian at the <a href="https://www.umcmission.org/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">General Board of Global Ministries</a>. The opinions and analysis expressed here are Dr. Scott's own and do not reflect in any way the official position of Global Ministries.</i></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px;">At the annual meeting of the Northern Germany Annual Conference this past June, conference leaders <a href="Today's post is by UM & Global blogmaster Dr. David W. Scott, Mission Theologian at the General Board of Global Ministries. The opinions and analysis expressed here are Dr. Scott's own and do not reflect in any way the official position of Global Ministries." target="_blank">shared a startling statistic</a>: the number of active pastors in the conference is expected to drop in half in the next eight years. In response, the conference is looking to promote more collaboration across congregations and to form "multi-professional teams" of pastors and skilled lay workers who can collectively provide leadership to United Methodist congregations.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px;">United Methodists in the United States would do well to watch and learn from this experiment as it unfolds in Germany over the next several years. While the statistics might not be quite as dramatic as in the Northern Germany Annual Conference, there are indications that the United States is heading towards a growing clergy shortage as well. This is something that this blog <a href="http://www.umglobal.org/2022/01/the-great-resignation-great-retirement.html" target="_blank">wrote about a year and a half ago</a>, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2023/07/31/churches-shrink-pastors-retire-creative-workarounds-are-redefining-ministry/" target="_blank">a <i>Washington Post</i> story from this summer</a> drew similar conclusions.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">Clergy decline is not a new trend. The number of ordained elders in the US UMC has been declining since 1990, according to the <a href="https://www.churchleadership.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Clergy-Age-Trends-Report-2022.pdf" target="_blank">Lewis Center for Church Leadership</a>. There are almost half as many ordained elders now as there was thirty years ago (21,507 in 1990 vs. 11,168 in 2022).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">However, up until recently, this trend of declining elders has been masked and managed by other trends:</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px;">At the same time as the number of ordained elders has gone down, the number of licensed local pastors has increased substantially. The number of licensed local pastors rose from just under 4,000 in 1990 to over 7,500 in 2020, again <a href="https://www.churchleadership.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Clergy-Age-Trends-Report-2022.pdf" target="_blank">according to the Lewis Center</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">Moreover, as smaller churches have closed and </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px;">proportionately</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px;">more members have worshipped in larger congregations, the number of elders required to serve US United Methodists has decreased.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">And as small, rural congregations have gotten smaller, the number of multi-point charges (groups of churches served by a shared minister) has increased, with some charges now including four or more churches.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">Masked within the number of elders is another trend: an increasing reliance on <a href="https://umglobal.org/2021/02/a-church-that-imports-pastors-is.html" target="_blank">clergy who have immigrated from another country</a>. Without these immigrant clergy members, the decline in the number of elders would have been even more stark.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">Yet, these various off-setting trends will likely no longer continue to provide adequate solutions to a decline in the number of ordained clergy from the United States. The number of licensed local pastors has itself been declining since 2019. Increased visa restrictions and issues of regionalization may make it harder for the United States to import pastors in the future. And while multi-point charges are certain to increase, there are limits to just how many churches can be served and how many miles can be driven by one pastor.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">Thus, churches in the United States will need to look to other solutions and other models for clergy deployment in the next decade, which is why the Northern Germany story is so significant. It is an experiment, one that may yield models worth copying. There are others as well, including from the Methodist Church in Britain. But wherever the ideas come from, experiments will need to be tried.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">Finally, it is important to point out that the question of finding models that will match the number of clergy and the number of churches is not just an administrative one, but a missional one.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">In the 18th and 19th century, Methodism's model of itinerant clergy was a major factor in the growth of the denomination throughout the United States. Not all those clergy were ordained elders, but finding a way to develop and deploy enough leadership to where the missional needs of the community and the country are was part of what made Methodism a successful missional movement.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">The systems for recruiting, training, and deploying congregational leadership are likely to look very different in the future than they did in the era of the circuit riders or in the recent eras of the ubiquitous M.Div.-trained elder or the rise of licensed local pastors.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.6px;">But the need for called and trained leaders who can lead the church forth in mission will always be constant. May the church experiment successfully with new models for finding such leaders.</span></span></p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-29501555624687624522023-09-21T09:00:00.051-05:002023-09-21T09:00:00.140-05:00Darlene Marquez-Caramanzana: A Journey of Solidarity: Ruth and Naomi’s Story, Part II<p><i>Today’s post is by Deaconess Darlene Marquez-Caramanzana. Marquez-Caramanzana is an Area Liaison for Asia and the Pacific with Global Ministries. It is the second of two parts. This post was originally developed for the World Methodist Council Consultation on Migration.</i></p>
<p>In my previous post, I introduced the story of Ruth and Naomi’s relationship and named the resonances that it has for our ministry with migrants in our time and locations. I raised the question of Ruth and solidarity.</p>
<p>Ruth’s story is instructive of the who, the why, and the how of solidarity. Despite her own vulnerability, Ruth embarked on the unknown because of her deep love for Naomi. She did not look on her personal struggle as a vulnerable woman solely, but she grabbed the opportunity to show to Naomi, who was then desperate and surrendered to her lot, to see that it is better if they are together in the journey. It was radical love professed in this mother-in-law – daughter-in-law relationship.</p>
<p>Ruth’s story is instructive of our missiological task of ministering to those who need God the most, those whose only hope is God.</p>
<p>When we talk about mission these days, and when we talk about the plight of migrant men and women and gender minorities, are we not supposed to be talking of how deep our solidarity is with them?</p>
<p>With Ruth and Naomi embracing a journey together, I see two individual women charting their own future and deciding for themselves the outcome of that future rather than just waiting for others to dictate their course. It was a journey of mutual support that challenged how people and society looked at and treated them. It was a risky journey but a worthy one to undertake.</p>
<p>I don’t have any intention to romanticize the story of Ruth – it was truly, definitely a difficult journey.</p>
<p>But her story speaks to every one of us – as individuals resisting cultural impositions and anything that denies us of our full humanity. It speaks to struggling migrants and immigrants actively looking for ways out of poverty, dehumanization, and insecurity. It speaks to us as churches seeking to be in solidarity with those who are vulnerable.</p>
<p>And I would like us to focus on the last: Ruth’s story speaking to us as churches seeking to be in solidarity with those who are vulnerable.</p>
<p>Part of Global Ministries Theology of Mission Statement says:</p>
<p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in; margin-top: 0in;"><i>The Church experiences and engages in God’s mission as it pours itself out for others, ready to cross every boundary to call for true human dignity among all peoples, especially among those regarded as the least of God’s children, all the while making disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world.</i></p>
<p>In solidarity we have to empty ourselves. It is in emptying ourselves that we are able to identify with our struggling and distressed brothers and sisters. We cannot claim to journey in solidarity with them when we ourselves are limited by our own impositions and claims to correct knowledge and expertise.</p>
<p>Our readiness to cross boundaries defines the way in which we incarnate our faith. Emptying ourselves is a pre-requisite in crossing boundaries. More than geographical boundaries, we focus ourselves on crossing the boundaries of race, class, gender, age, and others. We cross our own personal boundaries of individualism, egoism, privilege and comfort. We break down the walls that keep us apart from the suffering of others. We break down the walls that render us numb to the pulsating pain brought about by oppression, dehumanization, and marginalization.</p>
<p>To be in solidarity is to recognize that people are decisive in charting their course. To be in solidarity with them is to provide them support as they affirm their agencies and build their capacities. We share our resources with them – yes. But it is not the determining factor in regaining their humanity. Our roles should be to render our presence in their journey in such a way that obstructions are eliminated and they are able to regain their power. To be in solidarity is to embody the hope that they themselves are capable of rising up.</p>
<p>We will need to take into full account that our understanding of the plight of migrants and immigrants should be our primordial concern. Their context defines the response that we as churches or mission agencies can learn from. Their journey, their struggles, their hopes and aspirations should inform our perspectives, practice, and theology of mission.</p>
<p>Ruth may have undergone a lot of self-emptying so that the essence of solidarity was incarnated in her accompaniment of Naomi. Solidarity was not just a word or concept for Ruth. It was in flesh, lived out in her decision to be with Naomi until death. Her solidarity resulted in hope. A hope that assured Naomi that her battles were not just hers. A hope that enabled their community to see Ruth and Naomi on a different light.</p>
<p>As churches we participate in the emancipatory struggles so that we, too, become ambassadors of hope. For those who are not able to see light clearly. For those struggling to get up on their feet. Ruth became a beacon of hope for Naomi. And so must we. For the sake of the least, the last and the lost.</p>
<p>Our theme for the consultation is “On the move.” As the spirit, as Ruah, is with us, we must we be on our feet, on the move. We can’t just tarry in the garden. We need to move. We need to do something. Our faith compels us to serve. Our God is calling us to move. But let me also affirm that as we move, God is also in the movement or movements of people, in movements where we participate meaningfully so that life abundant becomes a lived reality for the world’s most vulnerable people. Amen.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-17130162042523017862023-09-14T09:00:00.099-05:002023-09-14T09:00:00.139-05:00Darlene Marquez-Caramanzana: A Journey of Solidarity: Ruth and Naomi’s Story, Part I<p><i>Today’s post is by Deaconess Darlene Marquez-Caramanzana. Marquez-Caramanzana is an Area Liaison for Asia and the Pacific with Global Ministries. It is the first of two parts. This post was originally developed for the World Methodist Council Consultation on Migration.</i></p>
<p>In 2013, Joanna Demafellis’ home in Leyte was among those torn and decimated by Typhoon Yolanda (Hayan). The raging flood stripped down the family home to its frame. In 2014, through the help of an aunt, Joanna was able to fly to Kuwait to work as a domestic helper. As a domestic helper, she was promised a monthly salary of $400. Under the kafala system, foreigners entering Kuwait need sponsorship to act as a bridge to the country. The employer got to keep her passport and confiscated her mobile phone, and she was only allowed to use it every 3 months. In 2016, her family sensed a problem when they couldn’t find two of her Facebook profiles and her roaming number became out of reach. In 2018, Kuwaiti authorities found Joanna’s body by chance, kept in a freezer of her second employer.</p>
<p>Jullebee Ranara was a domestic worker. She could not send her 4 children to school because she was poor. In her desire to offer better lives for her children, she decided to work abroad. Perhaps also a victim of illegal recruiters or human trafficking, she ended up working for a family in Kuwait. On January 21, 2023, she was reportedly raped, murdered, burned, and thrown in the desert. News reports would point to her employer’s 17-year-old son as her tormentor and killer.</p>
<p>We remember their stories as we engage in Bible study on the Book of Ruth. I would center our thoughts on the part of the Book of Ruth that is focused on Naomi and Ruth’s relationship.</p>
<p>Ruth’s story resonates with me as a deaconess engaged in mission work through Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. How does her story deepen my commitment to be in solidarity with those who need our significant presence, and what is the role of mission agencies as people journey in risky situations in foreign lands?</p>
<p>Ruth’s story also resonates with the many women, like Joanna and Jullebee, who leave our country everyday by the thousands to find a greener pasture in foreign lands so that their families here in the Philippines may live.</p>
<p>Naomi’s family, along with daughters in law Ruth and Orpah, left Judah to go to Moab because of famine. In Biblical narratives, the most common consequence of famines is involuntary migration. This was evident in the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Rachel and their sons. They would usually migrate to Egypt to seek food, even if it meant being subjected to exploitation by Egyptian masters and rulers. Most of these people’s lives were turned upside down by the realities of famine during their time. Their stories speak of the vulnerability that migrants face as they rely on the mercy of people to help them and yet are in turn subjected to abuse and exploitation of those in power.</p>
<p>Mijal Bitton, a teacher, writer, and leading thinker on questions relating to Jewish American identity, pluralism, gender equity and sociological diversity asserts that “starvation is not a function of scarcity, but rather a function of how societies distribute food.”<a href="https://gbgm-my.sharepoint.com/personal/dscott_umcmission_org/Documents/UM%20&amp;%20Global/Guest%20Posts/Marquez-Caramanzana%20-%20A%20Journey%20of%20Solidarity.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;">[1]</span></span></a> This is confirmed by economist and philosopher, Amartya Sen whose “work demandsthat instead of examining food availability, we should be investigating whether individuals can gain access to food and control food resources. This shift is borne out by the Genesis stories. The Mesopotamian region and neighboring Egypt could potentially feed everyone. But Abram, Sarai and their children must fight to get access to food, and must confront the dangerous vulnerability embodied by economic migrants.”<a href="https://gbgm-my.sharepoint.com/personal/dscott_umcmission_org/Documents/UM%20&amp;%20Global/Guest%20Posts/Marquez-Caramanzana%20-%20A%20Journey%20of%20Solidarity.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;">[2]</span></span></a> This is also the same context that prompted Naomi’s family to move from Judah to Moab.</p>
<p>As I reflect on the stories I earlier shared about Joanna and Jullebee – I can’t help but also point out that if we talk of resources, my country, the Philippines, has enough resources to feed and provide for all of its people. But the question remains: why do people need to migrate, and why are people poor?</p>
<p>Let’s go to Ruth . . . </p>
<p>In the story, Ruth showed a deep faithfulness to Naomi. In losing her husband and two sons, Naomi is resigned to the kind of life awaiting her. She knows that nothing is left for her but to wallow in poverty and shame. She blessed her two daughters-in-law and sent them home. Orpah obliged. Ruth did not. And to this Ruth pledged to never leave Naomi and spoke of a beautiful, poetic commitment:</p>
<p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><i>Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried (v.16 NIV).</i></p>
<p>As for Mijal-Bitton, “Ruth’s persona is intersectional: she embodies the vulnerabilities of women, of widows, of economic migrants, of foreigners, of stigmatized strangers (she is a Moabite).”<a href="https://gbgm-my.sharepoint.com/personal/dscott_umcmission_org/Documents/UM%20&amp;%20Global/Guest%20Posts/Marquez-Caramanzana%20-%20A%20Journey%20of%20Solidarity.docx#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;">[3]</span></span></a></p>
<p>In their time it was not easy for Naomi, Ruth and Orpah to lose their husbands. They have to bear the brunt of a difficult life in a patriarchal world – without property, without status, without economic power, non-existent.</p>
<p>When Ruth decided to leave her all and be with Naomi, she put to risk her own life. Her decision meant that whatever happens to Naomi would also happen to her.</p>
<p>This story raises questions for me: How did Ruth embody solidarity with Naomi? How does this solidarity challenge us as churches to do our ministry with struggling migrants and immigrants? How do we see the image of God in Ruth’s decision to accompany Naomi? What image of God do we want to profess or give witness to as we engage in ministry with migrants?</p><div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
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<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="https://gbgm-my.sharepoint.com/personal/dscott_umcmission_org/Documents/UM%20&amp;%20Global/Guest%20Posts/Marquez-Caramanzana%20-%20A%20Journey%20of%20Solidarity.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;">[1]</span></span></a> <a href="https://forward.com/life/447355/the-book-of-ruth-famine-pandemic/">The Book of Ruth: A story about famine offers a powerful lesson for a pandemic – The Forward</a></p>
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<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="https://gbgm-my.sharepoint.com/personal/dscott_umcmission_org/Documents/UM%20&amp;%20Global/Guest%20Posts/Marquez-Caramanzana%20-%20A%20Journey%20of%20Solidarity.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;">[2]</span></span></a> Ibid.</p>
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<div id="ftn3" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="https://gbgm-my.sharepoint.com/personal/dscott_umcmission_org/Documents/UM%20&amp;%20Global/Guest%20Posts/Marquez-Caramanzana%20-%20A%20Journey%20of%20Solidarity.docx#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;">[3]</span></span></a> Ibid.</p>
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</div>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-14767403978414694132023-09-07T09:00:00.045-05:002023-09-07T09:00:00.140-05:00Rodney Aist: Mission Bound: Short-Term Mission as Pilgrimage<p><i>Today’s post is by Rev. Rodney Aist. Rev. Aist is a United Methodist clergy in the New Mexico Annual Conference, currently serving as the course director at St George’s College, Jerusalem. It relates to his recently published book, </i><a href="https://wipfandstock.com/9781666741353/mission-bound/" target="_blank">Mission Bound: Short-Term Mission as Pilgrimage</a><i> (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2023).</i></p>
<p>The mission journey is a response to the longings of the world, addressing issues from poverty and health care to natural disasters. People, near and far, lack sufficient food and shelter, safety and security, hope for a better tomorrow. Christian mission is a response to an imperfect world, following in the footsteps of Jesus, who was moved to compassion by the needs <i>and </i>potential of others. The mission journey offers a pathway for everyday Christians to embody the love of God, to serve others, and, in doing so, to change the world.</p>
<p>The mission journey changes lives: our own and others, in immediate and long-term ways. Mission travel takes us beyond the scenes and routines of our everyday lives to paradoxical settings: to places in need where we encounter God in the Other, to people of faith who grace us with gifts to transform our lives back home.</p>
<p>Through serving others, we encounter God, and <i>our </i>lives are changed as well. What we discover on a mission journey is that the <i>people </i>who we’re called to serve bless <i>us </i>with the power and grace of God. While the call of short-term mission is to journey faithfully as a servant, guest, and stranger, the lesson of religious travel is that our everyday world is also in need of healing, salvation, and reconciliation. That’s an important, if overlooked, aspect of the mission adventure: the self-awareness that our everyday world isn’t perfect, that our culture doesn’t hold all the answers, the humility to know that we are all incomplete people in need of God and one another.</p>
<p>In my book <i>Mission Bound: Short-Term Mission as Pilgrimage</i>, I offer a transformative approach to short-term mission. Pilgrimage is a comprehensive image of the Christian life that encompasses both personal and social transformation, and <i>Mission Bound </i>reframes <i>short-term mission as pilgrimage </i>as a holistic expression of faith that includes the experience of God, self, and the Other.</p>
<p>On a mission journey, we engage the Other, encounter God, and (re)discover ourselves in transformative ways. Pilgrimage is crossing boundaries, following God in unfamiliar places, both being and befriending the stranger, and walking alongside one another. As the imitation of Christ, pilgrimage embodies humility, service, love, and compassion, as well as our vulnerability with others. Espousing the union of God, self, and the Other as the objective of the Christian life, <i>Mission Bound</i> casts the mission partnership as one of reciprocal relations based on the body of Christ. Being partners in mission is the practice of journeying together. It’s discovering together, through the grace of God, solutions to the worlds in which we live.</p>
<p><i>Mission Bound</i> develops a pilgrim spirituality for short-term mission, offers the gift of cultural humility, and addresses the challenges of the mission experience. In doing so, it covers the entirety of the mission journey in detailed, practical ways, including preparation and departure, time at the mission site, the return home, and the aftermath of the journey. As a pre-departure study guide, questions for individual and group discussion conclude each chapter.</p>
<p>The core of the book explores short-term mission through the lens of the Hero’s Journey (Joseph Campbell), which follows a threefold pattern: the traveler (1) leaves his or her ordinary world, (2) crosses a threshold into a special world full of ordeals, allies, conflicts, and treasures, and (3) returns home transformed, sharing the rewards of the adventure with others. Heroes consist of ordinary people who are summoned on a journey, face challenges, sacrifice and suffer, and emerge as wiser, more virtuous figures. Through short-term mission pilgrimage, ordinary Christians can be heroes in their faith.</p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-21617907319170593882023-08-31T09:00:00.039-05:002023-08-31T09:00:00.153-05:00News Roundup 8/31/2023<p>Below is a run-down of significant (United) Methodist stories from the past month.</p>
<p><b>Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters Approves Regionalization Plan</b>: The unanimous action now sends the eight petitions of the plan, which was also endorsed by the Connectional Table, straight to General Conference next year: <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/regionalization-plan-heads-to-general-conference">https://www.umnews.org/en/news/regionalization-plan-heads-to-general-conference</a> and <a href="https://www.resourceumc.org/en/content/regionalization-legislation-petitions-submitted-to-general-conference">https://www.resourceumc.org/en/content/regionalization-legislation-petitions-submitted-to-general-conference</a></p>
<p><b>Church Separation Discussed in Liberia</b>: In July, Bishop Quire convened a meeting at which proponents of both disaffiliation from the UMC and of continuing in the UMC shared their views: <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/church-separation-takes-center-stage-in-liberia">https://www.umnews.org/en/news/church-separation-takes-center-stage-in-liberia</a></p>
<p><b>Global Ministries Hosts Missionary Consultation</b>: Global Ministries convened missionaries, staff, and partners at the beginning of Atlanta to discuss the guiding principles of missionary service: <a href="https://umcmission.org/story/consultation-reexamines-principles-of-missionary-service/">https://umcmission.org/story/consultation-reexamines-principles-of-missionary-service/</a></p>
<p><b>GCFA Approves Bishops’ Raise, Increase in Agency Pay Scale</b>: The board approved the actions at its August meeting, and they will take effect in 2024: <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/finance-board-votes-on-bishop-agency-pay">https://www.umnews.org/en/news/finance-board-votes-on-bishop-agency-pay</a></p>
<p><b>GCFA Conducts Training for African Leaders</b>: GCFA hosted a virtual training on administrative matters for over 200 United Methodist leaders from across Africa: <a href="https://www.gcfa.org/resource/gcfa-hosts-administrative-training-for-africa">https://www.gcfa.org/resource/gcfa-hosts-administrative-training-for-africa</a>, with related resources available in English, French, Portuguese, and Swahili: <a href="https://www.gcfa.org/central-conference-training">https://www.gcfa.org/central-conference-training</a></p>
<p><b>Africa University Announces New Degree in Journalism</b>: Africa University is creating a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Media and Journalism: <a href="https://twitter.com/Africa_Univ/status/1690013782439809024/photo/1">https://twitter.com/Africa_Univ/status/1690013782439809024/photo/1</a></p>
<p><b>Network Renamed to United Methodist Broadcast Network</b>: The former United Methodist Radio Network, composed of United Methodists from across Africa and the Philippines, renamed itself to reflect a broader vision: <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/radio-network-transforms-to-reach-more-people">https://www.umnews.org/en/news/radio-network-transforms-to-reach-more-people</a></p>
<p><b>Zimbabwe UMC Conducts Evangelism Campaign</b>: The Mubvuwi weUnited Methodist, the UMC men’s organization, of the Harare East District conducted the campaign in a rural area: <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/evangelism-campaign-fuels-church-growth-in-zimbabwe">https://www.umnews.org/en/news/evangelism-campaign-fuels-church-growth-in-zimbabwe</a></p>
<p><b>Zimbabwe United Methodists Promote Business Success</b>: A new WhatsApp platform is designed to increase business collaborations among United Methodists in the Zimbabwe West Annual Conference and its international diaspora: <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/church-whatsapp-group-fosters-business-collaboration">https://www.umnews.org/en/news/church-whatsapp-group-fosters-business-collaboration</a>, while a career fair at UMC-run high schools sought to promote professional pathways: <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/career-expo-helps-dreams-take-flight-at-rural-schools">https://www.umnews.org/en/news/career-expo-helps-dreams-take-flight-at-rural-schools</a></p><p><b>North Katanga Orphanage Promotes Entrepreneurship</b>: UMC-run Kamina Children's Home seeks to help its residents prepare for long-term success by fostering entrepreneurship: <a href="https://westohioumc.org/conference/news/orphanage-helps-youth-become-successful-entrepreneurs">https://westohioumc.org/conference/news/orphanage-helps-youth-become-successful-entrepreneurs</a></p><p><b>UMC Hospital in DRC Opens Mpox Research Lab</b>: The new center at Tunda Hospital was opened with support of the Congolese government and will respond to an on-going epidemic of Mpox/monkeypox in the DRC: <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/church-congolese-government-unite-against-monkeypox">https://www.umnews.org/en/news/church-congolese-government-unite-against-monkeypox</a></p><p><b>East Congo UMC Seeks to Help Displace People Following Fires</b>: The East Congo Episcopal Area is mobilizing to provide help in South Kivu after fires destroyed two camps for displaced people: <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/fire-ravages-two-camps-for-displaced-people-in-congo">https://www.umnews.org/en/news/fire-ravages-two-camps-for-displaced-people-in-congo</a></p>
<p><b>UWF Africa Regional Missionaries to Itinerate in the US</b>: The three regional missionaries working in Africa and supported by United Women in Faith will be itinerating in the United States this fall: <a href="https://uwfaith.org/latest-news/2023/meet-united-women-in-faith-regional-missionaries/">https://uwfaith.org/latest-news/2023/meet-united-women-in-faith-regional-missionaries/</a></p>
<p><b>Methodists Celebrate International Partnerships</b>: Methodists in several countries reaffirmed international partnerships, including Methodists in the following places:</p>
<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Wisconsin and Bolivia: <a href="https://www.wisconsinumc.org/news-detail/wi-conference-partnership-with-the-evangelical-methodist-church-in-bolivia-17535403">https://www.wisconsinumc.org/news-detail/wi-conference-partnership-with-the-evangelical-methodist-church-in-bolivia-17535403</a></li><li>Greater New Jersey and Tanzania: <a href="https://www.gnjumc.org/news/for-tanzania-2024-a-campaign-to-build-and-bless/">https://www.gnjumc.org/news/for-tanzania-2024-a-campaign-to-build-and-bless/</a></li></ul><p></p>
<p><b>Fresh Expressions Continue to Generate Interest</b>: The Fresh Expressions movement continues to receive increasing interest among U.S. United Methodists, including in the Dakotas and Minnesota: <a href="https://www.dakotasumc.org/calendar/fresh-expressions-imagine-day?recur=2375">https://www.dakotasumc.org/calendar/fresh-expressions-imagine-day?recur=2375</a> and in Wisconsin: <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-exploration-of-fresh-expressions-tickets-685054395137?aff=oddtdtcreator">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-exploration-of-fresh-expressions-tickets-685054395137?aff=oddtdtcreator</a>.</p>
<p><b>Methodists Care for Creation</b>: Methodists in several congregations and conferences engaged in various forms of creation care work, including the following:</p>
<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Beach cleanup in Hawaii: <a href="https://www.calpacumc.org/action/kailua-umc-creation-care-on-a-hawaii-beach-umcom/">https://www.calpacumc.org/action/kailua-umc-creation-care-on-a-hawaii-beach-umcom/</a></li><li>VBS in California: <a href="https://www.cnumc.org/newsdetails/santa-rosa-vbs-17515320">https://www.cnumc.org/newsdetails/santa-rosa-vbs-17515320</a></li></ul><p></p>
<p><b>Wespath CIO Defends Sustainable Investing</b>: Wespath CIO Dave Zellner published an opinion on UMNews arguing that sustainable investing makes smart business sense, in addition to having positive values associated with it: <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/sustainable-investing-is-smart-not-political">https://www.umnews.org/en/news/sustainable-investing-is-smart-not-political</a></p><p><b>GBCS Appoints First-Ever Climate Fellow</b>: Dr. Becca Edwards, a climate scientist and candidate for ordained ministry in the Rio Texas Conference, will fill the position, which is split between the General Board of Church and Society and Texas Impact: <a href="https://um-insight.net/in-the-world/disasters-and-climate-change/new-climate-fellow-aims-to-get-churches-talking-about-creati/">https://um-insight.net/in-the-world/disasters-and-climate-change/new-climate-fellow-aims-to-get-churches-talking-about-creati/</a></p>David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.com0