Recommended Reading: Liberia to stay in UMC at least until 2024

Liberian Methodist journalist E. Julu Swen published a piece last Saturday indicating that "Bishop Samuel J. Quire, Jr. said the United Methodist Church in Liberia will remain a United Methodist Church until after the decision of the 2024 General Conference. 'We will not be a part of the Global Methodist Church, but we will pray for them.'" Moreover, General Conference delegate Jefferson Knight is quoted as saying, "There is a possibility that the church in Liberia will remain a United Methodist Church beyond 2024."

This story, which should be read in its entirety, represents one of the most significant developments in United Methodism since the further delay of General Conference to 2024 and the launching of the Global Methodist Church on May 1 were announced at the beginning of March. The Liberia Annual Conference, which is the oldest branch of The United Methodist Church outside the United States, was widely seen as the part of the African church most likely to join the Global Methodist Church. This decision thus likely has implications across Africa.

Moreover, as both Bishop Quire's and Jefferson Knight's quotes indicate, there is still some uncertainty about what Liberia will decide to do come 2024 or even what the range of options will be. Certainly, some of that depends on the actions of General Conference in 2024. But this story is a reminder that the future of United Methodism remains to be written, and the pivotal decisions will happen in Monrovia, not Minneapolis, Memphis, or anywhere in the United States.

Why Julu Swen & Phileas Jusu' top UMC communicators award is significant

Today's post is by UM & Global blogmaster Dr. David W. Scott, Assistant Professor of Religion and Pieper Chair of Servant Leadership at Ripon College.

In case you missed it, United Methodist News Service reported earlier this week that Julu Swen of Liberia and Phileas Jusu of Sierra Leone were awarded the United Methodist Association of Communicators' 2014 United Methodist Communicators of the Year Award.  In bestowing the award, the UM Association of Communicators cited Swen and Jusu's work in covering the Ebola epidemic.  This award is a significant story for at least two reasons.

First, it's significant that two Africans won the top award.  All of the other awards announced by the UM Association of Communicators were given to Americans working for one of the American annual conferences, UMNS, UM Communications, umc.org, or UMW.  In part, this reflects the resource differential between American annual conferences and annual conferences from the Central Conferences.  American annual conferences have more money to pay staff to focus on communications for the annual conferences.  But both Jusu and Swen work (at least in part) for annual conferences as well.  We should not assume that annual conferences in the United States are the only ones with messages to share or the resources and savvy to share them.

Second, it's significant that Swen and Jusu won by reporting on an issue of international significance.  Much of the communication generated by annual conferences is directed at internal audiences - ministers and members of those annual conferences.  That's usually appropriate.  Nevertheless, we should remember that what we do in annual conferences can matter to the rest of the connection as well.  Indeed, that's one reason why United Methodism's connectional system is significant - it allows for sharing and communication beyond geographic boundaries.  Certainly the serious nature of and international interest in Ebola helped garner Jusu and Swen's reporting attention, but there are other stories coming out of annual conferences that are worth being shared beyond the boundaries of the conference, even if they are less dire than Ebola.

Congratulations, then, are in order to Swen and Jusu.  This blog has been a fan and supporter of Swen in particular since before the Ebola outbreak, and it's nice to see him so recognized.  May we all be inspired by their work.