News Roundup Links - April 3, 2023

The following are summaries of and links to significant stories related to mission and the worldwide United Methodist Church from the past month.

Connectional Table, Standing Conference on Central Conference Matters support regionalization: Both the Connectional Table and the Standing Conference on Central Conference Matters met at the end of February, and both groups lent their support to efforts to promote greater regionalization in the church. The two groups will work with each other and members of the Christmas Covenant to develop a consensus approach to regionalization legislation at General Conference in 2024: https://www.umnews.org/en/news/international-group-pursues-regionalization https://www.umnews.org/en/news/group-plans-for-budget-cuts-regionalization

Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference approves Russia, Estonia leaving The United Methodist Church, denies local standards on sexuality: At a special session on March 18, the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference approved plans for the Eurasia Episcopal Area and the Estonia District of the Estonia Annual Conference to leave the UMC. Estonia will depart through a specially negotiated process this summer. The Eurasia Episcopal Area is following a process laid out by the Book of Discipline which will be complete in 2025. At the same time, the central conference voted down a proposal that would let annual conferences set their own standards on same-sex marriage and ordination, which was strongly supported by the conference’s Norwegian and Danish members. https://www.umnews.org/en/news/eurasia-and-estonia-begin-exit-from-church https://www.metodistkirken.no/ekstraordiner-sentralkonferanse-avholdt

A portrait of Methodism in Kyrgyzstan: Despite the decision by the Eurasia Episcopal Area to leave The United Methodist Church (see above), UMNews has published several news stories and a photo essay about the church in Kyrgyzstan. The pieces are a good portrait (literally and figuratively) of Methodism as it exists in many contexts: small and marginalized, but committed to evangelism and benefitting the community. https://www.umnews.org/en/news/young-people-drive-church-growth-in-kyrgyzstan https://www.umnews.org/en/news/students-find-home-unity-at-bishkek-church https://www.umnews.org/en/news/dream-brought-comfort-amid-warning-of-invasion https://express.adobe.com/page/Q4IivpJ9M9yjk/

Bishop Mande Muyombo discusses the future of the UMC in Africa: In an episode of the “Pod Have Mercy” podcast, Revs. John Stephens and Matt Russell of Chapelwood UMC, Houston, interviewed Bishop Mande Muyombo of the North Katanga Episcopal Area in an insightful conversation about the state and future of the UMC in Africa.

Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters discusses new African bishops: At their meeting in February, the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters discussed plans to add five new bishops for Africa. That plan, in the works since 2016, is facing financial challenges. No decisions have yet been made on how to proceed. https://www.umnews.org/en/news/challenges-face-plan-to-add-5-african-bishops

Leaders in the Philippines push back against disaffiliation: After a conflict in St. John United Methodist Church, Quezon City, in January, Filipino/a bishops published a letter clarifying that disaffiliation was not an option in the central conferences under UMC church law. https://um-insight.net/in-the-church/umc-future/new-developments-shape-umc-unity-in-the-philippines/

New leaders selected for German, Norwegian United Methodist mission boards: Bishop Harald Rückert has selected Rev. Olav Schmidt as the new leader of EmK WeltMission, as Schmidt’s predecessor, Rev. Frank Aichele, returns to parish ministry. https://www.emk.de/meldung/von-berlin-ueber-malawi-nach-wuppertal In Norway, Anne Ng Foster has been selected as the new head of Misjonselskapet, replacing Øyvind Aske, who is retiring. https://www.metodistkirken.no/ny-internasjonal-leder-er-ansatt

UMCOR and EmK WeltMission respond to typhoon in Malawi and Mozambique: Both Methodist mission agencies have provided support to those impacted by the powerful Hurricane Freddy. https://umcmission.org/umcor-international-latest-responses/ https://www.emk.de/meldung/freddy-bricht-alle-rekorde-und-verwuestet-malawi

GCORR discusses work in central conferences: At the March board meeting of General Commission on Religion and Race, “Board members from Central Conferences shared stories about the ongoing work and challenges they are facing within their contexts, including the deeply-rooted issue of tribalism in Africa.” The GCORR Board also celebrated the formation of a Congo Central Conference Commission on Religion and Race Steering Committee and the work of the National Conference Commission on Religion and Race in the Philippines. https://www.gcorr.org/news/press-release-gcorr-board-of-directors-gathers-in-san-antonio

Africa University Board meets in Tanzania: The Africa University Board of Directors has its regular in person board meeting in March in Tanzania, a departure from its usual practice of meeting on the Africa University campus. The board meeting was a reminder of the continent-wide impact of the United Methodist institution of higher education. https://aunews.africau.edu/?p=2671

Poor Albanian farmers give back to mission: Rev. Urs Schweizer of Switzerland wrote a piece describing a mission project to provide poor, rural Albanian farmers with seed for crops. Despite their own financial challenges, the farmers choose to give back a portion of their harvest to serve the Miss Stone Center, a tangible example of “mission from the margins.” https://www.umnews.org/en/news/when-the-poor-share-what-they-have

Wings of the Morning back in the skies: The critical aviation ministry of the North Katanga Episcopal Area is back flying after repairs to its plane. Those repairs were conducted with the support of the West Ohio Annual Conference. https://www.westohioumc.org/conference/news/foundation-exceeds-wings-morning-fundraising-goal

Recommended Reading: Ukraine Moved To Nordic and Baltic Episcopal Area

The Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference met in special session on Saturday, April 30th to consider a request from the Ukraine-Moldova Provisional Annual Conference to be temporarily moved from the Eurasia Episcopal Area, overseen by Russia-based bishop Eduard Khegay, to the Nordic and Baltic Episcopal Area, overseen by Denmark-based bishop Christian Alsted.

The Ukraine-Moldova Provisional Annual Conference had requested such a move prior to the start of the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, but that development has made the request more pressing. Bishop Khegay and delegates from elsewhere in the Eurasia Episcopal Area had indicated their opposition to the move and boycotted the meeting.

As a press release issued after the meeting indicates, the participating delegates in the Northern Europe and Eurasia special Central Conference voted overwhelmingly to approve the change, 48-0-1. The delegates noted Khegay's objection to the change, but "choose to place decisive emphasis on the wishes of the annual conference in question."

The move has implications not only for United Methodist polity, but also for the provision of aid to Ukrainians during the war. Bishop Patrick Streiff of the Central and Southern Europe Central Conference, whose office has led United Methodist aid coordination efforts, presided during the vote. Bishop Alsted has already been working with relief efforts in the annual conferences previously under his jurisdiction.

What now? Europe Caught Between Crises

Today's post is by UM & Global blogmaster Dr. David W. Scott, Mission Theologian at the General Board of Global Ministries. It is the third in a series examining issues in The United Methodist Church following the further postponement of General Conference to 2024. The opinions and analysis expressed here are Dr. Scott's own and do not reflect in any way the official position of Global Ministries.

Having looked last week at the implications of the postponement of General Conference on African United Methodists, this week I will look at Europe. The context of European United Methodism is complex and varied, as this recent summary of Methodism in Europe put forward by European United Methodists makes clear.

Relative to the main focus of division within The United Methodist Church presently, there are differing views and laws on homosexuality between Western and Eastern Europe. However, views on sexuality are not the only salient part of United Methodist identity in Europe. Instead, there are multiple cross-cutting forces that pull European United Methodists, especially those in Eastern Europe, in different directions.

European United Methodists in all countries are a small minority defined against both largely secular societies and dominant churches from other traditions. In the face of such religious pressures, connections across countries have historically been important in Europe. This was even more true under Communist rule in Eastern Europe, and the emphasis on connectionalism is sustained not just by the machinery of United Methodist polity but by shared ministries and educational endeavors.

This tradition of shared ministry also recognizes Eastern European United Methodism’s financial dependence on Western European United Methodism. The church in most of Eastern Europe is not financially self-sustaining, and the sorts of social witness in which the church is engaged, including ministry with the Roma and other marginalized people, relies on monetary contributions from Western Europeans.

Based on the history of the Iron Curtain, United Methodists (and others) in Eastern Europe fear Russian domination. Therefore, even prior to the Russian invasion, the Ukraine Moldova Provisional Annual Conference had requested to withdraw from the Eurasia Episcopal Area, not because of distaste for Bishop Khegay personally but because of political realities that made being supervised from Russia difficult.

Thus, there are real differences in opinions on sexuality between Western and Eastern European United Methodisms, but there are also religious, connectional, financial, and (for countries other than Russia) political reasons why links between East and West are important.

Given that situation, Europeans have been discussing the future of the UMC in Europe even before General Conference 2019. General Conference 2019, however, certainly intensified questions about that future, with different parts of the European Central Conferences reacting differently.

Three of the four European bishops (Rückert, Alsted, and Streiff) have supported continued connection, though Bishops Alsted and Streiff have also announced their intention to retire. Bishop Khegay has previously indicated that his episcopal area would join the Global Methodist Church.

In May of last year, the bishops worked with other European leaders to lay out a timeline for moving forward as European United Methodists. How that timeline will be impacted by the further delay of General Conference remains to be seen.

Following General Conference 2019, the Germans rejected the Traditional Plan and formed a process of roundtables to discern a system by which the UMC in Germany (German initials: EmK) could remain united, despite internal disagreements on sexuality. That roundtable’s work has been completed, leading to affirmation of removing discriminatory language from the German Book of Discipline and creating a league for traditionalist Germans to support one another. This plan has been ratified by the central conference executive committee, but it has not been affirmed by vote of the Central Conference, which has not yet met due to the delay in General Conference meeting. The further delay in General Conference raises questions about whether German United Methodists will want to convene their central conference to ratify the roundtable’s work.

Both the Central and Southern Europe Central Conference and the Nordic and Baltic Episcopal Area also announced similar roundtable processes. The work of those roundtables has not progressed as far as the German roundtable, and that work remains ongoing. These roundtables have been complicated by greater variation within those areas of Europe than within Germany.

In the Central and Southern Europe Central Conference, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Romania have indicated that they may withdraw and join the new Global Methodist Church. However, Eastern Europe WCA leader and Bulgarian District Superintendent Daniel Topalski acknowledged in a WCA podcast all the factors outlined above that make the question of the future of The United Methodist Church in Eastern Europe a complicated one. He also indicated a distrust common across Europe of being treated as an afterthought by Americans making plans for the church’s future. Topalski will be wrapping up his time as district superintendent soon, though he will undoubtedly remain influential in Bulgaria and beyond.

On top of all these layers of complication, the war in Ukraine has added a new dimension of complexity. The war has further cemented Eastern European distrust of Russia (and therefore opposition to ecclesiastic leadership based in Russia). It has made connections between the church in Russia and any Western branch of Methodism—UMC or Global Methodist Church—much more politically fraught for Russian Methodists. And it has galvanized the connectional system so that European United Methodists across countries are working together to respond in generosity and compassion to Ukrainian refugees and other Ukrainians impacted by the war.

Due to the context of complicated religious, cultural, and political factors, a church split in the UMC was never going to be easy for European United Methodists. The timing of the split, coinciding with the war in Ukraine, has made it even worse. Many important questions – about central conference meetings, episcopal elections, roundtable processes, and decisions to stay UMC or leave for the Global Methodist Church – remain up in the air. But unlike American United Methodists, European United Methodists are currently confronted with something much more pressing than church politics: the largest war in their continent in 80 years.

Methodists React to Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine yesterday, Methodists from around the world, and especially from across Europe, have condemned the action and called for peace. Here are some of the developments:

United Methodist News Service published a piece sharing reactions to the invasions, including one from Rev. Oleg Starodubets, a district superintendent of The United Methodist Church in Ukraine. UMNS compiled several other reactions as well, including some of those listed below. Methodist news in Germany and Switzerland also compiled reactions. The Swiss story includes reports from United Methodists in Poland that Ukrainian refugees have already started to arrive in that country.

The World Methodist Council, acting with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), and the Conference of European Churches (CEC, condemned the attacks on Ukraine, called for prayer for peace, and announced a special Ash Wednesday prayer service for peace.

Following the invasion, the European Methodist Council issued a prayer for peace in Europe. The Methodist Church in Great Britain posted their own prayer, along with additional worship resources.

UMC bishops in Europe also called for peace. Bishop Eduard Khegay, whose episcopal area includes both Russia and Ukraine, posted on Facebook the day before the attack calling for prayers for peace, condemning war, and lifting up in particular the UMC congregation in Luhansk. United Methodist news outlets in Germany and in Switzerland also compiled reactions.

Following the attack, the websites of the UMC in Germany and in Switzerland published articles sharing Bishop Khegay's words and calling for peace. The piece from Germany added comments from Bishops Patrick Streiff (Central and Southern Europe Central Conference) and Harald Rückert (Germany Central Conference).

Bishop Christian Alsted of the Nordic and Baltic Episcopal Area, much of which borders Russia, also posted on Facebook to condemn war, express solidarity with Ukraine and with the Baltic countries, pray for peace, and pray for United Methodists in both Ukraine and Bishop Khegay.

Global Ministries issued a statement calling for "the peace and security of United Methodists in Ukraine and Russia" and indicating that UMCOR is in communication with partners in the region about humanitarian response to the conflict in Ukraine. The Swiss Connexio develop is also collecting money to assist with humanitarian dimensions of the conflict.

In the United States, Bishop Ken Carter of the Western North Carolina and Florida Annual Conferences and Bishop LaTrelle Easterling of the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conferences (among other leaders) issued prayers for peace.

Prior to the invasion, the Connectional Table affirmed a WCC statement on Ukraine expressing concern, calling for dialogue to resolve the conflict, and calling for prayer. The CT noted that the UMC has members in both Ukraine and Russia.

Around the world, prayer poured in from Methodists as far away as Uruguay.

Recommended Viewing: Hilde Marie Movafagh on the Divide over LGBTQ Issues in the UMC in Europe

Rev. Hilde Marie Movafagh, the rector of the United Methodist Seminary in Oslo, made a presentation at the Post-Way-Forward Gathering of UM Scholars last week in Dallas entitled, "The Iron Curtain is Back: The United Methodist Church in Europe in the aftermath of GC2019." The presentation provides an overview of the differences in thinking on the place of LGBTQ persons in the church between Western and Eastern Europe and the resultant tensions within the UMC in Europe. The 15 minute-long presentation is an excellent overview for anyone wanting to better understand how the fallout of GC2019 is affecting United Methodism in Europe.

Recommended Viewing: Eurasian Bishop Eduard Khegay

For those looking to learn more about United Methodism outside the United States, a recent video interview with Bishop Eduard Khegay of the Eurasia Episcopal Area, which includes Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova. Bishop Khegay shares not only about his own spiritual journey but also about The United Methodist Church in Russia. He also includes a plea for more relationships and understanding between the United States and Russia.

Bishop Khegay's interview adds to several other recent interviews with bishops from the central conferences, which can be found here.

Lent Quiz: When is Easter? Thoughts on being a distinctive Christian minority

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.

The folks over at umc.org have been doing a Lent Quiz series of questions related to the symbols and traditions of Lent and Easter.  Today, we at UM & Global have the ultimate Lent Quiz question:

Lent Quiz: When is Easter?
A. April 5
B. April 12
C. It depends on who you're asking.
D. Whenever it is, it can't come soon enough.

How many of you looked at a calendar and answered A?  The correct answer is actually C.  Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity (Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and the Church of the East) have different methods for calculating Easter (for complicated historical and astronomical reasons I won't go into).  Easter is April 5 in the West, but it's April 12 in the East.

I was reminded of this fact recently when a friend mentioned his plans to go to an upcoming festival after Easter services as a celebration.  He invited me to join him, and I said I'd consider it.  I checked when the festival was, and it was on April 12.  I'd been expecting it to be on the 5th.  My friend is Eastern Orthodox.  It was Easter Sunday for him, but not for me.

In the United States, this difference sets the Eastern Orthodox and other Eastern Christian traditions apart from the majority, but for the most part, it doesn't cause much more in problems than occasional confusion over scheduling social events with non-Orthodox friends.

In Russia, Ukraine, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe, it's the Methodists that stand out for their celebration of Easter, not the Orthodox.  David Field wrote an excellent piece about Methodist distinctiveness in Europe earlier this week.  Ritual observation was not part of the distinctiveness he talked about, but in parts of Europe, that is part of what makes Methodism stand out.

Yet people don't choose to go to a church because of when it celebrates Easter.  This is not an attractional distinctive, and at times it may even make Methodism seem unusual in a bad way.

The challenge for Methodism in Eastern Europe (and in other areas of the world) is how to be distinctive in a positive way, a way that adds to the proclamation of the gospel in that context.  That's not an easy task, in Eastern Europe, in the US, or elsewhere, but it is a task we are called to take up.

Plan Now: Eurasia Mission Initiative 50/50 Partnership Summit

Since the fall of the Soviet Union and the re-introduction of Methodism into Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, the UMC has encouraged partnership relationships between United Methodist churches in the United States and new United Methodist congregations in the Russia and Eurasia region.  These partner church relationships reflect an understanding of mission that focuses more on relationship-building and mutual exchange than on Westerners sending resources and expertise overseas.

Through these partnerships, American churches have by and large tried to foster mutual relationships that will contribute to the long-term growth of the church in Eurasia and not create dependence, but there are still challenges.  Old ways of thinking about mission persist, and the economic disparities between the US and Eurasia make completely equal partnership a goal more than a reality.

It is interesting, therefore, to see that the Eurasia Mission Initiative's next meeting, to be held May 15-17, 2015, entitled the "50/50 Partnership Summit."  I think that title indicates a clear commitment to the goal of true equality but also perhaps a tacit recognition that it remains a goal.  In one step towards a 50/50 partnership, though, the summit is being held in Russia for the first time.

I hope American churches who have been involved in the various mission partnerships related to the Russia and Eurasia region will still consider attending this meeting, despite the travel involved.  The Eurasia Mission Initiative has been an important forum in which the UMC has grappled with what it means to create true, equal partnerships between older American churches and new churches elsewhere.  I am sure this conference will be a rich opportunity to continue that learning process.

Recommended Readings: United Methodism in the Ukrainian Crisis

Many readers have doubtless been following the story of the unfolding crisis in the Ukraine over the last several months, from the clashes between police and protestors, to the ouster of the president, to the seizure of Crimea by Russia.  The story has been gripping, often tragic, and often unpredictable.

Yet how many readers know that The United Methodist Church maintains a mission presence in Ukraine?  There are actually 91 United Methodist churches and four other faith communities in Ukraine, along with 113 pastors and 4 missionaries, according to the GBGM webpage on Ukraine.  United Methodist work in Ukraine is part of the Russia/Eurasia Initiative and falls under the Eurasian episcopal area.  The Eurasian episcopal area and the Russia/Eurasia Initiative also include Russia, where the UMC also maintains churches and outreach.

Because of this United Methodist connection, there has been a steady stream of United Methodist news and views related to the Ukrainian crisis of the last several months.  In case you've missed it, here's a recap:

First, there are a couple of articles giving United Methodists perspectives on the political crisis, one from early in the crisis, and one more recently:
From January, by missionary John Calhoun
From March 14, by GBGM
From March 26, by John Calhoun

Next, there are a number of articles about prayers for Ukraine throughout the crisis.  Melissa Hinnen of UMConnections wrote an initial appeal for prayers on February 19.  As Kay De Moss of the Western Michigan Annual Conference, United Methodists in Michigan responded quickly to those prayer requests on Feb. 23.  United Methodists in Ukraine itself have been praying deeply, as Melissa Hinnen wrote on March 18.  Bishop Eduard Khegay of the Eurasia episcopal area also released a public prayer on March 20.

United Methodists will continue to follow the events in Ukraine in prayer and through news and Twitter feeds.  Follow @globalumc for more updates as we receive them.