April 5, 2019
Dear beloved members of the Mountain Sky Conference,
The vote at General Conference has rocked
the United Methodist world. In churches throughout our conference, I
have heard much grief, pain, and anger as the church we've loved and
supported – which also loved and supported us – was broken in St. Louis,
possibly beyond repair. It feels to many as if the essentials of our
United Methodist ethos have been voted out and the church no longer
rests on its theological foundations.
What does this mean for you, your local church and our conference? What future are we being called to?
While it feels as if we are in a Good Friday
period of mourning, God never leaves us in the tomb for long.
Resurrection happens. Love bursts out of the tomb bringing God's promise
of new life. What new life are we being called to?
We are in a liminal state as a church at
this moment – between death and new life, between grief and joy, between
despair and hope. Like any family, it is time for us to come together
and share our perspectives – no matter where we are geographically or
theologically – for it is in that place of Holy Conferencing that God
speaks to us.
I invite you to a Zoom call on Easter Monday, April 22 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. MDT.
During this time, we will learn where the denomination is at this
historic moment. And then we will turn to one another and listen to how
the Spirit has been speaking to each of us as we share our thoughts on
the church's future. What do you dream for your church? What visions do
you hold for its future in ministry and mission?
I hope you can join us for this session. Simply sign up online
and you will receive login information for our session. Your voice is
critical as we learn from one another and create a picture together of
the future to which God calls us.
I look forward to our conversation.
Blessings,
Bishop Karen
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