A letter on 2019 General Conference from your Mountain Sky Cabinet

To the United Methodists of the Mountain Sky Conference,

We write to you this weekend, days before the historic gathering in St. Louis for the Special Session of General Conference. As you may know, this special session was called because of an impasse at the 2016 General Conference regarding the role of LGBTQ persons in the life and ministry of The United Methodist Church. At that time, the delegates asked the Council of Bishops for guidance and leadership to help the church move forward. The bishops created the Commission on a Way Forward, consisting of 32 clergy and laity from around the world, to craft plans for the future of the church. The bishops were regularly in conversation with the commission to provide feedback and guidance.

Three plans were presented to the bishops in May of last year. The majority of bishops supported the One Church Plan, which removes negative language regarding LGBTQ persons from the Book of Discipline and allows annual conferences and boards of ordained ministries to determine requirements for ordained ministries as well as allow clergy and local churches to consider ministries with LGBTQ persons based on their cultural context. The majority of bishops believe that the One Church Plan honors the different places that United Methodists are in regarding homosexuality while holding us together in mission. Should this plan pass, no vote is required of local churches.

Here is what we know to be true about our Mountain Sky churches: in every one of our churches, there is disagreement regarding the role of LGBTQ persons in the life and ministry of the church; yet there is a mutual love and commitment to each other and to the mission that holds our churches together even in the face of differences. This is the hope we hold as we look towards General Conference.

We ask you to keep our Mountain Sky delegates in your prayers as they go to St. Louis. Our delegates are: Don McCammon, Tyler Amundson, Doug Palmer, Kent Ingram, Megan Armstrong, Harvey Tukutau, Brad Laurvick and Kunle Taiwo. Our reserve delegates are: Peg Plimpton, Jeremy Scott, Margaret Hotze and Cathie Kelsey. We ask that you pray throughout the meeting, Feb. 23-26. May all be guided by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

We want you to know that no matter what happens in St. Louis, we will continue to live into the values of the Mountain Sky Conference. As your cabinet and bishop, our work has and continues to be about keeping us as whole as possible amidst forces that seek to divide us. We are committed to equipping and empowering lay and clergy so that our churches and faith communities – whether conservative or progressive, rural or urban – can be vital mission outposts in their areas, tangibly sharing the love of Jesus Christ in life-giving and life-saving ways.

In Christ’s service,

Bishop Karen P. Oliveto
Rev. Jeff Rainwater, Dean of the Cabinet, Wyoming District Superintendent
Rev. Jan Witman, Montana West District Superintendent
Rev. Margaret Gillikin, Trinity District Superintendent
Rev. Paul Kottke, Mile High Metro District Superintendent
Rev. Tezenlo Thong, Peaks/Pikes Peak District Superintendent
Rev. Marv Vose, Utah/Western Colorado District Superintendent
Rev. Deborah Christine, Montana East District Superintendent
Rev. Amy Gearhart, Senior Executive for Transition and Conference Culture
Rev. Youngsook Kang, Director of Connectional Ministries/Superintendent for Leadership Development