Bishop Peggy Johnson will visit the four districts Sept. 24 to Oct. 3 for town hall meetings to discuss the UMC’s Way Forward proposals and prospects that a special called General Conference will decide among on Feb. 23-26, 2019, in St. Louis, Mo.
Several districts and at least one Mission Connection have held dialogues. The most recent was Wednesday, Sept. 12, when 85 South District clergy gathered around tables for “respectful dialogue” on the Way Forward reports.
“Our pastors shared their core convictions and their hopes for our denomination,” reported the Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm, District Superintendent. “Their time together was bathed in prayer; and we focused on God’s constant reminder to ‘not be afraid.’”
The clergy also shared why they remain in the UMC, she continued. “Their answers included: ‘our Wesleyan theology of grace;’ ‘this is my home;’ ‘because we are not islands unto ourselves, but we live and serve together;’ and ‘we are a people who value mission.’” Many of their answers echoed those shared at other recent dialogues.
At the town hall meetings, Bishop Johnson will offer the latest information and her insights, while responding to questions raised there and offered in previous dialogues. All conference members are invited and urged to attend any of the district meetings.
- Sept. 24:
East District Bishop’s Day / Town Hall Meeting at Doylestown UMC - Sept. 25:
South District Bishop’s Day / Town Hall meeting at St. Matthew’s UMC in Wayne - Sept. 27:
West District Bishop’s Day / Town Hall meeting at Ruhl’s UMC in Manheim - Oct 1:
North District (Eastern Region) Bishop’s Day / Town Hall Meeting at Effort UMC - Oct. 3:
North District (Western Region) Bishop’s Day / Town Hall Meeting at Pottsville: First UMC
Meanwhile, members can find a page full of links to Resources on UMC Way Forward on the conference website, accessible from the INFORM section on our homepage. Those resources include:
- PowerPoint slides for Bishop Johnson’s Town Hall Meetings presentation
- The Final Way Forward Report, from August 14
- Commission on the Way Forward videos, from July 3
- Way Forward Information (Background & Updates)
- Scriptures to Study (Contemporary English Bible)
- Books Related to the UMC Way Forward
- Way Forward Information Cards – Letter size for churches. Print double-sided and cut along the dotted line, then fold “accordion-style.”
- Way Forward Information Cards, larger – Formatted for a legal-size page (8.5″ by 14″)
- Video of the Discussion on the UMC Way Forward held at the 2018 Eastern PA Annual Conference