United Methodist assembly urged to forget ‘I’ and become ‘we’ April 28, 2004 By Linda Green* PITTSBURGH
(UMNS) — United Methodists will forever be involved in unchristian
actions toward one another if each person does not let go of concerns
about “I” and make an effort to become “we.”
| A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. Gloria Holt presents the Laity Address to the 2004 General Conference in Pittsburgh. | This
was the premise of the General Conference Laity Address by Gloria Holt,
president of the United Methodist Association of Annual Conference Lay
Leaders. The
April 28 message “One in Spirit, All in Ministry,” was derived from
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Holt asked the 998 delegates from
throughout the world if there is one body and one spirit, “What part of
one don’t we understand?” As
some definitions of “one” mean joining together, uniting or forming a
whole, Holt said, “It is still an action word implying to me, at least,
that it takes some work to make something either become one or remain
one.” Holt
said that church efforts often create divisiveness rather than oneness
in the faith community and the world. “What is our problem?” she asked.
“It is not about us. It is about God.” She
told the top legislative body of the United Methodist Church that until
each individual is willing to let go of “me, myself and I” and make a
concerted effort to become “we, ourselves and us,” church members will
continue to be involved in “power struggles, selfish decision-making,
and unchristian actions toward each other.” The
most critical and troubling concern about being one in spirit and all
in ministry centers around the “apparent unwillingness” of laity and
clergy “to be partners in ministry with one another––not senior partners
and silent partners, but equal partners,” Holt said. While there is
appropriate talk, working partnerships within the United Methodist
Church are still lacking, she said. “We
state unequivocally that all baptized Christians are called to
ministry, but for the most part it appears that we don’t practice what
we preach,” she said. Partnerships are not created overnight and are
built on trust, respect and a willingness to share with one another in a
spirit of cooperation, she added. “If
clergy are singing their own song while the laity are dancing to their
own beat, how in the world are we going to get in sync with one
another?” she asked. “Unless we do, the church will not be creating the
music for which God gave us the notes.” Holt
told an amusing story of her grandson who stated that he played on
Jesus’ baseball team. She encouraged delegates to also remember their
team membership and that regardless of where they are in the world, “it
takes all of God’s people to do all of God’s work.” She noted that if
United Methodists could get the “one” thing down, then all can be in
ministry and working together to fulfill the ministry of the church. In
describing church work, Holt said it involves a lot of busy stuff; it
wears you out physically, mentally and sometimes spiritually, and
“keeping things as they always have been becomes our number one
priority.” But,
she said, doing the work of the church involves reaching out and is
more fulfilling because it involves making disciples and leaving comfort
zones to share Christ’s love in tangible ways. “When we are doing the
work of the church, we are being the church. Ministry becomes our number
one concern; making disciples our number one priority. We are joined
one in spirit, all in ministry.” Holt
reflected on how she learned about doing the work of the church eight
years ago when she helped plant a new church. She said she was stuck in a
“it-just-doesn’t-sound very-United-Methodist” mode until she remembered
that John Wesley focused the Methodist movement on people who had been
neglected by the church and society. That insight helped her gain a new
mindset about worship styles and ways to meet the needs of young
adults. She encouraged delegates to return to their home
congregations, look around and count the number of children, youth and
young adults there. “If
those age groups are not there (and in most churches they are not),
then it’s a given that your church is not meeting their needs.” She
urged the international assembly to move away from the
“we-have-to-do-things-the-way-we’ve-always-done-them-or-people-will-leave-the-church”
mentality and realize that the absence of youth and young adults could
be because the congregation is not willing to change patterns to ways
that welcome them. “How
can we be one in the spirit if we are not following the guidance of the
spirit?” she asked. “How can we be all in ministry if we are not
bringing people to Christ, growing people in Christ and sending for
Christ?” Holt
reminded the delegates of all of the things that can be done with a
hand and reminded them that God also gave them the ability to change
hands to perform necessary tasks. “Our God is a God of
change. God gave us the church that must be ever-changing to meet the
needs of today’s world,” she said. “God expects us to have an innovative
and ever-changing ministry based on God’s unchanging word.” Besides
serving as president of the Association of Annual Conference Lay
Leaders, Holt is also the North Alabama Conference lay leader and
president of the Southeastern Jurisdiction Association of Annual
Conference Lay Leaders. She is a founding member of ClearBranch United
Methodist Church, in Trussville, Ala., one of the denomination’s
fastest-growing new churches. Three
women and three men, chosen to represent the denomination’s diversity,
delivered the first laity address at the 1980 General Conference. A
competition has been held every four years since then for a layperson to
make the speech. The
Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders invited annual conference
lay leaders from around the world to submit written manuscripts, which
were judged on their own merit and without the names of the authors
attached. Holt’s manuscript was selected for the 2004 assembly. *Green is a United Methodist News Service correspondent. News media contact: (412) 325-6080 during General Conference, April 27-May 7. After May 10: (615) 742-5470.
|