Conference approves Imagine Ministry proposals

07-01-2011

Conference approves Imagine Ministry proposals

Special session set for Oct. 29

By Amy Forbus
Editor

“Deep change” dominated discussion at the ninth session of the Arkansas Annual Conference, which gathered in Hot Springs from June 5-8, 2011.

The top news from the business sessions: Members of the Conference approved all four motions proposed by the Imagine Ministry team, which presented the results of its two-year discernment process that resulted in a plan for implementing deep change in United Methodist congregations of Arkansas.

As a result of the changes, the Conference tabled its 2012 budget until Oct. 29, when a special called session of the Annual Conference will gather again in Hot Springs to vote on financial decisions related to Imagine Ministry implementation.

The body also referred to the called session a motion to set district superintendents’ salaries at no more than 120 percent of the average full-time elder’s salary.

Members approved new vision and mission statements for the Conference, as well as four new “core measures” for revitalizing the connection: rooting actions in Scripture and personal and social holiness; establishing the mission field as the primary place for attention and resources; equipping laity and clergy for shared outcomes of transformation with excellence; and organizing ministry around the unique geographic, cultural, demographic and ethnic contexts in the identified mission fields.

Other motions presented by the Imagine Ministry team and approved by the Arkansas Conference included reducing the number of districts from nine to five, effective at Annual Conference 2012; simplifying the organizational structure of the Conference; and appointing a team to arrange for transitioning to the new structure.

Floor discussion

Among those speaking in favor of the changes was the Rev. Rodney Steele, who stated that he had “agonized over Imagine Ministry” as he decided how to vote. Ultimately, though, he concluded that he likes “the opportunity for collegial spirit” that the new roles of circuit elder and congregational coach will provide in the new, larger districts.

“Yes, I’m willing to try,” he said, “because it’s not the only step, it’s the next step.”

While all four motions passed easily, the votes were not unanimous. But not everyone who voted against the changes did so out of the desire that everything stay the same. For example, the Rev. Andrea Allen of Lakewood UMC North Little Rock expressed her view that Conference members were being presented with a false dichotomy of deep change versus slow death.

“There are those who believe there is need for deep change, but who also think that Imagine Ministry is not the way,” she said.

Lay member Linda Johnson of Corning shared on the Conference floor her reservations about reducing the number of district superintendents. She emphasized the importance of district superintendents to small churches, but also shared her willingness to accept the results of the voting.

“I’m a good Methodist, and if it’s voted in, you better believe I’ll work as hard as I can [to implement the changes]” she said.

Transition

Following the approval of all four Imagine Ministry motions, IM team convener the Rev. Mackey Yokem thanked the Conference for the many months of conversation surrounding Imagine Ministry. “It does not need to end,” he added.

And conversation on the Facebook group for Imagine Ministry has stayed active since Conference adjourned. New discussions on each of the core measures, as well as questions about a variety of topics ranging from procedures for election of General Conference delegates to suggestions for training sessions before next year’s Annual Conference.

At press time, Bishop Charles Crutchfield was working to appoint a transition team to guide the Conference through this season of change. He also will create other task forces to address specific areas of ministry. “You’ve helped to complicate my life this summer, but I’m glad for that complication,” he said following the votes.

“It’s going to be a tremendous transition, and there are going to be some aches and pains,” he added. “But there’s nothing this Conference cannot do.”

Other actions

Eleven persons with an average age of 42.7 were ordained at the evening worship service on June 7. Cynthia Shaw Henry and Dawn Marie Spragg were ordained as deacons, and Gail Cole Baldwin, Candace Barron, Danyelle Ella-Marie Ditmer, Kirk Doering, David Duane Hoffman, Lynn Cross Kilbourne, Nathan Kilbourne, Brittany Richardson Watson and Vida Williams were ordained as elders.

At the same service, six persons were commissioned as provisional members of the Annual Conference: Michael Blanchard, Natasha Murray-Norman, Lee Myane, Michael Smith, Martha Taylor and Garry Teeter. Two clergy from other denominations, Mark Donald and James Harris, were welcomed as associate members.

Balloting for the clergy and lay members of Arkansas Conference delegations to the 2012 General and Jurisdictional Conferences took place during the business sessions. For details on the delegation, see the related story on the cover of this section.

The Council on Finance and Administration proposed a change in the apportionment formula, which would include in the calculations each congregation’s average worship attendance. The body amended the proposal to keep the current apportionment formula for one more year, giving CFA the opportunity to take into account the new Imagine Ministry “core measures,” revisit the formula and make a new proposal to the 2012 Annual Conference.

None of the three resolutions proposing petitions to General Conference received approval. Two proposed petitions dealt with deleting from the Book of Discipline statements related to homosexuality, and a third proposed that the denomination hold General Conference only in states or municipalities that do not approve of the death penalty.

A resolution entitled “Care and Protection of God’s Creation Near Gas Extraction Sites” passed by a margin of 339-269. The resolution urges Congress to repeal the 2005 federal law that exempted the process of hydraulic fracturing, commonly called “fracking,” from accountability to the Clean Water Act. As a result of the resolution’s passage, the Conference secretary will send a letter to legislators to express the will of the Conference on this matter.