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Four Areas of Focus

The Council of Bishops and The Connectional Table are to be commended for the impassioned presentation at General Conference of the Four Proposed Areas of Focus: 1) Christian leadership development, 2) Church planting and congregational renewal, 3) Ministry with the poor, and 4) Eradicating killer diseases. Good News fully supports these endeavors.

In response, United Methodism must not be afraid to significantly pare back our bureaucracy and return resources to the grassroots level where innovation and creativity are fostered. Indeed, we should allow our connectional system to work in a more organic fashion by supporting and promoting local churches that are growing and attracting young people with vital ministries and mission opportunities.

Second, we must make it easier and less costly for young people to enter into leadership roles in the church. The current ordination process has become so burdensome and costly that it is little wonder there are now only 850 Elders under the age of 35 serving in the United States.

Third, we must become a high expectations church when it comes to membership. Certainly our hearts, our minds, and our doors must be open, but we must also emphasize transformation by Jesus’ redeeming death on the cross and the liberation to live as his joyful and fruitful disciples. High expectation churches have clear and challenging membership standards, and they are growing churches.

Fourth, Methodism has a long and laudable tradition of ministry among the poor and sick. In recent years our denomination has joined with other churches, ministries, and organizations to alleviate the terrible suffering of those with HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Much has been accomplished in just the last several years through the Nothing But Nets campaign. Much more can and must be done, especially in those ethically compelling instances where simple but life-saving solutions are readily at hand.

It is imperative for the denomination to work very hard at cultivating authentic grassroots support for areas three and four.  Too often, when the church embarks on a major social initiative it has made the mistake of politicizing the matter to the extent that it appears to be in lock-step with a narrowly partisan political agenda. This unnecessarily alienates many people in the pews.

Finally, we believe that making effective long-term progress towards ministry with the poor and eradicating killer diseases hinges on making substantial progress in Christian leadership development, church planting, and congregational renewal.

—Good News Editorial Team



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