![]() He is the author of many books, including Holy Conversations: Strategic Planning as Spiritual Practice for Congregations. in organizational and group dynamics, he has worked with congregations across denominations for more than thirty years. Gil Rendle, who is former senior vice president for the Texas Methodist Foundation as well as former senior consultant and director of consulting for the Alban Institute. We are made in the image of God. God does not make mistakes! Do not let anyone, anywhere – ever - tell you that you are incompatible with Christian teaching.”įor more on the Episcopal Address, head here. We believe that nothing can separate us from the love of God – heteronormativity, homosexuality, included. Yet, the Center is most in keeping with the Gospel.”īishop Harvey also addressed the phrase ‘incompatible with Christian teaching’ as she said, “Paradoxically – everyone, every single one of us is incompatible with Christian teaching and yet in the eyes of God who sent his only son to live among us - no one is incompatible. We are, after all resurrection people, people who believe in redemption, people who believe that in the holy name of Jesus we can be reconciled to God and one another and loved deeply. She continued, “We must stop the name-calling and finger-pointing, the questioning of another’s relationship to Jesus, and the mischaracterization of another’s position, we must stop claiming that we are the only ones who know what the scripture says, what Jesus taught, or what real Methodism is, we must remember what Ephesians 4: 2-3 teaches us: ‘Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.’ The center is hard, and as one of my Bishop colleagues says, the center is the hardest and requires the most courage. And though heartbreaking, I am also very aware that for some, both left and right, the tension is getting harder to hold. Some of you have been holding on for a very long time.” Our call is to broaden the center and live in the tension. I do not want to be part of a denomination of only progressives or only traditionalists. I do not have much of an appetite to be in a denomination that works to purify itself from the other. I consider myself a centrist because I do not want to be part of any church that is so inclusive that it excludes. “I consider myself a centrist although I know some of you have boxed me into and given me a lot of other labels. “I have not backed down from my position that God’s love extends to all people and we must be a church that loves and accepts all people at all levels,” she said. Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey’s Episcopal Address began with an emphatic reminder that “the love of God is here!” She proceeded to address the unity of Methodism in the face of a divisive Special Called Session of the General Conference earlier in the year. Opening worship, including the Episcopal Address and Holy Communion, was held in the Shreveport Convention Center. Love is the greatest gift we receive and the greatest gift we give." (Isaiah 43:4)īishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey said this before our time together, "In these chaotic times in the life of the church and world it is important to remember that all of scripture and all of life hinges on love God’s great love for us in Christ Jesus and our love in return. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. No one has ever seen God but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. ![]() (Psalm 143:8)Īnd over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love. Love is patient, love is kind.(1 Corinthians 13)ĭo everything in love. This year we made our second stop, “Making Disciples.In Love.” We spent time imagining a church that does all things out of our great love for one another based on Romans 13:8-10 “all the commandments are summed up in one word: You must love your neighbor as yourself.” Last year, we introduced a three-fold theme, “Making Disciples, Transforming the Love.Day after Day after Day.” Our first stop was “Making Disciples.Together.” We are called to make disciples and transform the world in love. The sub-theme for 2019 was “In Love,” with Romans 13:8-10 anchoring our call to love all of God’s people. The theme “Making Disciples, Transforming the World,” which began in 2018, continued at this year’s Annual Conference.
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