General Conference Decisions

Posted: May 1, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Over the last few years, we have engaged in a continual process of discerning who God is calling the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference to be.  As votes have unfolded at the General Conference, bringing change to The United Methodist Church, there are many results to be celebrated, interpreted, and analyzed for implications. Some are deeply grateful for these changes, and some among us will be challenged.

However, with these changes, our commitment to who God has called us to be does not change. Together, we discerned this vision from God for the TWKUMC:

WHO WE ARE TO BE

1. A people who are rooted in Christ and Spirit-led.

2. A people who seeks to journey purposefully, humbly, and joyfully together, helping one another along the way of love, prioritizing relationships over ideas. 

3. We seek to show the world another way; to be the Beloved Community through acts of love, reconciliation, and justice.

These values help us now as we come to process and understand the actions of the postponed 2020 General Conference.  There will be many further communications in the days and weeks to come but because of the attention needed for interpreting a vote on Wednesday morning, I am going to focus on that in this blog.  

By a 93.14% vote, the delegates approved legislation that opens space for The United Methodist Church to be a more welcoming and inclusive Church. I have been reminded of how much harm has been done across time to LGBTQIA persons through our many years of debate.

General Conference delegates from all over the world voted to remove harmful language to LGBTQIA persons.  The removal of this language makes room for differences of opinion and belief to be present in one church family.

Also, United Methodist clergy were granted the space to perform weddings for same-gender couples and the space for all persons to be licensed for pastoral ministry and ordained as Elders or Deacons.

There are some important things about this decision that I want you to know:

First, pastors have always decided who they will marry. This is based on several factors including the couples’ preparation for the marriage covenant. This has not changed. Pastors will continue to decide who they will marry. There is no mechanism in Conference leadership nor desire on my part as bishop to determine who a pastor will marry.  Further, the desires of all clergy are to be honored and not judged by others.

Second, the legislation approved this morning explicitly protects the right of clergy and churches not to officiate at or host same-sex weddings. We know that different people have different opinions on these matters and our churches are in different contexts within the bounds of Tennessee and Western Kentucky.  It is my expectation that the diversity of everyone’s opinion and everyone’s context is to be honored.

In addition, the General Conference has decided that a person’s entrance into the ministry process of the United Methodist Church shall not be prohibited by gender, ethnic origin, color, economic status, and now adds – by removal from the Discipline – sexual orientation.

In other words, candidates for ministry are to be eligible by their perceived gifts and potential for effectiveness in the proclamation or teaching of the gospel, the making of disciples, providing pastoral care, or connecting the church to the world.

As the bishop of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference, the Cabinet and I will continue to work with churches and clergy to ensure we have the best match possible when making appointments.

We want churches to have a vital ministry rather than one defined by conflict. Your district superintendent will continue to be your primary contact on appointment related issues.

We celebrate the ways these recent decisions reinforce the power of God’s love in our lives and the world. I also recognize how these decisions add complexity to our life together as United Methodists.

One other thing that will not change. Every United Methodist Church will be open to anybody who seeks to know Christ. Our communion table is open, and so are our hearts.

We remain on the journey together trusting God will show us our next faithful steps as we follow Jesus in the Wesleyan Way.

Beginning Week Two at General Conference

Posted: April 29, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

My thoughts as the second week of the General Conference begins.

As We Approach General Conference

Posted: April 17, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: , | Comments Off on As We Approach General Conference

I wanted to share my thoughts with you as the United Methodist Church prepares for the General Conference session in Charlotte, NC, later this month.

As We Approach General Conference from TWKUMC on Vimeo.

A New Model for District Superintendency

Posted: April 14, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Bishop's Blog, Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference | Tags: , | Comments Off on A New Model for District Superintendency

The Appointive Cabinet of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference completed most its work of making full-time appointments for the new conference year this week while we continue to live in a season that calls for adaptability and nimbleness. 

As we considered our commitment to strengthen local churches, we have developed a model for the District Superintendency we believe offers support and oversight across the conference while nurturing our connection.  In the new conference year, we will be employing three new “Cohort District Superintendents” as a next step toward determining our future district configuration plan.

This new model of superintendency is part of a plan to reduce the conference budget in superintendency.  These “Cohort District Superintendent” positions will be filled by pastors who will continue to serve a local church while providing oversight and superintendency over a smaller number of churches within certain districts.  Matters of property and the work of the District Board of Ordained Ministry for those churches will continue to fall under the responsibility of our full-time District Superintendents.

The Reverend Dan Camp will be retiring at Annual Conference. Reverend Camp served the Tennessee River District until January 1, 2024, when he was appointed as interim pastor of Columbia First United Methodist Church. Since January 1, the Tennessee River District has been covered by superintendents, Reverend Nancy Johnston Varden and Reverend Dr. David Weatherly with the assistance of Reverend Ronnie Peck.

In the new conference year, we will not be replacing Reverend Camp with a full-time District Superintendent.  Rather, we will be appointing two “Cohort District Superintendents” to cover areas of the Mississippi River and Tennessee River Districts along with the current District Superintendents already providing this coverage.  I am appointing Reverend Ronnie Peck and Reverend Sharon Karamoko to this work.

These “Cohort District Superintendents” will serve on the Appointive Cabinet with responsibility for charge conferences and consultations and will assist in the appointment work representing the churches and pastors under their care. 

Reverend Karamoko will serve the following counties in Tennessee:  Madison, Haywood, Crockett, and Lauderdale. Reverend Peck will serve these counties in Tennessee: Carroll, McNairy, Henderson, and Chester. Reverend Nancy Johnston Varden will continue to serve the Purchase District in Western Kentucky while providing coverage in the Tennessee Counties of Lake, Obion, Weakley, Dyer, and Gibson.  Reverend Dr. David Weatherly will continue to serve the Metro District including the Tennessee Counties of Shelby, Tipton, Fayette, and Hardeman.

With the anticipated retirement of the Tennessee River District Administrative Assistant, Delores Smith, and the aforementioned adjustments, we will be closing the Tennessee River District Office located in McKenzie, TN. The files of the Tennessee River District will be transferred to the Purchase District Office.

Additionally, the current Stones River District Superintendent, Reverend Chip Hunter, will be appointed to the Cookeville First United Methodist Church. We will not replace Reverend Hunter with a full-time District Superintendent. 

I am appointing the Reverend Ryan Bennett as a “Cohort District Superintendent” to assist with the coverage in the Stones River, Caney Fork, and Cumberland River Districts along with current superintendents, Reverend Jerry Wallace and Reverend Rickey Wade.  As a “Cohort District Superintendent,” Reverend Bennett will also serve on the Appointive Cabinet with responsibility for charge conferences and consultations representing the churches and pastors under his care.

Reverend Bennett will serve the churches of Rutherford County, Tennessee.  Reverend Wallace will continue to serve the Cumberland River District with the addition of Smith County, Tennessee.  Reverend Wade will continue to serve the Caney Fork River District with the addition of Marshall, Lincoln, Bedford, Cannon, Moore, Coffee, and Franklin County, Tennessee.  Reverend Dr. Vona Wilson will continue to serve the Harpeth River District with the addition of Hardin and Decatur Counties in Tennessee.  The Reverend Pat Freudenthal will continue to serve the Red River District with the addition of Henry and Benton Counties in Tennessee.

At the 2023 Annual Conference, we shared the creation and an introductory report of a task force to explore redistricting in our conference.  At this time, the task force continues to gather information but will not be redrawing district lines this year. Therefore, we are offering oversight and coverage through this model of superintending. 

These three new “Cohort District Superintendents” will join Reverend Dr. Stephen Handy whom we appointed last year to lead and serve as Superintendent of the Urban Cohort while serving as the pastor of the McKendree United Methodist Church.

This “Cohort District Superintendent” model is not unique to our conference.  It is a similar model currently practiced in Great Britain and one that is beginning to be practiced in other conferences in the United States.  Again, this is our next faithful step, as we continue in this season which calls for adaptability and nimbleness.

Christ is Risen!

Posted: March 31, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: , | Comments Off on Christ is Risen!

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.[a] – Mark 16: 1-8

If you follow the liturgical calendar for the Christian year, you will notice there are options given for the Gospel Lesson on Easter Sunday. During the three-year cycle of Gospel Lessons, the Easter story most often suggested comes from either the Gospel of John or the Gospel of Luke.

Only once in each three-year cycle does the calendar suggest the reading of Mark’s account of Easter. Mark’s account is offered in year B, along with John’s account, so a preacher is given the option to omit Mark’s account every year. If you are a preacher, the reasons are obvious–all the other resurrection accounts offer more detail and, frankly, more hope.

In Mark, the ending doesn’t leave the reader with great exhilaration but with Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, coming to the tomb in grief to do what grieving folk do. They are anxious, wondering who in the world they will find to help roll the stone away from the tomb’s entrance.

What happened when they arrive and find the stone unexpectedly rolled away?

Mark wrote that a young man says, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.

Then, the women who came to the tomb flee in terror and amazement while remaining silent for they were afraid.

No wonder we prefer Luke and John’s account of Easter over Mark. Mark’s account shares more terror, amazement, and fear.

In the oldest manuscripts of the New Testament, the last word of Mark’s Easter account is fear. Mark gives us the honest, real, and authentic feelings of three women whose lives had been profoundly impacted by Jesus. During the early morning hours of Easter, the scene at the tomb was bewildering and they couldn’t wrap their minds around what they had experienced–from Good Friday to an empty tomb on Sunday.

We all understand fear no matter our context. Some may fear the future.

Some may fear that General Conference will do too much while others fear General Conference will do too little.

Some fear what will happen during the upcoming election cycle. Some fear President Biden will be re-elected while others fear that former President Trump will be elected.

For each of us, there may be subsequent fears accompanying either of these potential outcomes.

Some of us have received news from doctors that fill our hearts with dread and fear about what is ahead for our bodies, our families, and our futures.

Some know friends who have been told, “You are no longer needed in our company.” As a result, the bills begin to pile up while fear and anxiety begin to take root.

There is no shortage of fear in our world.

And yet, the promise and great news of Easter is that the tomb is empty. Fear and not even death get the last word. As Mark tells it, Jesus is alive and goes ahead of us.

In the early Church, the first words spoken on Easter morning were these:

The liturgist proclaimed, “Christ is Risen!”

And a joyous congregation shouted, “Christ is Risen indeed!”

The good news of the Gospel for us is that we do not come to Easter morning in grief and anxiety alone. We already know the story doesn’t end. It triumphantly continues! The risen Christ IS, indeed, going before us embracing all the stones of uncertainty and anxiety we face and rolling them away while offering us new life and a new beginning.

Therefore, with the confidence of Mark, we too can boldly proclaim, “He goes before us!  He will make a way for us!  He will transform all the unevenness of our lives–our fears, our anxieties, and our uncertainties!”

When we are faced with the overwhelming negative emotions of fear and anxiety in our daily lives, let us remember and proclaim, “Christ is risen!  Christ is risen indeed!” And let the perfect love of Christ casts out all your fear.

Say it with me,

“Christ is Risen!”

“Christ is Risen Indeed!”

A Call to Support Public Education | Guest blog by Rev. Keri Cress

Posted: March 20, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: , , , , , , | Comments Off on A Call to Support Public Education | Guest blog by Rev. Keri Cress

Rev. Keri Cress is the current TWK Church and Society chair. She is an ordained deacon serving as Associate Pastor at East End UMC in Nashville. Rev. Cress has a background in social work and has worked directly with children and families in several communities in and around Nashville.

————–

In light of all that is happening in the state of Tennessee regarding public education, it is important for us to look at how our faith might lead us to respond. Making education accessible to all has been a core Methodist value since the beginning of the Methodist Movement. Education was central to the Wesley home as John was growing up. That followed him as he went to Oxford and eventually as he started and expanded the Kingswood school, a school to educate the children of miners in the 1740s.

As the movement expanded to the United States and other leadership emerged, education remained an important focus for the Methodists.  In 1866, the Board of Bishops made a declaration that the Southern states would need to make provisions for the education of children who had been freed after the Civil War.  As a result, the Methodists established schools for these children and child laborers and even worked to establish several Historically Black Colleges and Universities.  The United Methodist Church continues to support 11 of these schools. 

Why has education been an important focus for the people called Methodists?  For the very same reasons that it is today.  Education directly affects the quality of life. Education opens doors that lead toward the abundant life that Jesus speaks of in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” It is an abundance that encompasses more than just spiritual things; very real and tangible needs were met in the ministry of Jesus here on earth.  We remember in this Lenten season that Jesus was here and walked a very difficult path on this earth and yet he found time to welcome children, to heal the sick, and to feed people.

There is a straight line between a lack of quality public education and poverty.  We know that children growing up in poverty can have lifelong social, emotional, and economic setbacks.  Quality, free public education makes it possible for children to grow up and obtain jobs that open doors to access food and provide health insurance that opens the doors to healing through our healthcare system.

Education opens our minds so that we may grow intellectually but also in how we understand and relate to one another.  One might even say that education is a form of discipleship that moves us all towards perfection.  It is absolutely vital that we, as the people called Methodist, stand in this Wesleyan value of accessible quality public education and on our Social Principles that remind us that education can “best be fulfilled through public elementary and secondary schools and to post-secondary schools of their choice.” (The United Methodist Social Principles ¶ 164.E). 

The current proposed voucher program takes money away from our public schools, affecting their ability to provide a quality education, and further removes resources from economically disadvantaged students (up to 30% of Tennessee students), students in need of Individualized Educational Plans, and students who are English Language Learners. In many areas in our state, we are already struggling to meet these needs. The voucher program brings us further away from offering access to free public education to those who need it the most.  And from welcoming the stranger, feeding the hungry, and from healing the sick.

We have a small window to raise our voice as the people called Methodists, and that moment is now.  Our legislators need to hear that we will not stand for taking resources from our most vulnerable families. Our TWK Church and Society Team has been gathering resources to help us all lend our voices in this vital moment. 

Please follow this link (https://twkumc.org/connect/church-society/a-call-to-support-public-education/) to add your voice to those calling for quality public education. Thank you.

UMC Bishops call for Ceasefire in Gaza 

Posted: March 13, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: , , , , | Comments Off on UMC Bishops call for Ceasefire in Gaza 

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God” Matthew 5:9 NLT

As bishops of The United Methodist Church, we call for an immediate and permanent cease-fire in
the conflict between Hamas and Israel in Gaza and pledge our prayers and commitment to work for a
durable peace for Israelis, Palestinians, and all in the region.

As United Methodists, we join others in encouraging, “…diplomatic initiatives that will engage both
Israelis and Palestinians in an effort to understand the fears, hopes, and aspirations of each
other. Such strategies should actively seek a way to promote a just and lasting peace and
cooperation that will lead to a two-State solution…an end to the current occupation and violence,
and the creation of a viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace with Israel…”1

On October 7, 2023, an attack by Hamas left 1,200 Israelis dead and hundreds of hostages taken.
Since then, more than 30,000 have been killed by Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, the majority of them
women and children. Innocent people continue to be killed because of the fighting, and many are
dying of hunger and the spread of infectious disease.

The ability of aid organizations to attend to the critical needs of the victims of this prolonged
war has also been sharply limited by the lack of meaningful negotiations. On February 29, starving
Palestinians were fired upon as they sought food from an aid truck, with more than 100 persons
killed by Israeli forces. It is estimated that 1.8 million Palestinians have been displaced, their
homes and communities destroyed. The United Nations estimates that more than half a million people
are living under “catastrophic levels of deprivation and starvation.”

We believe that the current military strategy of the Israeli government, supported by U.S. weapons
transfers and aid, will only lead to the destruction of the entire Gaza Strip, an unconscionable
death toll that grows daily, the perpetuation of one of the world’s longest conflicts, and the
proliferation of increased enmity between Israelis and Palestinians, which has historically led to
an increase in the militarization on both sides There is no peace to be found in this strategy.

The lack of a true cease-fire after more than five months of this deadly conflict compels us to
raise our voices now. We call for an immediate and permanent cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and a
commitment from all involved parties, including Israel, Palestinians, surrounding Middle East
countries, the U.S., and others to pursue a lasting peace.

We pledge our prayers and commitment to work for a durable peace, an end to the violence and the
release of the hostages.

Council of Bishops
The United Methodist Church

1 A Pathway for Peace in Palestine and Israel, The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church – 2016

Ash Wednesday, February 14, 2004

Posted: February 14, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: , , | Comments Off on Ash Wednesday, February 14, 2004

My son, Chris, always offers me great stories to ponder. Today, he offers this one as a reflection of the journey of life and the power of the simple act of the liturgy on Ash Wednesday.  I don’t know where you are as you begin this Lenten journey, but I pray that you will join me in this season of reflection, repentance, and forgiveness leading to the Day of Resurrection, Easter.

Sam Lloyd is the former dean of the Washington National Cathedral in D.C. Many years ago he was a graduate student studying modern literature in a rigorously secular Department of English, surrounded by friends, few of whom were believers, and nearly all of whom were unhappy. He was doing a good deal of intellectual wrestling with his faith, and he was also trying to sort through where the rest of his life was headed.

Maybe you can relate. One afternoon Lloyd decided to stop by the Ash Wednesday service at the university Episcopal church, not recalling much about the service except that it had something to do with ashes.

Lloyd said, “I remember even now the power of the moment when I walked up to the front and a priest rubbed ashes into my forehead and said, ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’ I was overwhelmed by the sheer raw truthfulness of that act.

It came crashing home—I am finite, fragile, a creature who has been given these few short years to live. My agonizing about exactly what I believed seemed less pressing; my anxieties about where my life was going seemed a waste of time. I have been given this time now, I realized, before I return to dust, to be what I have been given to be. I was amazed by the power of a church service to tell me the truth about my life.”

Lloyd said, “I found the church telling me what we usually learn only in crisis times of tragedy or loss—that most of the things we obsess over, and exhaust ourselves with, get furious about, and lose sleep over are secondary. They are the chess pieces we anxiously move around, forgetting all the while that the whole board has been given to us as a gift.”*

I invite you to receive this life as a gift. And as Fred Craddock taught me, the only proper response to this gift is gratitude.

May your journey this Lent lead you in this way.

* from Dean Sam Lloyd, The Joy of Ash Wednesday, February 6, 2008, The Washington Cathedral Sermons

Christmas Eve Message

Posted: December 24, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Advent, Bishop's Blog | Tags: , , | Comments Off on Christmas Eve Message

Bishop Bill McAlilly | December 24, 2023

Advent Week Four | Scripture and Message

Posted: December 24, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Advent, Bishop's Blog | Tags: , , | Comments Off on Advent Week Four | Scripture and Message

During Advent, I will be posting a meditation each Sunday. I invite you to listen and meditate on the message for our fourth week. This series also will be linked to our conference social media during Advent. Please feel free to share these posts.

Bishop Bill McAlilly

Matthew 1:18-25 | December 24, 2023

Advent Week Three | Scripture and Message

Posted: December 17, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Advent, Bishop's Blog | Tags: , , | Comments Off on Advent Week Three | Scripture and Message

During Advent, I will be posting a meditation each Sunday. I invite you to listen and meditate on the message for our third week. This series also will be linked to our conference social media during Advent. Please feel free to share these posts.

Bishop Bill McAlilly

John 1: 6-14 | December 17, 2023

Your Support is Requested | Disaster Response

Posted: December 14, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Bishop's Blog, Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference | Tags: , , | Comments Off on Your Support is Requested | Disaster Response

Advent is a time of hope and anticipation, but December storms have again brought deep sadness to the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference.

Thousands of people were impacted by the tornadoes that devastated several communities in our episcopal area last weekend. We mourn the individuals who died and pray for their families and friends.

Three churches within our conference were damaged: Fellowship UMC in Clarksville,  Bellshire UMC in Nashville, and Saundersville UMC in Sumner County. All were tended to quickly by their congregations and other congregations in the area.

Our conference disaster response team immediately began its work to learn how best to support the survivors of these storms. Our United Methodist connection is helping in this response and will impact these communities for years to come in their recovery efforts.

We appreciate the prayers of support and the monetary contributions that have come in from friends across the connection, near and far.

TWK Early Response Teams (ERTs) have been deployed and some of our UMCOR-trained “Connecting Neighbors” churches have sprung into action. Several United Methodist conferences have contacted us to offer the boots-on-the-ground support of their ERTs, and some of those teams will be on the ground as early as next week.

Opportunities to safely volunteer are being assessed as are the supplies that will be needed. It will be communicated on our conference website and e-newsletter as we know more.

In the meantime, financial support is essential. Monetary donations made to TWK Disaster Response enable our team to quickly procure what is needed to respond to the needs of survivors in our area: https://twkumc.org/donate

I encourage your church to take a special offering for disaster support and to share the donation page address with others.

Together, we can be the hands and feet of Christ through our United Methodist connection. Our dollars will make a difference in the lives of many. Thank you for your support.

Bishop McAlilly

Photos courtesy of church Facebook pages.

Advent Week Two | Scripture and Message

Posted: December 10, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Advent, Bishop's Blog | Tags: , , | Comments Off on Advent Week Two | Scripture and Message

During Advent, I will be posting a meditation each Sunday. I invite you to listen and meditate on the message for our second week. This series also will be linked to our conference social media during Advent. Please feel free to share these posts.

Bishop Bill McAlilly

Isaiah 2: 1-5 | December 10, 2023

Advent Week One | Scripture and Message

Posted: December 3, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Advent, Bishop's Blog | Tags: , , | Comments Off on Advent Week One | Scripture and Message

During Advent, I will be posting a meditation each Sunday. I invite you to listen and meditate on the message each week. This series also will be linked to our conference social media during Advent. Please feel free to share these posts.

Bishop Bill McAlilly

Mark 13: 24-37 | December 3, 2023

Give Peace A Chance

Posted: November 11, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Bishop's Blog, COB | Tags: , , | Comments Off on Give Peace A Chance

Christ’s true disciples must work for peace: build it and not just keep it; live it and not just aspire for it. If Christ is our peace, then peace must be imperative. (Resolution 6129: The United Methodist Church and Peace)

The United Methodist Church Council of Bishops, along with millions of people across the globe, are weeping and praying for the people of the Holy Land. We decry the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and the continuing loss of life of Israelis and Palestinians including thousands of children.

We cannot remain silent while a preventable humanitarian crisis in Gaza unfolds with no safe haven for the citizens in Gaza or the volunteers and agencies seeking to prevent starvation and to treat the wounded.

We value all life. We encourage every effort toward a peaceful solution. We call for the release of hostages and for the killing to stop. We also call for the immediate allowance of unrestricted humanitarian assistance. As Bishops of the Church, we denounce acts of and the proliferation of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and hate crimes that may begin with words and often turn to violence directed toward persons whose race, ethnicity or religion is disparaged.

We cannot stand by as though God is not weeping when the innocent, including children, are dying. We cannot abandon the way of Peace.

May we find ways to listen to the stories of those most directly impacted by this centuries-old conflict. We commit to join all people in creating life-giving ways to journey toward peace with justice for all.

The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church
Meeting at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina

Friday, November 10, 2023

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