The Launch of the Vine UMC
Posted: April 16, 2023 Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: The Vine, TWKUMC, United Methodist Church Comments Off on The Launch of the Vine UMCThe Vine is a new hybrid (online and in-person) community of faith of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church. Like the season of spring that brings new life and color to what was once made bare by the winter season, The Vine seeks to bring healing and connection to those who desire to be part of a faith community that actively pursues new ways to follow Christ with others in the United Methodist Church.
The Vine is not a novel experiment or a simple reaction to the present challenges, but rather a new avenue for faithful discipleship grounded in the one who unites our hearts and minds – Jesus Christ, the True Vine.
The people called United Methodists have long understood that each generation has a responsibility to discern anew how to live out God’s gracious invitation of love and service in the here and now.
In these times of social polarization, misinformation, division, and displacement, the people of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church have sought to answer this call by planting ourselves firmly in the words of Jesus, who said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything” (John 15:5, CEB).
I am pleased to announce that guiding the work of The Vine will be the Reverend Jefferson Furtado. He will be joined by a team of pastors who will share the leadership and discipleship formation of those who choose The Vine as their spiritual community. In addition to his work in The Vine, Rev. Furtado will remain as a Ministry Associate serving on the TWK Connectional Ministries Staff in an adapted capacity.
The team of pastors who will be working with Rev. Furtado includes Reverend Doctor Erin Beasley, Reverend Erin Racine, and Reverend Sean Stanfield.
To learn more, visit our website @www.thevineumc.church.
Appointment Season 2023
Posted: April 14, 2023 Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: appointments, clergy, TWKUMC, united methodist Comments Off on Appointment Season 2023The appointive season this year has been the most unusual one in the 17 years that I have been a part of an appointive cabinet. The covenant of guaranteed appointments for elders, the Book of Discipline, and the question “How does this decision participate in the Beloved Community?” have impacted our work.
It has been our practice for the last 11 years for the appointive cabinet to meet in April and make appointment projections for the new conference year. At the adjournment of that meeting, calls would be initiated to pastors who are being appointed and to Pastor Parish Relations Committee chairpersons regarding the projected appointment. Then on the following Sunday, announcements were made in worship.
Today there are two things I would like to offer you about our ongoing work:
1. We will not be initiating appointive calls this weekend. We anticipate beginning to make some of those calls on April 21 and April 22. We do expect to be able to make those announcements no later than May 1. In those cases where we are able, we will make contacts before that date.
It is interesting to note that we have 60% fewer appointment considerations than in years past. There are several factors affecting this. Certainly, one factor is the number of disaffiliations. We are aware that the called session of annual conference on May 22 is contributing to some churches choosing not to participate in the appointive process.
Your appointive cabinet prayerfully considers all pastors and congregations as we do this important work of discernment. The process is not perfect, but we faithfully consider the needs of clergy and congregations. We seek faithfully to make the best matches between pastors and congregations.
2. I am pleased to announce that we are officially appointing Reverend Dr. Stephen Handy as Associate District Superintendent. Dr. Handy will continue serving the McKendree United Methodist Church as well as serving on the appointive cabinet and leading a cohort of congregations in our urban contexts.
Please make all that is before us a matter of deep prayer as we continue to discern God’s future in the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference.
Bishop Bill McAlilly
Gun Violence
Posted: March 31, 2023 Filed under: Bishop's Blog Comments Off on Gun ViolenceAt 8:00 a.m. on October 1, 1997, a horrific rampage shooting took place at Pearl High School in Pearl, MS a suburb of Jackson, the state capital. Within minutes two students were dead, several injured, and a whole community forever traumatized. At the time our children were in high school and middle school in Madison just 16.6 miles away. Lynn was a teacher in an elementary school. I remember the shock and alarm and fear and vulnerability that we all felt. While I now know that there had been other school shootings prior to the one in Pearl, it was the first time that I was aware of something this horrendous happening in a school. This shooting at Pearl High School would be the first in a series of rampage shootings to follow, continuing to the Columbine massacre in 1999. It is sickening that the list of schools that have been the sites of gun violence is longer than any of us would have fathomed back in 1997 (see below).
At the end of this blog, I have included a list of schools which have endured gun violence. Please read this list, knowing that each school represents students, teachers, administrators, custodians, cafeteria workers, parents, grandparents, family members, and community members. Hundreds and hundreds have been touched by the deaths of loved ones. I am sure there are other schools not listed here. And this list does not even include gun violence at malls, movie theatres, grocery stores, neighborhoods, other public places nor homes where gun violence also occurs.
Many school shootings and many deaths later, we find ourselves standing in the place in which so many other communities have stood with the shooting at The Covenant School, a private Presbyterian Church school. My heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of this violence. Our community grieves for these families; we lament the violence that has been visited on our brothers and sisters at Covenant Presbyterian Church and The Covenant School. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice!” Psalm 130:1
How can we accept that there is “nothing we can do” about this epidemic of gun violence? I do not accept that.
What CAN we do?
PRAY: I call on the people of Nashville and across The Tennessee Western Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church to pray. Pray without ceasing and listen for God’s message to you for what CAN be done in these tender days of mourning, grief, and outrage. However, Friends, we cannot stop with “thoughts and prayers.”
EDUCATE: Educate yourself about gun violence in the United States. What are gun violence statistics? What are school shooting statistics? What is an assault weapon (that is now used in many school gun violence episodes) and what is an assault weapon typically used for? There was formerly a Federal Assault Weapons Ban from 1994 to 2004. What has been the effect of gun violence since The Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 expired in 2004? Read about ways United Methodists can take a stand against gun violence here. The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church contains our official position on gun violence. Resolution 3428 in the 2016 Book of Resolutions, “Our Call to End Gun Violence,” calls upon each of us to do several things. Read the resolution in its entirety here. (Added this)
PLAN: Determine the actions you want to take. Personally, I want our political leaders to address BOTH mental health and public health issues AND to pass sensible gun laws and reduce easy access to dangerous weapons by banning assault weapons that are meant for trained military personnel in war times. The gun violence epidemic in our country must be addressed through comprehensive approaches. Locate the contact information for your US Senators, US House Representative for your District, Governor, Tennessee General Assembly Legislators. Lt. Governor Randy McNally is considering supporting red flag laws which work to keep guns out of the hands of people with a diagnosed mental illness. Red flag laws do not have a political bias. Such laws MIGHT have prevented the person responsible for the Covenant School shooting from having access to weapons.
You may call Lt. Governor Randy McNally @615-741-6906 and share your support with of this with him.
ACTION: Take the action you feel led to take to be a part of what CAN be done. Write a letter and/or make a telephone call to your lawmakers. Express your concern. Ask questions about plans your lawmaker has for stopping gun violence. Express your hope for the way your lawmaker will represent your interests. Vote for candidates that support your views for what CAN be done to address gun violence. Attend events that address gun violence. Talk with other like-minded people.
STAND TOGETHER During the inaugural meeting of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference in June 2022, a resolution was presented and passed advocating lawmakers implement laws that would reduce or prevent gun violence. Please use the link to read this resolution.
You see, there are some things that CAN be done.
Pray; educate yourself; decide what you want to do to be a part of the solution so that this list is less likely to grow longer; take some action in some way; and stand with others to do what CAN be done.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.
Bishop Bill McAlilly
**********************************
Pearl High School
Thurston High School
Columbine High School
Heritage High School
Deming Middle School
Fort Gibson Middle School
Buell Elementary School
Lake Worth Middle School
University of Arkansas
Junipero Serra High School
Santana High School
Bishop Neumann High School
Pacific Lutheran University
Granite Hills High School
Lew Wallace High School
Martin Luther King, Jr High School
Appalachian School of Law
Washington High School
Conception Abbey
Benjamin Tasker Middle School
University of Arizona
Lincoln High School
John McDonogh High School
Red Lion Area Junior High School
Case Western Reserve University
Rocori High School
Ballou High School
Randallstown High School
Bowen High School
Red Lake Senior High School
Harlan Community Academy High School
Campbell County High School
Milwee Middle School
Roseburg High School
Pine Middle School
Essex Elementary School
Duquesne University
Platte Canyon High School
Weston High School
West Nickel Mines School
Joplin Memorial Middle School
Henry Foss High School
Compton Centennial High School
Virginia Tech
Success Tech Academy
Miami Carol City Senior High School
Hamilton High School
Louisiana Technical College
Mitchell High School
EO Green Junior High School
Northern Illinois University
Lakota Middle School
Knoxville Central High School
Willoughby South High School
Henry Ford High School
University of Central Arkansas
Dillard High School
Dunbar High School
Hampton University
Harvard College
Larose-Cut Off Middle School
International Studies Academy
Skyline College
Discovery Middle School
University of Alabama
DeKalb School
Deer Creek Middle School
Ohio State University
Mumford High School
University of Texas
Kelly Elementary School
Marinette High School
Aurora Central High School
Millard South High School
Martinsville West Middle School
Worthing High School
Millard South High School
Highlands Intermediate School
Cape Fear High School
Chardon High School
Episcopal School of Jacksonville
Oikos University
Hamilton High School
Perry Hall School
Normal Community High School
University of South Alabama
Banner Academy South
University of Southern California
Sandy Hook Elementary School
Apostolic Revival Center Christian School
Taft Union High School
Osborn High School
Stevens Institute of Business and Arts
Hazard Community and Technical College
Chicago State University
Lone Star College-North
Cesar Chavez High School
Price Middle School
University of Central Florida
New River Community College
Grambling State University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School
Ronald E McNair Discovery Academy
North Panola High School
Carver High School
Agape Christian Academy
Sparks Middle School
North Carolina A&T State University
Stephenson High School
Brashear High School
West Orange High School
Arapahoe High School
Edison High School
Liberty Technology Magnet High School
Hillhouse High School
Berrendo Middle School
Purdue University
South Carolina State University
Los Angeles Valley College
Charles F Brush High School
University of Southern California
Georgia Regents University
Academy of Knowledge Preschool
Benjamin Banneker High School
D H Conley High School
East English Village Preparatory Academy
Paine College
Georgia Gwinnett College
John F Kennedy High School
Seattle Pacific University
Reynolds High School
Indiana State University
Albemarle High School
Fern Creek Traditional High School
Langston Hughes High School
Marysville Pilchuck High School
Florida State University
Miami Carol City High School
Rogers State University
Rosemary Anderson High School
Wisconsin Lutheran High School
Frederick High School
Tenaya Middle School
Bethune-Cookman University
Pershing Elementary School
Wayne Community College
JB Martin Middle School
Southwestern Classical Academy
Savannah State University
Harrisburg High School
Umpqua Community College
Northern Arizona University
Texas Southern University
Tennessee State University
Winston-Salem State University
Mojave High School
Lawrence Central High School
Franklin High School
Muskegon Heights High School
Independence High School
Madison High School
Antigo High School
University of California-Los Angeles
Jeremiah Burke High School
Alpine High School
Townville Elementary School
Vigor High School
Linden McKinley STEM Academy
June Jordan High School for Equity
Union Middle School
Mueller Park Junior High School
West Liberty-Salem High School
University of Washington
King City High School
North Park Elementary School
North Lake College
Freeman High School
Mattoon High School
Rancho Tehama Elementary School
Aztec High School
Wake Forest University
Italy High School
NET Charter High School
Marshall County High School
Sal Castro Middle School
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Great Mills High School
Central Michigan University
Huffman High School
Frederick Douglass High School
Forest High School
Highland High School
Dixon High School
Santa Fe High School
Noblesville West Middle School
University of North Carolina Charlotte
STEM School Highlands Ranch
Edgewood High School
Palm Beach Central High School
Providence Career & Technical Academy
Fairley High School (school bus)
Canyon Springs High School
Dennis Intermediate School
Florida International University
Central Elementary School
Cascade Middle School
Davidson High School
Prairie View A & M University
Altascocita High School
Central Academy of Excellence
Cleveland High School
Robert E Lee High School
Cheyenne South High School
Grambling State University
Blountsville Elementary School
Holmes County, Mississippi (school bus)
Prescott High School
College of the Mainland
Wynbrooke Elementary School
UNC Charlotte
Riverview Florida (school bus)
Second Chance High School
Carman-Ainsworth High School
Williwaw Elementary School
Monroe Clark Middle School
Central Catholic High School
Jeanette High School
Eastern Hills High School
DeAnza High School
Ridgway High School
Reginald F Lewis High School
Saugus High School
Pleasantville High School
Waukesha South High School
Oshkosh High School
Catholic Academy of New Haven
Bellaire High School
North Crowley High School
McAuliffe Elementary School
South Oak Cliff High School
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Sonora High School
Western Illinois University
Oxford High School
Robb Elementary School
Thurston High School
Columbine High School
Heritage High School
Deming Middle School
Heath High School
Fort Gibson Middle School
Buell Elementary School
Lake Worth Middle School
University of Arkansas
Junipero Serra High School
Santana High School
Bishop Neumann High School
Pacific Lutheran University
Granite Hills High School
Lew Wallace High School
Martin Luther King, Jr High School
Appalachian School of Law
Washington High School
Conception Abbey
Benjamin Tasker Middle School
University of Arizona
Lincoln High School
John McDonogh High School
Red Lion Area Junior High School
Case Western Reserve University
Rocori High School
Ballou High School
Randallstown High School
Bowen High School
Red Lake Senior High School
Harlan Community Academy High School
Campbell County High School
Milwee Middle School
Roseburg High School
Pine Middle School
Essex Elementary School
Duquesne University
Platte Canyon High School
Weston High School
West Nickel Mines School
Joplin Memorial Middle School
Henry Foss High School
Compton Centennial High School
Virginia Tech
Success Tech Academy
Miami Carol City Senior High School
Hamilton High School
Louisiana Technical College
Mitchell High School
EO Green Junior High School
Northern Illinois University
Lakota Middle School
Knoxville Central High School
Willoughby South High School
Henry Ford High School
University of Central Arkansas
Dillard High School
Dunbar High School
Hampton University
Harvard College
Larose-Cut Off Middle School
Heath High School
International Studies Academy
Skyline College
Discovery Middle School
University of Alabama
DeKalb School
Deer Creek Middle School
Ohio State University
Mumford High School
University of Texas
Kelly Elementary School
Marinette High School
Aurora Central High School
Millard South High School
Martinsville West Middle School
Worthing High School
Millard South High School
Highlands Intermediate School
Cape Fear High School
Chardon High School
Episcopal School of Jacksonville
Oikos University
Hamilton High School
Perry Hall School
Normal Community High School
University of South Alabama
Banner Academy South
University of Southern California
Sandy Hook Elementary School
Apostolic Revival Center Christian School
Taft Union High School
Osborn High School
Stevens Institute of Business and Arts
Hazard Community and Technical College
Chicago State University
Lone Star College-North
Cesar Chavez High School
Price Middle School
University of Central Florida
New River Community College
Grambling State University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School
Ronald E McNair Discovery Academy
North Panola High School
Carver High School
Agape Christian Academy
Sparks Middle School
North Carolina A&T State University
Stephenson High School
Brashear High School
West Orange High School
Arapahoe High School
Edison High School
Liberty Technology Magnet High School
Hillhouse High School
Berrendo Middle School
Purdue University
South Carolina State University
Los Angeles Valley College
Charles F Brush High School
University of Southern California
Georgia Regents University
Academy of Knowledge Preschool
Benjamin Banneker High School
D H Conley High School
East English Village Preparatory Academy
Paine College
Georgia Gwinnett College
John F Kennedy High School
Seattle Pacific University
Reynolds High School
Indiana State University
Albemarle High School
Fern Creek Traditional High School
Langston Hughes High School
Marysville Pilchuck High School
Florida State University
Miami Carol City High School
Rogers State University
Rosemary Anderson High School
Wisconsin Lutheran High School
Frederick High School
Tenaya Middle School
Bethune-Cookman University
Pershing Elementary School
Wayne Community College
JB Martin Middle School
Southwestern Classical Academy
Savannah State University
Harrisburg High School
Umpqua Community College
Northern Arizona University
Texas Southern University
Tennessee State University
Winston-Salem State University
Mojave High School
Lawrence Central High School
Franklin High School
Muskegon Heights High School
Independence High School
Madison High School
Antigo High School
University of California-Los Angeles
Jeremiah Burke High School
Alpine High School
Townville Elementary School
Vigor High School
Linden McKinley STEM Academy
June Jordan High School for Equity
Union Middle School
Mueller Park Junior High School
West Liberty-Salem High School
University of Washington
King City High School
North Park Elementary School
North Lake College
Freeman High School
Mattoon High School
Rancho Tehama Elementary School
Aztec High School
Wake Forest University
Italy High School
NET Charter High School
Marshall County High School
Sal Castro Middle School
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Great Mills High School
Central Michigan University
Huffman High School
Frederick Douglass High School
Forest High School
Highland High School
Dixon High School
Santa Fe High School
Noblesville West Middle School
University of North Carolina Charlotte
STEM School Highlands Ranch
Edgewood High School
Palm Beach Central High School
Providence Career & Technical Academy
Fairley High School (school bus)
Canyon Springs High School
Dennis Intermediate School
Florida International University
Central Elementary School
Cascade Middle School
Davidson High School
Prairie View A & M University
Altascocita High School
Central Academy of Excellence
Cleveland High School
Robert E Lee High School
Cheyenne South High School
Grambling State University
Blountsville Elementary School
Holmes County, Mississippi (school bus)
Prescott High School
College of the Mainland
Wynbrooke Elementary School
UNC Charlotte
Riverview Florida (school bus)
Second Chance High School
Carman-Ainsworth High School
Williwaw Elementary School
Monroe Clark Middle School
Central Catholic High School
Jeanette High School
Eastern Hills High School
DeAnza High School
Ridgway High School
Reginald F Lewis High School
Saugus High School
Pleasantville High School
Waukesha South High School
Oshkosh High School
Catholic Academy of New Haven
Bellaire High School
North Crowley High School
McAuliffe Elementary School
South Oak Cliff High School
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Sonora High School
Western Illinois University
Oxford High School
Bridgewater University
Robb Elementary School
Covenant Presbyterian School
Call to prayer for our neighbors
Posted: March 27, 2023 Filed under: Bishop's Blog Comments Off on Call to prayer for our neighborsToday we again mourn with those who have experienced a school-shooting.
Please be in prayer for our neighbors – the many children, parents and teachers – connected with the Covenant School in Nashville.
I continue to join my voice with others in the Church as we together seek to see a new day in our country where pain and sorrow and death will no longer be visited on innocent children.
Invitation to join conference-wide bible study
Posted: March 22, 2023 Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: Abide in Christ, bible study, mcalilly, TWKUMC Comments Off on Invitation to join conference-wide bible studyScripture is a way that we know we hear God’s voice and vision for us. Studying together is a way we know God speaks to the body of Christ. We can do nothing – literally no thing – without God and we can expect greater things when we abide in Jesus. Abiding can encompass many spiritual disciplines but immersion in the sacred text of the Bible is essential.
I hope you will gather some friends and walk with us toward Annual Conference this year by preparing spiritually for the time when we seek to abide in Christ.
The six-session Abide in Christ Bible Study is designed for small-group or individual use.
An online flipbook is available as well as the booklet PDF that can be downloaded to print or to read on your electronic device. We plan to offer Spanish and Korean versions of this study as well.
https://twkumc.org/abide-in-christ-bible-study/
How Long O Lord?
Posted: January 28, 2023 Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: Tyre Nichols Comments Off on How Long O Lord?This week Lynn and I were in Atlanta attending an Emory University Board meeting when the news that those responsible for the death of Tyre Nichols were charged. I kept thinking about Tyre’s tragic death after being pulled over for a traffic stop. I kept thinking about his tragic death at the hands of those whom we expect to protect citizens. I kept thinking about the pain, fear and trauma our Black and Brown brothers and sisters must feel yet again.
Friday, as Lynn and I left Atlanta we drove across Alabama to Mississippi. Those of us of sufficient age know too well the racial violence of the Deep South. Questions kept haunting me. How is it that Tyre Nichols was beaten to death with brutal precision? Where did the police learn to do that? Why did the police learn to do that? What training, what discipline, what instruction gave five men the license to torture, hound, and murder a fellow human being?
Tyre’s mother weeps for her son.
A four year old child is left fatherless.
And we are left with questions. Again.
As a United Methodist Christian, perhaps I ask a different set of questions: Where is God in that grainy video tape? Where is the Prince of Peace in the loss of humanity? What is there left for the Judge of the World when men in uniform appointed themselves judge, jury, and executioner.
We are not far from the season of Lent when we will walk the Via Dolorosa, the way of suffering, as we remember the death of Jesus the Christ. We would do well today to remember that we worship a God whose son experienced his own violent death at the hands of a brutal empire. Adorned in our sanctuaries we gaze on the implementation of that death—the cross. Yet I wonder as we gaze upon the shiny gold cross if it is lost on us what a brutal thing crucifixion was.
I need to be reminded today that we are bold to believe God does not abandon any of us, even in death. We believe that love wins, that God will one day reconcile all of us one to another and to God. We believe that God works even through the worst in our lives.
The violence we witnessed in the 44 minute video released Friday reminds us that day is not yet here, that even the God of reconciliation condemns the violence we saw together.
Fifty-five years ago, the senseless murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis changed America forever. Yet, here we are, still longing for the beloved community.
We pray, “How long, O Lord, how long?” It is the question that lingers the longest.
Sunday, I will be preaching at Centenary United Methodist Church, one of our historical Black congregations.
Pray for this congregation as we gather for worship. Pray for the city of Memphis. Pray for Tyre’s Nichols family. Pray for police everywhere who everyday are called to make judgements when in the line of duty. Pray that Memphis will become the catalyst for senseless murders to end as we continue to pursue justice for all.
And after you pray, I call on congregations to become places of healing, hope, and hospitality in the mission fields of communities where they are planted.
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
Bishop Bill McAlilly
Guest post: Praying for OUR Memphis…
Posted: January 27, 2023 Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: memphis, Metro District, TWKUMC Comments Off on Guest post: Praying for OUR Memphis…Rev. Dr. David O. Weatherly, Interim Metro District Superintendent, sent this message to clergy and lay leaders in the Metro District earlier today.
What comes to mind when you think of Memphis?
Barbeque, the Blues, southern soul food, Rock ‘n Roll, a Pyramid, the NBA’s Grizzlies, the University’s Tigers, the fabulous Zoo, Beale Street, a city on the bluff of the mighty Mississippi River, the unique bridges that cross over that muddy, mega-waterway…
Those are all great things to consider about what makes Memphis truly a one-of-a-kind city. Those are also the things that we are proud to put on a postcard.
Those specifics listed above cannot be experienced in any other place on the planet like you can in Memphis.
For me, as one born and raised here, I think of only one thing when I think of Memphis…people. The human beings that live here and call this city home.
Which means we must make another list of what it means, and has meant, to live in Memphis. A list of things about what it has been like, past and present, to be a person who resides in Memphis.
Blacks and Whites (primarily), the struggle for civil/human rights, poverty, economic imbalance, racism, redlining, maligned public schools, and often corrupt/ineffective/divided government systems and leadership.
These elements also are present in many cities in our country and around the world.
There are also many miraculous things that can be found in Memphis that fill the lives of people who live here with hope…St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Metropolitan Inter-faith Association, The Church Health Center, and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of churches who offer effective ministries of care, concern, and compassion.
What makes today feel different is that we will see one of our own, a citizen of Memphis, a brother in the family of humanity, suffer great pain – and ultimately – life-ending injury. That it will come at the hands of police officers is even more troubling. We still do not know everything about what caused these five officers to react the way they did and completely overpower and assault an unarmed individual. They deserve to be considered innocent until proven guilty…but that will not matter today.
We know that the vast, vast, vast, vast, vast, vast, vast, vast, vast, vast, vast majority of those who wear the badge of law enforcement do so with a full commitment to protect and to serve. I am thankful for them and support their willingness to put themselves and their lives on the line when any of us calls for help. I know some personally, and likely so do you. They are overworked, underpaid, and drive out of the precinct on their shifts with an anxiety we civilians cannot understand. May God protect them and may they always have the strength to protect and serve courageously and appropriately.
Today is normally my day off, so I have been in several parts of Memphis running errands. The looming release of the video of this event was clearly on the minds of many people.
I went to return an item at a department store. The two clerks at the customer service desk were talking about it as I approached the counter. One said to the other, “I don’t want to watch the video because I don’t want to hear someone crying out for their mom like that.”
I was in the grocery store and two employees were placing items on shelves. One noted to the other, “It sure is slow for a Friday.” The other remarked, “You know the video of the police incident is coming out. People are probably scared and staying home.”
I was driving near Poplar and I-240 and saw several vehicles clearly marked “Homeland Security” pulling off the interstate and merging in front of me. I have no idea if their presence was because of the dynamics around the release of the video, but that’s where my mind went.
The local sports talk show I normally listen to on the radio had put aside their usual topical conversation to reflect on how they thought the weekend would go after the video is seen.
It’s everywhere…and it should be. We all need to learn something from this.
Tyre Nichols was a Memphian. He was one of us. You cannot separate yourself from him – or his humanity. Today we need to pray for his family and OUR Memphis. It matters not where you live or serve in the Metro area. This is not a day you can separate yourself by urban, suburban, or rural – by Black, White, or another race – by rich or poor – by conservative or progressive – by clergy or lay. If one of us hurts, we all hurt.
No matter where you live or serve, we are people of faith, and we need to pray for OUR Memphis.
So, with the release of the video later today of the reported beating that took the life of Tyre Nichols, I am asking you as your Interim Metro District Superintendent to pray and engage your congregations in some capacity this Sunday in a manner that you feel is appropriate for your ministry setting. I trust that you know the best way in the context of your ministry settings to offer opportunities in whatever fashion is best for prayer, dialogue, and community response that promotes peace, understanding, and consideration for how such an act can and will ripple through our communities.
I ask that you pray for Tyre’s family and for strength in their unimaginable pain.
I ask that you pray for peace, patience, and the mighty power of God to descend upon our citizens and leaders.
I ask that you pray for these five former officers, that they will receive a fair and just process in being held accountable for their actions.
I ask that you pray that the media will not inflame an already volatile situation by sensationalizing this tragic event.
I ask that you pray for the Memphis Police Department that they may look within themselves and do all they can to ensure something like this never happens again.
I ask that you pray that no politician or political action group will use this tragedy to simply promote their agenda or suggest that all police are bad. We know they are not.
I ask that you pray that the response to seeing the video will not cause people to bring violence and destruction.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.
May God bless the City of Memphis.
Home For Christmas
Posted: December 24, 2022 Filed under: Bishop's Blog Comments Off on Home For ChristmasHome.
Say the word and it conjures up all sorts of images.
For as long as I can remember, home has been the place, where during the Christmas season, Lynn and I have longed to be.
Home for most of my life is wherever our family gathers for Christmas celebrations.
When our family was young and our children small, many years we headed out after the Christmas eve service to North Mississippi where our parents lived. Do you know how hard it is to find something to eat for hungry children at 9 pm on Christmas Eve?
Nothing seemed right until we gathered at the table of my mother or Lynn’s mother. Some years it was hard to do both.
I remember when we were in Georgia, our first Christmas as a married couple, my father flew to Gainesville, Ga., and picked us up at the Gainesville airport. We flew home in a Cessna 172. It was a cold, windy December day. He flew us to New Albany, MS, where Lynn’s parents lived. The day was cloudy, overcast, and very cold. Lynn and I wondered how safe flying in those conditions could be. Somewhere over Alabama my father picked up the radio signal of a distressed pilot who had lost his ability to communicate with the air traffic controller in Nashville. Dad could hear the pilot and the controller. He became the conduit that connected the two. When the pilot of the distressed plane landed, he profusely thanked my father for helping him find his way home.
When we landed in New Albany, waiting for us on the ground were Lynn’s mother and father. When the plane finally came to a stop on the tarmac and we greeted our family, we knew we were home.
Later that evening, we gathered in the sanctuary of our home church First United Methodist Church, New Albany. Reverend Lavelle Woodrick was the pastor. Knowing I was going to be in worship that night, Lavelle invited me to be the liturgist at the Christmas Eve service. That meant I would read the Gospel Lesson for Christmas, Luke 2. When I stood before the congregation that had nurtured me, loved me, invited me into a life of faithfulness, I knew I was home.
First United Methodist Church has been that place, for over 50 years, I have known as home. As the son of a United Methodist pastor home has always been elusive since we lived in so many places. Since 1969, the one constant in my pilgrimage has been the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church, New Albany.
Last Sunday we were able to go there.
It was the first time we had been in a sanctuary in four months. It was good and right to be in the place I call home to worship as the choir offered their Christmas Cantata. I was given the privilege of thanking the congregation for their prayers. I acknowledged that First United Methodist Church had been my foundation.
Being there was wonderful. I saw adults who were in the youth group I led between 1981-1984 when I was the associate pastor. It was somewhat of a reunion. These adults are now in their 50s. I haven’t seen some of them in a long time. Sunday, when we saw each other, it was as if years have not passed. We laughed and we remembered. I give thanks for those memories.
Christmas this year will be different. Our children will not come to us and gather around the table in our home. We will go and be with them. We will worship Christmas Eve at Oxford University United Methodist Church at their early afternoon service designed to be children friendly. 3/5 of our grandchildren will be there. Later we will worship at First United Methodist Church, New Albany. We will be home.
In 18 months, my time as a bishop will end. We have been planning for over 15 years to come home. Home to New Albany. Home to the church where Lynn was baptized, where we exchanged wedding vows, where our son Chris was baptized, where I served my first appointment out of seminary. We will come home to the house Lynn’s grandparents lived in, and it will become our home.
We have planned, dreamed about this homecoming. Lynn’s sisters are there. My brother and sister 20 minutes away in Tupelo. Our son and his family 35 minutes away in Oxford. I’ve dreamed of being a part of First Church again. Maybe teaching Sunday School, leading a Bible Study. Supporting the pastor in whatever way might be helpful.
There’s just one problem with my dream. The church is planning to vote on disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church. That vote is scheduled for January. My deep concern is that over one hundred years of faithfulness in the same direction will be severed.
I suspect across the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference, many share my concern.
Here’s what I know: God continues to work.
The church is not ending, and God is doing a new thing by showing us that home comes in new ways.
I’ve spent more time at home than I ever dreamed I would these last 4 months. I’ve had to adjust my expectations of myself. I’ve had to depend on others, especially Lynn, to help me function. Lynn dropped everything she was doing to give attention to my needs. I am filled with gratitude to her for her care and love. I am grateful for the home that is provided for us by the TWK Conference. I am grateful for Paula Grout and the Episcopacy Committee for making sure a ramp was installed and other accommodations were made in our home to make it possible for me to manage my recovery.
This season has also been humbling. I’ve learned to look only as far down the road as the next procedure. (I’ve been in the operating room four times since August 26). I am learning to walk again but not without the aid of a cane. I am learning that the body has its own timetable regarding healing. My physical therapist is one of the kindest people I’ve ever encountered, and my physicians really are the healing hands of God.
As I anticipate retiring in 18 months, I am mindful how quickly this time will pass. These last four months have been preparing me for the journey home. We’ve been tossing the word resilience around since Covid-19 visited us. I think resilience and I have become companions.
The wreck of August 25 sidelined me in multiple ways as well as those who were apart of the accident that day. I have prayed daily for their healing as well. I trust that you have as well.
Perhaps the most hopeful, promising sign I have seen during this time is that we have an amazing team of leaders who have kept moving forward despite the absence of my presence.
As for the future, I do wonder where my spiritual home will be in the last third of my life. It’s a worthy question.
There is a lot of rhetoric about the United Methodist Church, about Bishops, about disaffiliation. I hope those wanting so badly to leave will do some soul searching. I am remembering a line in the movie “Cold Mountain”. The central character Inman is walking home from the Civil War and says to his companion, “Don’t you think God tires from hearing the prayers of both sides.”
I sense that same weariness in congregations that are pushing to vote on disaffiliation. What saddens me is the misinformation and rhetoric that places judgment on pastors and bishops when many have never had conversations with us about what we think, believe, and feel.
I am confident that all any of us want is a place, a spiritual home, a Church where when we go there, everybody knows our name and everyone is glad we came. In short, a home. A spiritual home.
Mary and Joseph went home and there was no place for them.
My sense is that we all long for home.
I’m learning that life circumstances often leave us feeling as if we are without a home. We feel lonely. Isolated. Afraid.
I’m especially mindful of those who in these days of below freezing temperatures have no place to lay their heads. I am grateful for those congregations who offer “Room in the Inn” for our residentially challenged friends in these frigid days.
In this season of uncertainty, of loneliness and isolation, fear and uncertainty, I remember the words of the psalmist, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘he is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” Psalms 91:1-2
But the message of Christmas, the good news of the Gospel, is that there is a home for us. The Psalmist gestures to this but this longing that stirs in us finds its completion in the promises of Revelation. At the end of time, the home of God is with mortals. And this is the insanely good news of the Gospel!
Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us!
My prayer for you this Christmas is that you will find your home in Emmanuel, God with us!
Peace,
Bill McAlilly
“For outlandish creatures like us, on our way to a heart, a brain, and courage, Bethlehem is not the end of our journey but only the beginning – not home but the place through which we must pass if ever we are to reach home at last.” Fredrick Buchner,
Statement on Amendment 3 to the Tennessee State Constitution
Posted: October 27, 2022 Filed under: Bishop's Blog, Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference | Tags: Holston Conference, State of Tennessee Comments Off on Statement on Amendment 3 to the Tennessee State ConstitutionGreetings Holston and Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conferences! As bishops of Conferences that include the state of Tennessee, we are writing today regarding an opportunity Tennesseans have to right a historical wrong.
On November 8, 2022, the citizens of Tennessee will be going to the polls to make many decisions, including about Amendment 3 which proposes deleting exceptions to the prohibition of slavery. The language of the current Tennessee Constitution reads, “That slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, are forever prohibited by this State.” If Amendment 3 passes, the State Constitution will read, “That slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited in this state.” Note that nothing in this section shall prohibit an inmate from working when duly convicted of a crime.
Amendment 3 will finally end the exception to the prohibition, thus officially banning the atrocity of slavery and involuntary servitude in any form. This amendment, which has bipartisan support, passed overwhelmingly as a joint resolution in the Tennessee legislature.
All of us, in our baptismal vows, promised to “accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.” Voting on Amendment 3 is an opportunity for us to live out this commitment.
Thank you for prayerfully considering this amendment. We are grateful for you and the variety of ways in which you serve and lead.
Blessings,
William T. McAlilly, Resident Bishop, Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference
Debra Wallace-Padgett, Resident Bishop, Holston & North Alabama Conferences
Interim Leadership Coverage Plan for Westside TWK Districts
Posted: September 19, 2022 Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: Cabinet, District Superintendent, Metro District, mississippi district, TWKUMC Comments Off on Interim Leadership Coverage Plan for Westside TWK DistrictsDear Disciples and Congregations of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church,
Grace and Peace to you from our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ. We write to you today grateful for your prayers.
Over the last 8 weeks, we have experienced an extraordinary season of trauma and disruption and we are practicing resilience in the midst of the challenges that are before us..
On September 1, we had hoped to announce the appointment of a district superintendent for the Metro District. It has not been lost on us that many are anxious about this. The death of Dr. Eason-Williams created a void in our Cabinet. She was leading the Appointive and Extended Cabinet in the important work of exploring systemic racism in our context through “Signposts,” a curriculum she helped to create. It is our hope that “Signposts” will become a tool utilized in our congregations for the vital work of eliminating racism.
The loss of Dr. Eason-Williams means for the first time in ten years there is not a person of color at the Cabinet table. We are committed to our conference’s value of investing in diverse leadership. We have sought the input and counsel of diverse leaders of our conference regarding the best way to live into this commitment in the season we find ourselves–a season that could not be forecasted.
Therefore, after prayerful consideration of that counsel, the Cabinet and I have decided to move forward in the following way:
1. Until the normal appointment cycle begins in the Spring of 2023, we will lean into the current leadership on the Cabinet without appointing a superintendent to the Metro District at this time.
2. Rev. Jefferson Furtado, the Ministry Associate of the Equip Team, who relates directly to the Board of Ordained Ministry, will be added to the extended Cabinet and participate in Cabinet processes.
3. Dr. Stephen Handy will serve as a consultant to the Bishop and Cabinet on matters of ethnic minority pastors and leadership.
4. In order to provide superintendent coverage in the Metro, Mississippi River, Purchase, and Tennessee River Districts, the superintendent of the Mississippi River District, Dr. David Weatherly; the Tennessee River District, Rev. Dan Camp; and the Purchase District, Rev. Nancy Johnston Varden will become responsible for the following:
A. Dr. David Weatherly will cover the Metro District and the counties of Haywood, Lauderdale, and Dyer in the Mississippi River District.
B. Rev. Nancy Johnston Varden will cover the Purchase District and the Tennessee counties of Lake, Obion, and Weakley in the Mississippi River District.
C. Rev. Dan Camp will cover the Tennessee River District and the counties of Crockett and Gibson in the Mississippi River District.
5. All regular Charge Conferences that are currently scheduled will be presided by the district superintendent who scheduled the conference or their designee. This does not include future special called charge conferences or church conferences.
6. All Administrative functions, such as the filing of reports or forms by churches in the Mississippi River District will continue to be filed with the Mississippi River District Office.
7. Churches in the Mississippi River District who need the assistance of a district superintendent will contact the Mississippi River District Office and the appropriate superintendent providing coverage for that church or charge will respond.
8. During the pastoral consultation season, pastors and congregations will consult with the superintendent who is providing coverage for their charge.
While this temporary solution is far from perfect, it seeks to keep our local churches strong and to balance the work of the Cabinet until God helps to provide a more permanent solution that will be implemented on July 1, 2023.
We trust you are praying for me, the Cabinet, and the leadership of our conference, as well as all the people called United Methodists in the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference as we all seek to do the work of transforming the world one neighborhood at a time.
In Christ,
Bishop McAlilly and the TWK Conference Appointive Cabinet
Gun Violence | A Letter to our Elected Officials
Posted: August 11, 2022 Filed under: Bishop's Blog Comments Off on Gun Violence | A Letter to our Elected OfficialsAugust 9, 2022
To: President Biden; Senators Blackburn, Hagerty, Paul, and McConnell; and Governors Lee and Beshear,
From: Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church
Dear President Biden and administration,
Recently, a senseless act of gun violence took the life of Rev. Dr. Autura Eason-Williams, a beloved United Methodist pastor, District Superintendent, mentor, friend, wife, and mother in Memphis, Tennessee. Her name is added to the list of over 24,000 Americans whose lives have been cut short by gunshot wounds this year alone. The grief we feel over her loss is nearly unbearable, as it is for all those who have lost a loved one to gun violence. But our grief must not paralyze us—it must move us to do all in our power to ensure these losses don’t continue at their current staggering rate.
Last month, pastors and lay leaders from every United Methodist church in our area gathered to worship, pray, celebrate, and articulate our vision and mission. These leaders represented over 162,000 United Methodists from 850 churches in Western and Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky. During our time together, these leaders overwhelmingly passed a motion calling on our politicians to enact meaningful gun control legislation and calling our churches to do everything in their power to reduce the scourge of gun violence in our country. We had no idea that within a month, the tragic effects of gun violence would take the life of one of the persons in that very room.
While we applaud the bi-partisan federal gun violence legislation that was recently signed into law, we do not believe it goes far enough. As part of the several key proposals in our motion, which are drawn from our denomination’s Book of Resolutions, we specifically call on you to establish a minimum age of 21 years for a gun purchase or possession and to ban large-capacity ammunition magazines and weapons designed to fire multiple rounds each time the trigger is pulled.
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus told his disciples that those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. We have too long been complacent with the overwhelming number of deaths by violence. Through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can begin to break this cycle of violence. United Methodist churches in the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference are committed to doing just that. We call on each of you to use your legislative powers to join us in this mission.
We failed to protect our sister, Autura. Let us not fail to protect anyone else.
May the peace of Christ be with you,
William T. McAlilly
Resident Bishop
Many clergy and laity signed on to this open letter. You can see this list and add your name here.
Interim Leadership for Metro District
Posted: July 25, 2022 Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: Autura Eason-Williams, David Weatherly, District Superintendent, Metro District, TWKUMC Comments Off on Interim Leadership for Metro DistrictFriends,
This is a tender time. It is a time filled with grief and loss, anger, and sorrow, but also one filled with the hope of the resurrection.
As you are now aware, we are grieving the loss of our friend, colleague and leader, The Reverend Dr. Autura Eason-Williams.
We recently learned that the funeral arrangements are:
- A viewing on Tuesday, August 2, from 4 – 8 p.m. at Anthony Funeral Home, 135 S 16th Street, West Memphis, AR 72301.
- The funeral on Wednesday, August 3, at 10 a.m. at Saint Paul United Methodist Church, 2949 Davies Plantation Road, Lakeland, TN 38002. (Clergy who attend are requested to wear black robes with a white stole, or a dark suit, so they may line up along the aisle as Autura passes through.)
While it is difficult to think about the future leadership of the Metro District, we are slowly turning our attention in that direction.
In the near term, I have asked the Reverend Dr. David Weatherly, the Mississippi River District Superintendent, to serve the Metro District as well as the Mississippi River District.
This appointment is for an interim period of time until we can make decisions related to the future leadership of the Metro District.
Dr. Weatherly is well acquainted with the Metro District having served in the district over many years. He will bring stability in this season as a steady and trusted leader.
Hopefully by the first of September, we will be able to announce a more permanent plan for the Metro District. In the meantime, Dr. Weatherly will continue serving the Mississippi River District as he assumes the duties of the Metro District.
Please be in prayer for the family of Dr. Eason-Williams, the Metro District congregations, pastors, and Dr. Weatherly.
Peace,
Bishop William McAlilly
Remembering Autura Eason-Williams
Posted: July 19, 2022 Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: #BeUMC, Autura Eason-Williams, Memphis Conference, TWKUMC, UMC 2 CommentsWords escape me today. Late yesterday, I received the news that Reverend Dr. Autura Eason-Williams was tragically and senselessly murdered in her driveway at her home as she attempted to prevent a car theft. Dr. Eason-Williams was in her second year as the District Superintendent of the Metro District in Memphis, TN.
The clergy and laity of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference are grieving and in shock. Last night, over 200 gathered to remember and give thanks for Autura, for her life, her witness, her leadership, and her friendship. The outpouring of tears and love as we remembered Autura was a reminder of what an impact one person can have and the loss that is felt when one among us is taken from us unexpectedly.
We often quip that no one is irreplaceable. I will tell you, however, that I beg to differ with that sentiment. One can be replaced but the unique giftedness of a person cannot be replicated. Autura was uniquely gifted for mission and ministry. She navigated a cross-racial appointment as an early pioneer in that work in the legacy Memphis Conference. Her peers elected her to lead the clergy delegation to General Conference and endorsed her as a candidate for Bishop prior to the anticipated 2020 General Conference.
During the Global Pandemic, I invited Autura to join the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Appointive Cabinet. She was in the process of becoming one of our most gifted District Superintendents and was tackling some of our most difficult challenges. Two of the ministries Autura was leading for the Tennessee Western Kentucky Conference were the Signposts Seminars, engaging the work of systemic racism in our conference, and #BeUMC Campaign, an effort to highlight the positive aspects of being the United Methodist Church. More than these very tangible efforts, however, was Autura’s ministry of encouragement, especially to female clergy.
Autura, we will miss your laugh, your leadership, your love, your faithfulness, and your generous spirit. You modeled for us the words of Micah: “and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8. We give thanks to God for the ways you led and loved us well.
Please help make Meharry in Memphis a success
Posted: June 29, 2022 Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: bishop mcalilly, Church Health, Dr. James Hildreth, Dr. Michael Ugwueke, Dr. Scott Morris, Meharry Medical School, Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare, TWKUMC Comments Off on Please help make Meharry in Memphis a successDear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
At the Inaugural session of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference, we presented a transformative opportunity for ministry that will have a growing impact in the years to come. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we know healing is one of the foundations of our faith. The call to discipleship is to preach, to teach, and to heal. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to find a way to be engaged in the ministry of healing. If we do not, we have ignored a third of the Gospel.
In a bold move, Meharry Medical School in Nashville has partnered with Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare in Memphis, The University of Memphis, and Church Health to establish a Memphis campus. The goal is to identify, mentor, and train students who might grow up in poverty but who can become physicians to serve both the community where they grow up and all of America. Such a pipeline plan is ambitious with many places where “leakage” occurs. We believe the United Methodist Church following the example of our founder, John Wesley, who promoted health education and healing as part of his ministry, can stop the “leakage.”
The Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference has an opportunity to play a leading role in the creation of a Memphis Campus for Meharry Medical School—the only historically black United Methodist-related medical school in the US. We hope that you and your congregation will support this work in a meaningful, thoughtful, and financial way.
There are 168 allopathic medical schools in America. There are 4 historically black medical schools with only one affiliated with a church, and that is Meharry. In 1876, Meharry was founded as the first medical school for African Americans in the south and has always been affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Its importance today is greater than ever before. Only 5% of all physicians identify as African American. Meharry’s role in raising children of color up to be doctors is critical and they take their affiliation with the Church seriously. The opportunity to create a Memphis campus with the support of the United Methodist Church gives us a chance to follow the call of the gospel to heal the sick, while also demonstrating support for promising young leaders.
We are asking you to commit yourself and your congregation to the task of making the Memphis Campus of Meharry strong and vibrant. The role of the Church will be three-fold: 1) to help identify potential students and to connect with and mentor them, thus plugging the points of “leakage” so that children with potential may become physicians; 2) to promote Meharry at every opportunity across our connection to enhance the role of the church in the training of physicians of color, and 3) to make a financial commitment that will assist in making Meharry in Memphis a success.
Statistics indicate that students who grow up in poverty and successfully navigate college and Meharry Medical school, often begin their careers with a financial debt approaching $400,000. There are many financial resources needed to make the Memphis Campus a success. We are asking you to make a financial commitment to this powerful endeavor. You can make your commitment by giving online to “Meharry” at https://www.shelbygiving.com/app/giving/twkumc or by sending a check made out to Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference (Memo Line: Meharry Offering). Please mail checks to TWKUMC, PO 440132, Nashville, 37244-0132.
We make this request trusting in the belief that one day we will look into the face of God with the assurance that we did our best to provide a ministry of healing. We invite you to journey with us.
With hope for healing,
Bishop Bill McAlilly; Dr. Michael Ugwueke; Dr. James Hildreth; Dr. Scott Morris
How Long, O Lord, How Long?
Posted: May 26, 2022 Filed under: Bishop's Blog Comments Off on How Long, O Lord, How Long?
May 25, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church President Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton today urged clergy and laity to go on offense to stop mass shootings like the one that killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas.
“My “statement” today is quite simple: Let’s go on the offense. If you are a pastor, weave our theology of a lived-out faith into sermons that challenge people to convert their fears, angers, racist tendencies, and complicit behaviors into a mobilized witness of the power of God to do far more than we could ever dream of or imagine,” Bishop Bickerton said.
He called on the laity too: “If you are a lay person, determine today how you will take the faith you nurture each week in a pew to the streets, the places where you work, and the homes where you live. If you are a church body, don’t settle for just active shooter training. Determine that you will actively work to transform lives from violence to peace, elect officials that will not settle for inaction, and inject communities with the grace and love of Christ that will alter the course of our current behaviors.”
Writing on behalf of the COB, Bishop Bickerton said he refuses to see this period of our lives as a permanent time of disarray. “Instead, I choose to see this an interim time, a time that will not remain as it is, a time that will not be the standard upon which we experience the life we have been blessed to live. As United Methodists we embrace a gospel and a mission that we state has the power to transform the world.”
The call today is for every United Methodist Christian to go on the offense, stating what we believe the power of God can do in our midst, opening ourselves to power of God at work within us, and doing whatever we can to alter the current course of behavior once and for all.
I join my voice with Bishop Bickerton as we together seek to see a new day in our country where pain and sorrow and death will no longer be visited on innocent children.
Bishop Bill McAlilly
Greater Things Are Yet To Be Done 