Council of Bishops issues statement concerning human sexuality
Posted: November 8, 2014 Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: bill mcalilly, bishop, bishop mcalilly, council of bishops, General Conference 2016, human sexuality, mcalilly, Memphis Conference, Nashville Area, Prayer, Tennessee Conference, The United Methodist Church, transformation of the world, united methodist 9 CommentsNovember 8, 2014
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Grace and Peace to you!
Below is a statement that yesterday afternoon the Council of Bishops adopted, unanimously, regarding our ministry with all persons, regardless of sexual orientation:
As bishops of The United Methodist Church, our hearts break because of the divisions that exist within the church. We have been in constant prayer and conversation and affirm our consecration vow “to guard the faith, to seek the unity and to exercise the discipline of the whole church.” We recognize that we are one church in a variety of contexts around the world and that bishops and the church are not of one mind about human sexuality. Despite our differences, we are united in our commitment to be in ministry for and with all people. We are also united in our resolve to lead the church together to fulfill its mandate—to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. As we do so, we call on all United Methodists to pray for us and for one another.
This statement is offered to the United Methodist Church to affirm our vow “to guard the faith, to seek the unity and to exercise the discipline of the whole church.” We are mindful that many across the Church will disagree; some expecting more, others expecting less.
As a global church, we wrestle with language that does no harm-either in the United States or abroad. What we are clear about is that the mission of the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world is our deepest call and commitment.
We acknowledge that differences and divisions exist within our denomination and across the Nashville Area. Therefore, we will prayerfully consider ways in which to open space for deeper conversation among one another with regard to our differences around our understanding of human sexuality.
Please continue to offer prayer for each other and for the bishops as we move toward General Conference 2016.
Serving Christ With You,
Bishop William T. McAlilly
Resident Bishop
*For more information about this statement from the Council of Bishops, click here to read Nov. 7 story from the United Methodist News Service.
Council of Bishops meet at Lake Junaluska
Posted: November 7, 2013 Filed under: Bill suggests: | Tags: annual conference, bill mcalilly, cherokee, council, council of bishops, lake junaluska, mcalilly, memphis, nashville, tennessee, trail of tears, UMC, united methodist 2 Comments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
| Council of Bishops
Media contact: Diane Degnan (email)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – United Methodist bishops from around the globe will gather in North Carolina at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center for the Council of Bishops meeting, November 10-15, 2013.
“The clear priority for the Council of Bishops is to increase vitality in our congregations in all the regions where we are present,” said Bishop Rosemarie Wenner, president of the Council. “We will engage in prayer, theological reflection and visioning so that we help one another to train leaders, to create new faith communities, and to engage in ministries with the poor and health programs like Imagine No Malaria.”
On Sunday, November 10, a memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. Bishop Wenner will present the President’s Address at 9:45 am on Monday. On Wednesday, the Council will travel to the Qualla Boundary, which is part of the original homeland of the Cherokee Nation. The area is currently home to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, direct descendants of those who were able to avoid forced removal to the area that is now Oklahoma.
“We will spend an afternoon with our sisters and brothers of the Cherokee Nation, following up on Acts of Repentance at General Conference,” said Bishop Larry Goodpaster of the Western North Carolina Episcopal Area. “We will remember the start of the Trail of Tears 175 years ago and point toward our Council meeting in Oklahoma later this quadrennium,” he said, referring to the Council meeting scheduled for November 2014.
The Council will spiritually center itself in daily worship and communion, along with small covenant groups for prayer and reflection. Plenary sessions, held each morning Monday-Friday, as well as Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, are open to the news media and the public. Among other reports, some of the items that will be discussed include:
• Objectives for the quadrennium: adaptive challenges and vital congregations
• Four Areas of Focus, agency alignment, 2016 budget process
• Elections: President, President-Designate, Secretary
• Preparing for 2016 General Conference
• Imagine No Malaria
• 2016 Episcopal Address
• Theological foundations of United Methodist identity and mission
During the six-day meeting, the bishops will also have various small group meetings, including accountability groups which were created as part of a covenant to hold one another accountable as they work together to increase the number of vital congregations and engage congregations in mission and ministry in the Four Areas of Focus.
About the Council of Bishops | The Council of Bishops – made up of 46 active bishops in the United States, 20 bishops in Europe, Asia and Africa, and 97 retired bishops worldwide – provides leadership and helps set the direction of the 12 million-member church and its mission throughout the world. The bishops are the top clergy leaders of The United Methodist Church, the second largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.
Please pray and display Christ-like spirit in midst of our disagreement
Posted: October 24, 2013 Filed under: Bishop's Blog, Memphis Conference, Tennessee Conference | Tags: annual conference, bible, bill mcalilly, bishop, bishops, christ, clergy, council of bishops, Discipline, homosexuality, mcalilly, melvin talbert, talbert, UMC, united methodist 30 CommentsNotice: Below is an image of letter head and a letter from the desk of Bishop McAlilly. If you can not see the image/read text, please CLICK HERE.
More resources:
CLICK HERE to read “Bishops urge Bishop Talbert not to officiate same-sex union” by United Methodist Communications
God Sightings
Posted: May 6, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: council of bishops 3 CommentsI am mindful that I am 2000 miles away from those of you who are worshipping Christ today as I gather with the Council of Bishops for our spring learning forum. Today, as a part of my covenant community within the council, we began with worship and reflection asking the question, “Where have you seen God at work recently in your area?”
My heart was warmed as I heard the stories from my colleagues about the way God is moving across our great Church. More than that, I reflected on the places across the Tennessee and Memphis Conferences where God is moving.
A small membership church discovers that there are children within a two mile radius and begins a Sunday School ministry with children who previously had no relationship with church or Jesus Christ.
For 15 years United Methodist Men have gathered at Archer’s Chapel for a fish fry. Five hundred plus men gather for food, fellowship, and worship.
A college student sings “Go Light Your World” in worship and moves a congregation to a deeper understanding of being the light of the world.
A group of youth sponsor a packing event for Stop Hunger Now and pack 10,000 meals for those who are hungry.
An Euro-American congregation has a vision for beginning a multi-cultural worshipping community and invites an African American to join the staff to reach a previously unreached group in its community.
Thirty persons offered their “God Story” to be shared at Annual Conference to help us remember how God is still in the redemption business.
Both of our Conference Staff teams and volunteers are working faithfully to prepare for Annual Conference so that the rest of us can enjoy Holy Conferencing in June.
A young person goes on a mission trip and her friends share the gospel of Jesus Christ with her. As a result, she accepts Christ as her Savior and becomes a part of a local congregation.
God is at work among us. These vignettes only scratch the surface of the greater things God is doing through Jesus Christ in our midst and on the mission field in your communities.
This week, I ask you to be on the look out for God at work. I also invite you to share those God sightings with me. I will be looking for the places where God is at work this week from within the Council of Bishops. I will let you know when and where I see those places.
Together may we be disciples of Jesus Christ who invite others to be disciples of Jesus Christ who change the world.
United Methodist Bishops work in partnership toward common goals
Posted: May 3, 2013 Filed under: Bill suggests: | Tags: bishop, bishops, border, california, council of bishops, episcopal, leadership, Methodist, mexico, rosemarie wenner, san diego, united methodist 2 Comments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | UMCom
Contact: Diane Degnan (email), 615.742.5406
United Methodist Bishops work in partnership toward common goals
“Exploring leadership for an emerging church” will be the theme of the first meeting of the Forum of Residential Bishops, scheduled on May 5-9, 2013 in San Diego.
The purpose of the five-day meeting is to create a learning environment where the residential bishops will share best practices, experiments and innovations that are working/not working in order to learn from one another. Each day’s discussion and learning will focus on a different theme, with addresses from selected keynote speakers.
“This will be an intensive time of learning, listening and renewing our commitment to our call,” said Bishop Rosemarie Wenner, president of the Council of Bishops. “By removing ourselves for a few days from the day-to-day urgency of leading annual conferences, we have an opportunity to jointly gain a wider perspective of the church as a whole and to help one another as leaders from around the globe.”
The bishops have previously committed to hold each other accountable through a covenant to work side-by-side to lead the denomination forward despite existing challenges in order to increase the number of vital congregations and engage congregations in mission and ministry in the Four Areas of Focus.
During the forum, the bishops will develop small accountability groups, and group members will follow up with each other afterwards related to their annual conference, jurisdictional and general leadership roles and responsibilities.
The bishops have identified some specific goals they are collectively working toward, which include:
- Double the number of vital congregations in the U.S. by the end of 2017
- Increase the number of vital congregations in the Central Conferences
- Raise $75 million in the fight against malaria
- Engage congregations in ministries to end poverty
- Start 1,000 new congregations by then end of 2016
- Enlist, support and mentor an additional 2,000 young candidates for ministry
On May 7, the Episcopal leaders will take a field trip to visit the U.S. – Mexico border.
The bishops will share information about their learning experiences through a series of daily updates which will be available on the Council’s website, and will conclude the meeting with a press conference (via web or phone — details to follow soon).
Last year, the Council of Bishops – which is comprised of both residential and retired bishops – decided to create a Forum of Residential Bishops for the purpose of building a learning community among peers. The meetings will be attended exclusively by active bishops; however, the forum will have no authority to make decisions or take actions on behalf of the Council. Such actions would be handled only when the full Council is assembled.
The full Council of Bishops has traditionally met twice a year, though they are not required to do so under church law. In order to make the forum meetings possible without creating additional cost, the Council decided to meet only once a year. Their next meeting will be November 10-15, 2013 in Lake Junalaska, N.C.
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Greater Things Are Yet To Be Done 