United Women in Faith - Western North Carolina Conference

A Way Forward for The United Methodist Church

Why are United Methodist Women Involved?

As United Methodist Women, we aim to educate for the transformation of the world. Our goal for you is to:

• Be Informed about the Special Session of General Conference in 2019 and the work of the Commission on a Way Forward
• Clarify your thinking on what holds us together as a Church
• Develop confidence to share our views with other church members, including with our Annual Conference leaders and General Conference delegates around the unity of the Church

A Message from Harriett Olson, General Secretary, United Methodist Women:

Excerpts from Responsively Yours, response magazine, January 2018: (Click to read entire article)

• The Commission on a Way Forward has been engaging in a conversation as it prepares a report to come to the Special Session of General Conference in 2019. Between now and General Conference 2019 we will also be engaging in conversations as United Methodist Women.
• Differences of belief and opinion about how The United Methodist Church should include, minister to and treat our LGBTQ members have been a source of conflict since the first language addressing homosexuality was added to The Book of Discipline in 1972.
• Sisters, you have wisdom and experience to share that is born of working together amidst differences for many years. You have seen conflicts resolved well and conflicts resolved poorly. You have families that have stayed close and families that have pulled apart. The church needs your prayers, your wisdom and your willingness to engage.

What You Can Do:

Every United Methodist needs to be engaged in this journey. Here are things YOU can do:

• Be in Prayer. Pray for The United Methodist Church, the Council of Bishops, the Commission on a Way Forward, the Commission on General Conference, the work of the General Conference, laity and clergy delegates to General Conference, and the many others providing resourcing & assistance for this work. Pray for our global connection, local congregations, and our clergy & laity members around the world. Join in Praying our Way Forward with other United Methodists around the world using the prayer resources at www.umcprays.org. Be in Prayer.
• Be informed. Follow the news & information coming out as we move toward General Conference. Use the resources on this page and others that will be shared over the coming months. Be informed.
• Join in Holy Conversation. Be a part of conversations in your district, and in your congregation. Use the Healthy Conversations resources available on our conference website. Intentionally find ways to be in holy conversation, listening and sharing in love, with persons with whom you may not agree. Join in Holy Conversation.

Website Resources:

• Handout for September 2018 Annual Celebration (PDF)
• Final Report from The Commission on A Way Forward (4 Languages)
• Commission on A Way Forward Resources Page of WNCC UMC Website – including Healthy Conversations resources
• Video: Remarks on “A Commission on a Way Forward” – Bishop Ken Carter, President of the Council of Bishops | Western North Carolina Annual Conference 2018
• Videos from The Commission on A Way Forward
• News Releases from The Commission on A Way Forward
• TED Talk Video:  The Danger of a Single Story – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• TED Talk Video: 10 Ways to have a Better Conversation – Celeste Headlee
• Decision 2019: One with Christ, One with Each Other, One in Ministry to all the World (August / September / October 2018 Special Issue of Circuit Rider
• Video – Presentation by Rev. Tom Berlin, member of Commission on a Way Forward. The Rev. Tom Berlin, an elder in the Virginia Conference, provides insight into the work of the Commission on a Way Forward. This recording comes from an hour-long presentation he provided at the Baltimore-Washington Conference. This 37-minute excerpt details the commission’s work and three models for a way forward for The United Methodist Church over human sexuality.
• Videos – Six video presentations by Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball, one of the Bishop moderators of the Commission on a Way Forward. Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball goes into depth about the work of the Commission on A Way Forward and the three plans that the Commission has submitted to General Conference for the special called session in February, 2019.
• Videos: Seeing a Way Forward – Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey, President-Designate of the Council of Bishops | Louisiana Conference
• Videos: Seeing a Way Forward – Bishop Alsted, Bishop of the Nordic and Baltic Episcopal Area
• UM News 9/06/2018 – The Commission on a Way Forward Report: What You Should Know