Background
The Connectional Table (CT) engaged as host of conversations across the connection with regionally based discussion groups sharing perspectives that explore and seek to define The United Methodist Church (UMC) identity, mission, vision, and connectionalism. Discussion groups were held from November 2021 – March 2022.
The gathered information from across the regions will be used to guide The United Methodist Church as we cast a vision for the future during this time of transition. In particular, the Connectional Table's use of this work is to begin to articulate both identity and vision around common ideas as well as to glean how identity and vision might shape global regionalization, connectionalism, and mission.
This document focuses on themes based on the U.S. discussion groups only. Separate documents will provide information from discussion groups held in Europe, the Philippines, and Africa, reflecting the respective regional context for the discussion questions.
The U.S. Regional Context (background) document is available here: Imagining the Future: U.S. Regional Context.
Coordinating Committee
The committee planned and coordinated the regional conversations and gathered the summaries of the conversations using a standard form. These forms did not include any identifying information for recorded comments.
Committee members are:
- Rev. Lyssette Perez (convener)
- Michelle Hettmann (convener)
- Dave Nuckols
- Rev. Emanuel Cleaver
- Pat Luna
- Bill Brownson
- Rev. Jeff Campbell
- Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo
Discussion Groups
Fifty-four (54) groups took place consisting of:
- Large church in Southeast Jurisdiction
- Connectional Table (multiple groups)
- United Women in Faith (multiple groups)
- North Central Jurisdiction Delegates (multiple groups)
Group size ranged from four to ten participants. Discussions typically lasted 60-90 minutes. Participants in any group were by invitation only; there was no “public” signup to join a group. A facilitator and scribe aided the discussion process.
Predominant themes
- Mission-focused, community-oriented – outreach to meet the community’s needs; caring for others
- Global reach — commitment to global work; global mission and support
- Social justice — social action and advocacy; strive to live up to Social Principles
- Grace — understand and show grace; be a church that is grace-filled
- Divided, lack of unity — benefits no one; fractured; not cohesive
- Sometimes inclusive — try to be inclusive and welcome all; local church experiences differ
- Diversity — wide range of thinking; intention there, not always lived out
- Structures and polity — positives and negatives; good and bad of the democratic process
- Connectionalism — shared resources and methods; structure enables us to have that connection with one another and support and assist one another
- Role of women and laity — mostly valued; more so than other denominations
- Regionalism — big differences within regions that need to be addressed differently; should have expression in our regionalism
- Democratic process — democratic governance weaves us together; bound by democracy and that reflects what we are going through now