« The Pain of Loss | Main | New Start »
June 21, 2006
Membership Losses
The General Council on Finance and Administration released some preliminary figures today that report that the United Methodist Church continues our downward spiral in membership decline. We have dipped below 8,000,000 for the first time since the 1930’s. There was no jurisdiction that reported an increase.
I realize that for many this is depressing news and it would also be depressing to me except I am aware that our almost forty year decline has finally begun to register with some in our denomination. The Council of Bishops even prior (in fact as early as November 2004) began to shift our conversation to “Making Disciples for the Transformation of the World” as we dialogued during that Fall 2004 Council of Bishops meeting. Several exciting movements began as a result of those conversations. I would like to lift up two of them.
The first of these movements was to begin asking and holding each other accountable for how we are planning and implementing this emphasis of “Making Disciples for the Transformation of the World” in our Episcopal areas. Each active bishop is asked to submit their plan and the results of their efforts to a panel of Bishops both active and retired. This has helped us to focus our attention on and be held accountable to each other for carrying this out.
The second movement was to call together persons across the United States to design a National Strategy for New Church Development. This group had its initial meeting May 22-23. And the excitement around the table was great and moving. We shared and held strong conversations and left with a commitment of all parties to move forward in designing this national strategy. In fact, the North Georgia Conference has already agreed to help finance a New Church start in the Desert Southwest Area. This is a growing population center but a conference with little resources.
I see these as signs of hope and new passion developing to “Make Disciples.”
I welcome comments.
Posted by Bishop at June 21, 2006 11:20 PM