The following update from the GMC Assembly of Bishops was shared by video last week in a Connectional Conversations webinar. For those of us who absorb better in print, here is the text of that recording:
Let me begin by acknowledging just how grateful we are for you, our Global Methodist family. Your Assembly of Bishops is incredibly grateful to the whole Global Methodist movement for so enthusiastically embracing us as elected leaders, and this concept we all aspire to live into. Your welcome of us and your trust in us has been remarkable. Thank you.
The Assembly of Bishops formally began on November 1, 2024. After meeting in person over several days in December in order to set some foundational pieces in place, we now have a weekly rhythm of meeting on Wednesday mornings to discuss issues and pray over all that is our denominational life.
In our time together in December, we did two important things: we made a covenant for our life together, and we defined our role and priorities. We established that our priority as an Assembly of Bishops is to cast the vision of a Spirit-filled Methodism through clear doctrinal teaching, Christ-following leadership development, and holy living. We see that priority being lived out in the Assembly in three ways: connectionally, theologically and movementally.
By connectional, we mean at least that we will speak with one voice in matters of mission, vision and values. We will call our church to repentance for our personal and collective sin because we believe it is the key for the renewal of the church. We will advocate for a lean denominational bureaucracy with no central funding source. We will embrace a healthy connectionalism as a value to the local church. And we will work to foster healthy, mutually beneficial mission partnerships between our conferences. We will aspire to operate in a spirit of respect for all regions of the world, and we will work together in relationship with mission partners, commissions, our denominational staff, and annual conference leaders.
Bishops in the GMC have some very practical responsibilities within our annual conferences. We are responsible for the selection of the Conference Superintendent, ordination of clergy and setting of appointments. Appointing, evaluating and equipping is one role we play in the life of the annual conference, but we understand that our primary role and presence is meant to be spiritual. We have developed some intentional spiritual practices, like praying each week for a different annual conference, and we invite you to pray in agreement with us when those prayer points are shared.
We appreciate how the General Episcopacy Committee has assigned our areas of responsibility. You’ve likely noticed that each of us has responsibility for oversight of conferences on multiple continents. That may seem counter-intuitive, but it is actually very useful. It encourages all of us to keep a global focus. Remember that the work of a bishop, biblically speaking, is to oversee the whole, which means keeping the big vision and the whole world in our sights with every decision we make. Our vision is always to extend the tent pegs … to gather in Methodists from across the globe and connect them in meaningful ways. When your assembly of bishops is thinking connectionally, we are always thinking globally.
We are also thinking theologically. Let me be straight with you and say that there is enough practical stuff on all the plates to keep us busy before we ever begin to work on our theological task. We realize how easy it would be to stay very useful and busy and miss our charge, so we are being intentional about how we will live out our work as spiritual leaders.
We believe the coming revival is theological in nature, and so it is appropriate that our charge according to the Book of Doctrines and Discipline is to teach, preach, and guard the faith. We will be committed to being an orthodox expression of historical Christian faith in the Wesleyan tradition and we will be submitted to the primacy and authority of scripture in every area of our lives. In fact, in December we produced our first teaching video, offering an introduction to our understanding of scriptural holiness. Please watch for both a shorter and longer version of that video coming soon. We have created a list of thirty-six other topics on which we want to provide a voice. We don’t yet know how that voice will be expressed, but we are exploring all our options: preaching, teaching and training in person, creating videos, blogs and articles for publication, participating in podcasts and social media interaction. However we can strengthen the theological core of the GMC, we are committed to that task.
Our priorities for the GMC are consistency of doctrine, discipline and mission. We are committed to racial justice and gender equity. And we want to function with the mind of a revivalist. In our churches, we expect to emphasize a Spirit-filled Methodism characterized by accountable discipleship and the very Methodist distinctive of entire sanctification.
We are living out that priority connectionally and theologically, and also movementally. Our deep hope is that the Global Methodist movement can continue as just that — a movement that is Spirit-driven, revivalist, spiritually fruitful with a culture of call thick with the excitement of church planting as evangelism. May we never lose our commitment to the least, last and lost. And may we always advocate for a Holy Spirit-inspired movement submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ — a true Spirit-filled Methodism. We believe this is the unique contribution we as Global Methodists can make to the Body of Christ. And we are committed to making this contribution globally—valuing all nations, tribes, and perspectives as we live with an evangelical zeal that results in acts of mercy and justice.
Beneath all these aspirations is a commitment among the Assembly of Bishops to live by the values we teach. We want you to know that we are personally committed to being dependent upon the Holy Spirit — mutually connected, praying for each other, holding each other accountable for our own spiritual formation. Each of us will attend weekly worship, participate in a small group and practice the means of grace, including Sabbath practices. And we will speak and receive hard truths in an atmosphere of grace and reconciliation. We will assume the best of each other and of those we serve, and we expect nothing less from anyone who calls the Global Methodist Church their home.
We are living into a reality that has at times been messy. The Assembly of Bishops has released multiple communications on the circumstances unfolding especially in Nigeria. To paraphrase what has been written elsewhere, we continue to be profoundly grieved by the loss of life and the devastation suffered by the Methodist community in Nigeria. The Global Methodist Church unequivocally condemns all forms of violence and calls on all people—Global Methodists, United Methodists, and others—to act as agents of peace. We urge the global Church and community to join us in fervent prayer for those enduring unimaginable suffering. We pray and work for justice to prevail, and for peace to be fully realized both in Munga Dosa and throughout Nigeria.
Given the ongoing uncertainties surrounding the events of this conflict, we are committed to refraining from offering unverified accounts of the situation in Nigeria, or from circulating accusations through public communications. We ask you to do the same. As both United Methodists and Global Methodists navigate this transitional season, we are mindful of the potential for misinterpretation or misunderstanding. Comments made prematurely or without full context could inadvertently cause further harm, and we are committed to avoiding such outcomes.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to accountability within the Global Methodist Church and will continue to call upon all individuals to act in love, understanding, transparency, and mutual respect toward one another. Our prayers remain with the victims and their families of any denomination. As leaders of the Global Methodist Church, we recognize the presence and ministry of the United Methodist Church along with other churches and denominations in Nigeria, and it is our fervent prayer that the body of Christ in all its expressions will work together to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to a hurting world. The Global Methodist Church will persist in its mission to embody the love of Christ through prayer, action, and steadfast commitment to peace and justice.
Be reminded (and excited!) for new initiatives coming out of the Assembly of Bishops. We are praying weekly by name for the specific needs of Annual Conferences. We are working to refine the system of conference partnerships, so that communication and mutual encouragement are maximized. We are beginning the work of supporting GMC commissions as they are formed. We are in weekly communication with groups around the world who want a closer connection with the GMC, whether formal or informal. And we are all hitting the road, touring annual conferences and meeting with leaders, preparing for convening conferences and annual conferences. The next few months will be very full for all of us.
Watch for the release of our first teaching video on the topic of scriptural holiness (and be encouraged to enter into that conversation and give feedback). Watch for the weekly prayer focus on the needs of each Annual Conference as we journey together around the world in prayer. Watch for emerging conferences and covenant relationships as they form. And watch for progress in our continued formation of ministry as commissions begin their work.
It is such a privilege to serve the cause of Christ through this beautiful movement. Thank you again for allowing us the joy of leading and serving in this way, as we all work together to welcome and advance the Kingdom of God.
