LOS ANGELES (Nov. 18) – More than 200 laypersons, clergy, and bishops gathered in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 14-16 for the Western Jurisdiction’s Fresh United Methodism Summit to help prepare for the denomination’s 2020 General Conference and the ensuing Jurisdictional (Regional) Conference.
The Western Jurisdiction’s Leadership Team, which called for the gathering, concluded that the summit was a “movement moment in The United Methodist Church. The future of the church will come out of the vision of our younger people, leaders who stepped into the forefront of work of the summit.”
The Western Jurisdiction’s Leadership Team, which called for the gathering, concluded that the summit was a “movement moment in The United Methodist Church. The future of the church will come out of the vision of our younger people, leaders who stepped into the forefront of work of the summit.”
In addition to affirming a theological statement that re-states the Western Jurisdiction’s stance allowing the ordination of LGBTQ+ persons and allowing its clergy to perform same-sex weddings, summit participants elected a 10-member team to work a vision for the future of the Jurisdiction. Comprised of five laity and five clergy, persons under the age of 40 are well represented on the team.
“The diversity of our emerging leaders
is future-leaning – gay, straight, persons of color, people representing the richness of life across our regions millions of square miles. We heard them voicing the hope that out of chaos, something can be born.” the Leadership Team said in its report.
“We see the summit as an important model for the future, where we rely less on formal processes, and put our trust in the movement of the Holy Spirit and the relational connections built through our discernment and work together,” Rev. Donna Pritchard, chair of the Leadership Team said in the report.
(The Western Jurisdiction’s Leadership Team is comprised of a representative of the Directors of Connectional Ministry in the seven (regional) Conferences in the jurisdiction, representatives of a number of jurisdictional agencies, the jurisdiction’s five active bishops, and at-large members. The Rev. Donna Pritchard of Portland, Ore., is the chair.)
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