Bishop L. Jonathan Holston, resident bishop of the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, issued this statement in response to the July 9, 2018, statement from the Commission on the General Conference:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Bishop Holston
The Commission on the General Conference has announced that it anticipates the final report of the Commission on a Way Forward to the Special Session of the General Conference in 2019 will become available by July 30. The original estimated publication date was July 8.
The report, along with proposed legislation, was presented in early June to the Commission on the General Conference, which holds responsibility and authority for translating General Conference legislation. The report is being translated from English into the other three official languages of the General Conference – French, Portuguese and KiSwahili.
As we wait, let us continue to:
- Pray for God’s guidance and direction for the Commission on the General Conference, the Council of Bishops, the delegates to the 2019 Special General Conference, and for the people called United Methodist.
- Engage in our discussions, conversations and debates in ways that bring honor to God and allow the fruit of the Spirit to be visible in our lives.
- Practice our Three Simple Rules: to do all the good we can, to do no harm, and to stay in love with God.
I encourage you to learn more about Praying Our Way Forward at umcprays.org, where you will find a guide for praying for the church as it prepares for the 2019 Special Session of General Conference. The initiative also encourages United Methodists to participate in a weekly Wesleyan 24-hour fast – from food, social media, emails or another daily activity.
As we pray, we continue to be in mission from anywhere to everywhere as we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
To borrow from Paul’s good counsel in 1 Corinthians 15:58, let us stay focused always on giving ourselves fully to the work of the Lord in our communities and beyond, because we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Grace and peace,
L. Jonathan Holston
Click here to read the July 9 statement from
the Commission on the General Conference.
