A New Hope: God’s Promised Future

South Carolina Conference leaders are taking concrete and practical steps to transform how the conference is structured, how it operates, and how it aligns with “Our 4 Priorities” – encouraging South Carolina United Methodists to “see the possibilities and live the promise.”

Bishop Leonard Fairley, after consultation with the Extended Cabinet and the Ministry Advisory Team, is inviting about two dozen persons to form “Jeremiah Teams” and take the lead in developing recommendations in four areas: Missional Priorities, Strategy for the Black Church and Ethnic Ministries, District Alignment, and Conference Staff Alignment.

Their objective: To bring proposals for each of these areas to the 2025 session of the South Carolina Annual Conference for approval.

Bishop Fairley made it clear to conference leaders that simply surviving is not the goal of this effort: “Striving with a Christ-centered hope is our guide in carrying out the mandate to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

“The season we are currently living in calls for and affords us a unique opportunity for resetting – renewing a resilient course as we journey toward the future God has promised.

“We will need our best minds, hearts and souls for this work. We will need persons who are committed to The United Methodist Church living into the commitment of Connectionalism. We will need non-anxious leaders who believe, ‘We will not die but live to declare the works of the Lord.’”

Members of these four “Jeremiah Teams” were selected to ensure inclusivity and the ability to operate efficiently and effectively within a limited timeframe.

“Each of these Jeremiah Teams will work in a healthy atmosphere of collaboration,” Bishop Fairley said. “If we are to move into God’s future for The United Methodist Church in South Carolina, we cannot afford to operate in silos with heroic solo leadership. The only turf we are talking about is God’s turf.”

Questions?
Email the Ministry Advisory Team at
mat@umcsc.org

A New Hope: God’s Promised Future

South Carolina Conference leaders are taking concrete and practical steps to transform how the conference is structured, how it operates, and how it aligns with “Our 4 Priorities” – encouraging South Carolina United Methodists to “see the possibilities and live the promise.”

Bishop Leonard Fairley, after consultation with the Extended Cabinet and the Ministry Advisory Team, is inviting about two dozen persons to form “Jeremiah Teams” and take the lead in developing recommendations in four areas: Missional Priorities, Strategy for the Black Church and Ethnic Ministries, District Alignment, and Conference Staff Alignment.

Their objective: To bring proposals for each of these areas to the 2025 session of the South Carolina Annual Conference for approval.

Bishop Fairley made it clear to conference leaders that simply surviving is not the goal of this effort: “Striving with a Christ-centered hope is our guide in carrying out the mandate to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

“The season we are currently living in calls for and affords us a unique opportunity for resetting – renewing a resilient course as we journey toward the future God has promised.

“We will need our best minds, hearts and souls for this work. We will need persons who are committed to The United Methodist Church living into the commitment of Connectionalism. We will need non-anxious leaders who believe, ‘We will not die but live to declare the works of the Lord.’”

Members of these four “Jeremiah Teams” were selected to ensure inclusivity and the ability to operate efficiently and effectively within a limited timeframe.

“Each of these Jeremiah Teams will work in a healthy atmosphere of collaboration,” Bishop Fairley said. “If we are to move into God’s future for The United Methodist Church in South Carolina, we cannot afford to operate in silos with heroic solo leadership. The only turf we are talking about is God’s turf.”