Do you want to #BeUMC? I do! Count me in! Last week, at our virtual Council of Bishops meeting, we approved a document that offers The United Methodist Church a future filled with anticipation, hope, and possibility. A Narrative for the Continuing United Methodist Church shares who we are as United Methodists and how God is leading us to be united in Christ as we witness to God’s love into the farthest corners of the world.

I am excited to share with you the document, along with brief comments in each section that are bold italic. A Narrative for the Continuing United Methodist Church can be read here.

“United Methodists all over the globe are liturgical, contemporary, charismatic, social activists, urban, suburban, small town, rural and much more. We are children, youth, young adults, senior adults, new Christians, and mature Christians. We are present on four continents, in more than 45 countries, and we comprise an unknown number of cultures and languages. We are a holy communion of different races, ethnicities, cultures, and perspectives united by the Holy Spirit, driven by the mission of Christ, and bearing the good news of an unmerited grace that changes lives and transforms communities.”

The UMC is one of the most diverse religious bodies in the world, yet we are bound together in love.

“Christ’s prayer for our unity and command to gather all to the table, to make space for one another, appreciate one another, and look for Christ in each other, prohibit us from creating individual tables only for those who think, act, look, and perceive the world like we do. We cannot be a church that fractures its identity and commitment to Christ by aligning itself to political parties. We cannot be a traditional church or a progressive church or a centrist church. We cannot be a gay or straight church. Our churches must be more than echo chambers made in our own image, arguing with each other while neglecting our central purpose. This is the way of the world.”

Christ calls us to be one. We are aligned with Jesus and not with political parties or different theological understandings around human sexuality. Jesus sees each one of us as whole persons, made for good works, and chosen to share Christ’s love to the farthest corners of the world.

Bishop Laurie's blog continues here.