Let us obey God's will from our Listening Prayers

My prayer is follow's God's Will, ie. what we heard from our "Collective Listening Prayer".   Vote your conscious and what you heard in your listening prayer.   It is that simple. 

I must confess that I am confused and a bit frustrated with all the different information during this discernment period.   I recently asked the lead team to not use the words "polarizing" and "messy" in reference to our community as were are beautifully connected with our differences.  I was asked, what word(s) would you use?   

First, I do want to applaud the lead team and we all see unity; so here goes.... 

Enter Discernment Process / Listening Prayer

Let us remember the start (Nov. 2022) -- the primary reason we entered the Discernment Process - to intentionally seek God’s answer to the question “what would You have Bethany do?” 

We have always known we will be staying together -- so our vote is NOT about "staying together", it is about following God's will  and celebrating our differences. 

After our listening prayers our survey showed that "Inclusiveness" is a priority of Bethany members (top 3 priority outcomes, session 1, Jan 22). :

Instead of spending time on "how to be more inclusive", we have spend 3+ months on how to spin the 3 options.   Why?  I believe it is because there is a "never UMC" group  that is very vocal, very powerful and will never accept what we all  have known from the beginning: Bethany wants to be a Fully Inclusive Church within UMC.

Thus, to satisfy the "never UMC" few,  the independent option has been crafted and pushed.   Let's look at this via the Bethany QA page. 

Straight Answers to our questions. 

Q: Why is the GMC being considered?

Survey #2 showed that 70% want to stay with UMC while less than 15% of the Bethany Members would leave if we remain UMC.  

 

This along with survey #1 showing Inclusiveness is very important to Bethany should have made clear that UMC is the path to the middle. 

Still, the lead team built a case and spun the data to deliver a message that an independent island church is the preferred choice - IT IS NOT!    

WHY?   It is clear that the "never UMC" convinced others to push for this "independent option"; clearly showing that the "never UMC" influence is very powerful and persuasive. 

Let us speak truth and simply:

1. the connectional network of the United Methodist has always been the preferred choice of Bethany
2. a majority of the congregation just wanted to have an earnest and heartfelt discussion on LGBTQ isssues

our different viewpoints has always been and will continue to be a blessing from God
(we are not polarizing and we are not messy)

Unfortunately, our conversations has been laced with visions of disaffiliation to satisfy the few "never UMC" views.    

This is why we stress - Let us remember what we heard from our Listening Prayer and faithfully obey God's will. 

Bethany has chosen UMC

After all the meetings and discussions survey #2 still reaffirm what our listening prayers reflected - our desire to be a  Fully Inclusive Church.   Still the "never UMC" views continued with "the PAUSE".

The  Bethany QA page includes the Lead Team;'s answer to the following question: .

Q: UMC intends to be “big tent” and that all (progressives, centrists, and traditionalists) should feel welcome. Why, then, are we considering other options?

The lead teams answer to why is UMC is not the middle option.  

• the "idea that the UMC will be a “big tent” denomination moving forward is not held by all. Some believe the UMC is not merely shifting from “traditional” to “centrist,” but rather swinging to “progressive.”
• Some traditionalists are concerned that if the UMC swings strongly progressive it will no longer be a welcoming denomination for traditional churches or persons. 

We want to honor and affirm the views of traditionalist on all matters.   Let us stress that these are honest opinions held by a few of our members.   Still these are all based on "fear of the future".    

Dealing with anxiety of family members is hard.  

The family systems talks about how a person in the midst of anxiety with another will seek out a 3rd party (lead team) to form a triangle; seeking to resolve their differences.   But,  trying to resolve the anxiety between 2 other members is unhealthy for the whole system.    

Instead, the mature and self-differentiating thing to do is to tell both parties to resolve their anxiety themselves.    

The unwillingness to consider UMC is a clear reflection the "never UMC" influence in our leaders. 

Money - the ultimate lever of spin 

What tangled web we weave when we try try to resolve anxieties of family members  on the extremes.  So tangled are we that we would questions our core Wesleyan principle  - The Theology of United Methodist Giving Apprortionments. 

Below we give straight answer to lead team questions on money. 

Q: How can we estimate future UMC apportionments for Bethany with so much changing?

1. Very simply: apportionment is about our missions - that together we are bigger then alone. 
2. Apportions is a integral part of our commitment to the Book of Discipline;
3. They are a reflection of our commitment to our Wesleyan principles and commitment to being connected to the United Methodist connectional network.    
4. The more important question is why any faithful church would worry whether apportionments go up/down;  apportionment are a reflection of a churches connectional commitment to be missional people in the world.   
5. Apportionments basics:
1. It is based on Bethany income as a percentage (%) of Rio Texas Conference annual budget. 
2. The Rio Texas conference budget should go down (impact of disaffiliation)
3. Bethany UMC percentage may go up or down depending on growth. 
4. In the end we estimate the Bethany UMC apportionments would go down slightly temporarily and then grow as our Change to a Fully Inclusive Church bears fruits.

Q: How would you quantify the benefit we receive from centralized ministries? 

The lead team really gets this wrong when it translates spiritual benefits into "financial advantage from denominational affiliation".   Nothing could be further from the truth then saying the "vast majority of Bethany’s outreach programs are available regardless of denominational affiliation.".   

The lead team's biases hides the truth and power of how core the Wesleyan principles of service, grace and love are spread thru the UMC Global Ministries and their missions?  Take time to read this link to grasp the reach of Bethany apportionments. 

Have we no concept of how gigantic and awesome the United Methodist missional field is?

The lead team efforts to justify the never-UMC option reminds us how God scolds the friends of Job.  Still, Job remained faithful and likewise Bethany should remain faithful to its United Methodist connectional commitment.

We need to consider how vast and deep is the work of the Spirit - at work thru the United Methodist Global Ministries?