NEWS

The East Ohio Conference delegation to the General and North Central Jurisdictional Conferences overwhelmingly approved a public statement in response to the Council of Bishop’s statement, For the Sake of a New World, We See a New Church. The statement was approved at a delegation meeting that was held on Saturday, March 10th.  Rev. Dr. Gary George serves as the delegation’s chairperson (PH 880-831-3972 x112 gary.george@eocumc.com).

For further information please Mr. Rick Wolcott, East Ohio Conference Director of Communications (PH 800-831-3972 x 118 wolcott@eocumc.com). 

Public Statement by the East Ohio Conference Delegation
to the General and North Central Jurisdictional Conferences

The East Ohio Conference delegation strongly affirms the need for significant, strategic change at all levels of our United Methodist connection.  We believe the time has now come to implement changes which will propel the Church into a vital, hope filled future.  Specifically, we believe this change needs to:

• Focus all United Methodists in carrying out our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
  
• Effectively align every level of our connection to increasing the number of vital congregations and vital annual conferences.
  
• Call all of us to be accountable for the mission and ministry God has given us as disciples of Jesus Christ.

We support the Call to Action's primary purpose of increasing the number of vital congregations.

We further support changes which:

• Give annual conferences and local churches more freedom to adapt and organize to more effectively carry out mission and ministry
  
• Deploy clergy based on the needs of the mission
  
• Align and focus the current general church agencies in a way that minimizes duplication of effort and resources and maximizes missional and prophetic impact.

We are committed to trusting, praying, and working with our sisters and brothers of The United Methodist Church in becoming an increasingly vital movement which invites all persons to become disciples of Jesus Christ.