The General Conference of the United Methodist Church is ending at the end of this week. It has been eight years since our last General Conference. It has been a hard eight years with both the pandemic and all the disaffiliations within our denomination. There was much change voted on over past two weeks and it is almost as if the United Methodist Church is starting anew.
Yet, for St. Andrew's we will just continue to do ministry. We will have the same goal to love the world around us and be Christ to them. 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 says, "so then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!" All of these new things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and who gave us the ministry of reconciliation. The ministry of reconciliation is to be an example to the world through love that helps them find a relationship with Jesus so that they too can be reconciled to Him. That is both our individual calling and our corporate calling as a church.
To hear a Post General Conference Briefing of all that occurred this past two weeks, there are two options.
1. The first option is a Zoom on May 7 which you must register for. Register HERE
2. The second option is an in-person gathering at First UMC Plant City on May 19, at 4pm for a review by Rev. Magrey DeVega of Hyde Park UMC.
I hope you will take time to consider one of these options so that you are well informed.
Blessings,
Jayne