General Conference 2024 - Additional Information

Dear Friends, 

The General Conference of the United Methodist Church has begun.  During this first week, delegates from around the world are meeting in legislative committees before proposed changes to the Book of Discipline (the UMC’s book of church law) are considered by the entire body beginning on Monday, May 29th.  Among these delegates are the sixteen delegates (eight clergy and eight laypeople) elected by the South Carolina Conference to represent us at General Conference.   

In my last Tidings, I wrote about the proposed regionalization legislation that is before General Conference.  If you have not read this, please go back and read my last Tidings at www.centralmethodist.net/tft

In this Tidings, I will address the proposed legislation regarding the Book of Discipline’s language related to human sexuality.  To summarize, the current Book of Discipline states that “self-professed, practicing homosexuals” are not eligible to be ordained in the United Methodist Church.  It also states that clergy are not permitted to perform weddings for same-sex persons and that same-sex weddings cannot take place in United Methodist churches.  There are proposals to remove this language altogether, leaving it to individual annual conferences to determine who is eligible for ordination and to individual congregations to decide what is allowed in their worship spaces.  Annual conferences are already largely autonomous in determining who they will ordain.  If regionalization legislation passes, this autonomy will likely be strengthened.  There is already language in the Book of Discipline stating that the decision to officiate a wedding is at the discretion of the individual clergyperson. 

When considering ordination, it is helpful to understand the stringent process through which one goes to be approved for ordination in the UMC.  To be ordained, a person must have his or her call affirmed by his or her local church’s Staff Parish Relations Committee, the local church’s Charge Conference, and the District Committee on Ordained Ministry.  Incidentally, Rev. Ann Kovan is a member of the Florence District Committee on Ordained Ministry.  A candidate must also earn a Master of Divinity degree (at minimum a three-year degree) at an approved seminary.  After seminary, a candidate enters a strenuous two-year process under the supervision of the conference’s Board of Ordained Ministry before being eligible for ordination.  Incidentally, Rev. Meg Jiunnies and I are both members of the South Carolina Conference’s Board of Ordained Ministry.  Anyone approved for ordination by the Board of Ordained Ministry must also be approved by a vote of all the conference’s clergy members.  The process involves layers of approval and accountability in addition to such things as a psychological assessment, background checks, and extensive written work on theology and the practice of ministry.  In other words, ordination in the UMC is not treated lightly and is only conferred on those truly called and dedicated to the work of an ordained minister.   

In my next Tidings, I will reflect on the implications of potential legislation for local churches.  For now, suffice it to say your clergy team is committed to ensuring that whatever is best for Central is what happens at Central.  There is still a great deal that is uncertain, and I will be updating you as General Conference unfolds.  In the meantime, let us pray for the General Conference delegates and our denominational leaders.  Let us also focus on the mission and ministry God has placed before us and to which God has called us.  And as always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with your questions and concerns. 

Yours in Christ, 

Thomas

General Conference 2024 Update

Dear friends, 

In this second Tidings from Thomas about the upcoming General Conference of the United Methodist Church, I offer a brief discussion on an issue that will likely occupy a great deal of the General Conference’s time – regionalization.  While this is likely not the issue on which the media will focus, it could have profound implications for how the United Methodist Church (UMC) will function in the future.  

Before unpacking the proposed legislation, it is helpful to review the existing polity of the UMC.  Within the United States, the church is organized into five geographical jurisdictions.  We are in the Southeastern Jurisdiction.  Outside of the USA, the church is organized into central jurisdictions.  Each of the American jurisdictions is autonomous in that we elect our own bishops who oversee the church within jurisdictional bounds. Jurisdictions are further organized into Annual Conferences, such as the South Carolina Conference. 

The proposed legislation regarding regionalism would create one large region for the USA, which may or may not be further divided into jurisdictions.  There are varying versions of regionalization legislation being put forward, but one thing they have in common is an attempt to allow for more culturally contextualized church practice.  For example, African conferences and American conferences could have greater freedom to adapt ordination standards for their particular ministry context.  Like other pieces of legislation, this will all go through legislative committees and can be amended on the floor of the conference, but this is my understanding of the legislation in broad strokes.  How and if regionalization legislation is passed will likely affect what happens next on issues relating to human sexuality.  I will write more about this issue later. 

By way of reminder, General Conference is from April 23 to May 3.  If you want to take a deeper dive, this link will take you to the official General Conference website: https://www.resourceumc.org/en/churchwide/general-conference-2020

Let us continue to pray for God’s will to be accomplished through General Conference and through the United Methodist Church.  We serve a mighty God who has great things in store for us.  If we do our best to be faithful followers of Jesus, our ever-faithful God will see us through whatever comes. 

Yours in Christ, 

Holy Week at Central UMC

Dear Friends, 

It’s Holy Week, which means a LOT is going on at Central.   

Among other things, it means Easter is only days away.  Easter also provides an excellent opportunity to invite people to church.  If you have someone in your life you have been thinking about inviting, now is the perfect time to do so.  We also know that Easter brings many people through the doors who are not normally part of the Central’s worshiping life.  Easter offers us an opportunity to show Christian hospitality as we welcome visitors.  It is like opening your home to guests.  When we have guests in our home, we want to make the best impression possible and ensure guests feel welcomed and comfortable.  Likewise, we want our guests on Easter Sunday to have a meaningful worship experience and a positive impression of Central.    It is our job on Easter to proclaim the joy of the risen Christ and we want to do that as faithfully as possible. 

We also have special worship opportunities during Holy Week.   

• Our Maundy Thursday service with Tenebrae is at 7:00.  This impactful service recalls Jesus’ institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion and invites us to reflect on the events that led to His crucifixion.   

• On Good Friday we will have a somber service at noon, reflecting on Jesus’ death. 

• On Easter, we will move from the grief of Jesus’ death to the joy of His resurrection with our Easter Sunrise Service.  This service will begin on the Sanctuary porch at 7:30 and move into the Sanctuary after the greeting. 

• We will also have our customary Sunday morning Sanctuary and Well services at 10:30. 

I hope to see you at these special worship opportunities and may you have a blessed Holy Week! 

Yours in Christ, 

Thomas Smith

Ash Wednesday

Dear friends, 

The Season of Lent is nearly upon us, inviting us to spiritual self-examination.  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday with special services inviting us to a season of repentance. 

Repentance is not simply apologizing to God for our sins.  Repentance is spiritually turning toward God and away from the things that distract us from God.  Yes, it involves sorrow for our sins, but it also involves making changes in our lives to keep us from sin.  Repentance is one of the main themes of the Ash Wednesday service, which I always find personally meaningful. 

From time to time, someone asks me, “Why ashes?”  Throughout the Old Testament, ashes are mentioned in connection to dust and sackcloth as signs of mourning and grief.  Ashes were applied to a person’s head and body during times of crisis as a sign of penitence, often accompanied by fasting.  Ashes and dust are also used in conjunction to refer to human mortality.  On Ash Wednesday, we receive ashes as a sign of grief for our sins, to acknowledge our own mortality, and to acknowledge that God alone can save us.  We continue this centuries-old Christian practice as an act of worship as we humble ourselves in God’s presence. 

We will have two Ash Wednesday services in the Sanctuary, one at noon and the other at 6:30.  Both services will include the traditional imposition of ashes.  I encourage you to attend one of these impactful services as you begin the Season of Lent. 

Yours in Christ, 

Rev. Thomas W. Smith