NCJ Delegations call for a commitment to a Heart of Peace

Meeting in a spirit of peace the General Conference delegations from across the North Central Jurisdiction experienced a day of conversation and discernment.

As the meeting was drawing to a close a group of delegates brought a statement to the body asking that the delegates commit to “…live out the Scriptural values expressed in Ephesians 4:1-6, in the months prior to the Called Special Session and during the 2019 Special Session of General Conference.”

After some discussion, it was decided to post the statement on line with the opportunity for all delegates to electronically sign and share with other conference delegations.

The entire statement is below:

Hearts of Peace

A Statement from North Central Jurisdiction Delegates

As members of the delegations of the North Central Jurisdiction, we covenant with God and with each other to live out the Scriptural values expressed in Ephesians 4: 1-6, in the months prior to the Called Special Session and during the 2019 Called Session of the General Conference. As that passage reads,

“…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4: 2-6

In affirmation of the values expressed in this passage:

• We will have a heart of peace toward one another and will avoid objectifying or demonizing those with whom we disagree.
• We will come to General Conference in a spirit of discernment, trusting that if we allow the Holy Spirit to move, God will show us the way.
• We will be good stewards of our time and resist delaying our discernment process by excessive focus on the rules. We will honor the work of the Commission on the General Conference and the design of the called special session by working within the existing rules.
• We will work for the betterment of The United Methodist Church and the realization of its mission, especially as that mission is expressed in the ministries of local churches and of other connectional structures.
• We will honor the work of the COWF because we believe that the years of relationship building and discernment given to the Commission was a gift that we cannot replicate in the four days of the called session.
• And, we will honor the leadership and discernment of our Council of Bishops in the recognition that the delegates of General Conference 2016 specifically asked our bishops to lead.

We understand that none of the affirmations in this covenant prevent us from acting on our convictions at General Conference. This statement is about how we will live with one another, not about how we will vote. Therefore, we would ask that you affirm this statement and share with delegations in the hope that the called Special Session will be evidence of our willingness to live lives that are worthy of our calling and to work for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.