Jennifer Kay Smith
in love with creativity & its sourceArchive for young clergy
thursday at general conference
I’ve been scanning other General Conference blogs and they’ve done a great job of summarizing the joys and
struggles of holy conferencing.
Alaska Conference Communications Blog on General Conference
I was posted at the front of the plenary floor today to guard the stage. Halfway through the morning, there was a 15 minute witness/protest. Very powerful time to see bishops come down and stand with supporters of a more open Methodist Church.
It was wonderful to hear Bill Gates Sr. today. He’s going to match whatever we raise on a basketball we’re bidding for to benefit Nothing but Nets. The United Methodist Church is playing a major part in helping to erase malaria on our planet. What’s great is that change is actually happening!
I’ve been meaning to list the people I’ve gotten to interview. Here they are…
Ed McKinney – Western North Carolina
Josh & Christina Hale – Texas
Bishop Will Willimon – North Alabama
Andrew & Nicole Conard – Kansas West
Candy Benson – South Carolina
Molly Simpson – Kansas East
Paul Gravley – North Texas
Kelli Beard – Northern Illinois/Garrett-Evangelical Seminary
Jessica LaGrone – Texas
Ernest Jackson – West Ohio
Rebekah Miles – Arkansas – Professor at Perkins School of Theology at SMU
Sarai Case – Illinois/Garrett-Evangelical Seminary
William & Anna Mandelstamm – Western North Carolina
Nathan Jeffries – Missouri
Jeremy Smith – New England/Oklahoma
Bishop Deb Kiesey – Dakotas
Walter Dry, Sr. – Florida
A.J. Thomas – Western North Carolina
David L. Jefferson – New York
Nico Romeijn-Stout – Pacific-Northwest
Marie Kuch – Pacific Northwest
Molly Vetter – California-Pacific
Nate Nims – Iowa /Drew Theological Seminary
Adam Hamilton – Leawood, Kansas
Dave Beckett - Anchorage, Alaska
Glory to God!!!
umc young clergy
i love creativity. so unpredictable, chaotic and beautiful.
i had a great friend in college who was an artist. she often experienced a creativity block when a big project was due. she often stayed up all night before it was due because an idea finally worked.
yesterday i was driving home from a day in cincinnati with my husband (we visited our first IKEA store…wow!). i wondered what websites there are for young clergy to connect and discuss some of our concerns & dreams. then i later wondered if i could shoot a documentary where people of all ages get a chance to share their thoughts. there’s something about the power of film. it tells us something we can’t hear from others.
12 hours later…
Check out http://www.umcyoungclergy.com/.
Join this Facebook group to get more info about being in the documentary.
Join UMC Young Clergy on Facebook.
Storyboard is started.
Applied for Media Credentials at GC.
If you’re going to be at General Conference, let me know. We’ll start filming there.
May this project help continue this discussion. Only when we’re honest and transparent, will change start to happen.
UPDATE:
As of April 12 – 40 people signed up to help!
April 13 – 60 people!!
April 13 – 81 people!
April 15 – 96 people!
April 16 – 125 people!
April 17 – 145
April 20 – 180
Connected with UM Communications in Nashville
Support from United Theological Seminary
Support from pastor at Church of the Resurrection
Support from many bishops in the US
Support from Young Clergy
Support from Lovett Weems & Ann Michal who wrote The Crisis of Young Clergy
Who will cast the vision?
“Jonathan, the people that work within and through the system are the real agents of change. How will the people change if no one is there to cast a vision for a new future?” – William Willimon
I’ve been participating in some discussion over at Young Clergy. And this is really the key question. Are young UMC candidates for ministry willing to stay in the system and be agents of change? The path will be slow and painful at times. People won’t understand. We may not see great change in our lifetime.
The discernment comes in asking if “getting out” is following God’s lead to create new communities or being selfish and hoping for a different kind of life. (My feeling on this changes each day…)
I love the United Methodist Church. I believe they stand for an openness and acceptance that are characteristics of God. But every institution slows down change as they grow larger. It’s natural that us “young, go-get-em” types want change to happen quickly.
So for now, we continue to wait. We move forward in the candidacy process. We see what doors open up. We hope for our elder clergy to see our passion and pure intentions for changed hearts. We pray for opportunities to help unleash God’s Spirit in new ways we haven’t even thought of yet.
We give ourselves permission to envision vibrant, authentic, organic methodist communities led by engaged, passionate and creative young clergy.
We will be faithful to wherever God needs us. Even when it hurts. Because we believe in a God who sees life in the dying.
