2004 JOURNAL and OFFICIAL MINUTES

Rocky Mountain Conference, The United Methodist Church

Reports (Part II, Section 7)

CABINET AND EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP REPORT
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ANNUAL CONFERENCE
2004

KEITH: Way back in 1973 Wes Seeliger published a little book called Western Theology. With delightful caricatures and a few songs, Seeliger provided a picture of the church and its leadership through comparisons of two western lifestyles – pioneers and settlers. It is not hard to tell which style Seeliger prefers. He is a pioneer all the way. He is not too fond of the church seen as a shuttered-windows courthouse and no real signs of life, and a clock that hasn’t run for years. He prefers the picture of the church as a wagon train – always on the move, and made up of every kind of wagon imaginable. Life is hectic for the pioneers, and every pioneer knows that his well-being depends on the good of all. They are driven by the vision of what is yet to be.

Rather than a settler mayor peeking out of shuttered windows in the courthouse, Seeliger invites us to see God as a wagon train trail boss. The main concern of the trail boss is to keep the wagons moving toward the destination. The settler view of Jesus is a sheriff whose job is to keep law and order and protect the residents from change. Much to be preferred is the pioneer Jesus -- a brave scout who rides ahead of the wagon train to encounter the places of danger before the wagons get there. In settler theology the Holy Spirit is Miss Dove, the saloon girl who spends her time comforting the settlers and serving them milk poured by the bartender Norman Peale. The pioneer Holy Spirit is a buffalo hunter who rides a wild buffalo named Pentecost. Every once in a while, he loves to ride into town to scare the settlers, including the sheriff and Miss Dove.

The Rocky Mountain Conference continues to carry on the pioneer sprit in the 21st century! Finding new paths, expanding frontiers, and moving onward toward the destination remain important values. “New occasions teach new duties” as we seek to make disciples, to follow a Lord who travels the path before us, a God whose home is the journey.

BRENDA: The pioneering spirit of the Rocky Mountain Conference has led us toward more cooperation. Twenty-one clergy and laity from around our conference attended the Sixth Consultation on Cooperative Parishes and Ministries in St. Louis last November. The Northeast Colorado Cooperative Parish, formed just two years ago, is bringing vital ministry to communities that were In a survival mode before the Parish was formed. This year’s parish confirmation class indicates plenty of life! The Arkansas Valley Sharing Ministries of nine congregations has just completed its cooperative confirmation class and has brought a new spirit of cooperation on several other ministry projects. The San Luis Valley churches have begun meeting to plan toward cooperative ministry and are already finding new excitement about sharing the good news throughout their region. Several churches in the Pueblo area are exploring cooperative ministry and joined together for a Easter sunrise service on the Riverwalk, as just one expression of their cooperative ministry.

Conference leadership has tried to listen and respond to the realities of growth and need within our Rocky Mountain region. There are new church starts, re-locations, and expansion projects throughout the conference. St. Andrew, Littleton, Tri-Lakes, Sunrise, Heritage, Smoky Hill, St. Paul's, Peoples and Parker are building, remodeling or relocating in one district alone. Churches are creating new ministries and new faith communities in every district. Local churches are giving birth to vibrant new congregations. The unchartered Parawon congregation has busily been giving birth to a new church in southwestern Utah.

NOBUKO: Our Conference is slowly but steadily opening hearts, minds, and doors to ethnic and racial diversity. Tongan people are an integral part of the lives of Aurora First and Burns UMC. Warren UMC in Denver opened their doors to a Mongolian congregation. One of their leaders joined the Metro-District-sponsored Empowerment Journey at Glide Memorial UMC in San Francisco. He said it was an eye opening, mind-stretching journey. The multi-cultural ministry vision of Northglenn UMC led them to welcome a Pakistani/Urdu worshipping community. This is the first Urdu speaking United Methodist congregation in the entire United States. Epworth UMC, traditionally African American, continues to be strong in outreach social service ministries. Now they are seeking to be church in a new way in a rapidly changing neighborhood. They invited Mexican American spiritual leadership to give birth to a Latino/Hispanic and African American multi-racial ministry. Alameda Heights and Berkeley churches also jointly moved toward a new vision of Latino/Hispanic ministry. Meanwhile, Westminster UMC has opened its doors to its Latino neighbors. Brentwood UMC continues to grow in the spirit of inclusiveness, adding Latino ministry to the thriving Vietnamese ministry. Phillips UMC gains energy as they welcome Korean people. In all these places, the existing core congregations are being revitalized by embracing whole new cultures.

KEITH: "Hyah - bring them new wagons right along here! Keep 'em movin' now!"

NOBUKO: The General Board of Global Ministries and ethnic caucus groups are working with us, not only to develop our ethnic plans in general, but also to help fund and facilitate Vietnamese, Latino/Hispanic, Korean, Tongan and Urdu faith communities. Our apportionment money is well spent! The United Methodist Church and the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference together represent the best hope for a future where diverse people can come together and make a profound witness to the presence of God in our current age.

GLENDA: The “Igniting Ministries” initiative of the General Church has ignited efforts of outreach and evangelism in communities throughout the Rocky Mountain Conference. Grants and program materials have been used in creative ways to bring a greater awareness of the United Methodist Church. And many churches have found themselves living into what it truly means to have “Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors.” In some instances, usually cautious people have opened doors, minds and hearts to new diversity and new possibilities, and have discovered new life! The Igniting Ministry office at United Methodist Communications has given special recognition to Crossroads United Methodist Church as an official “Welcoming Congregation” for the fourth straight year! It is the only UMC in the Western Jurisdiction and one of only a few nationwide to receive this award for all four years.

The past year has been one of transition and consolidation as we have reduced conference staff. There has been no time to bemoan the losses because there was work to be done, and the wagon train kept moving forward, even with the necessary reductions. We have shown support for the Conference Staff review and evaluation; and we have figured out ways to continue to get tasks done. ayne Adams has provided outstanding leadership support, and has provided a program of training for District Administrative Secretaries toward excellence in District offices. Cabinet members have provided significant linkage to the conference ethnic plans, and the District Superintendents carry much of the responsibility for on-site development of new and ethnic ministries on their districts.

STEVE: Teamwork has always been a key for the work of the conference, and it certainly has been a hallmark of the work of the Executive Leadership Team this past year. [35] Ron Hodges, as the new Director of Mission and Ministry, has provided a style and a level of leadership that has provided a fairly smooth transition through a period in which we could have easily been overwhelmed, especially during the Bishop’s renewal leave time. The Bishop’s Task Force on Personnel a year ago proposed the establishment of a leadership team that included an Assistant to the Bishop, in addition to the Director of Connectional Ministries, the Treasurer/Director of Administrative Services, and the Dean of the Cabinet. However, budget constraints prevented the funding of the office of Assistant to the Bishop. To a very large extent -- although he only gets one paycheck -- Ron Hodges has done the work of both Director of Connectional Ministries and Assistant to the Bishop. And he has done it well. Amen?

The cabinet is committed to sending the best possible spiritual leader to every setting of ministry. We have systematically worked at appointments that last longer. When statistics show most effective ministry occurring in the fifth through eighth years of an appointment, we must do all we can to create appointments, which have the potential for longevity. We are seeing positive results in most settings. Transformative leadership is being given in churches by clergy and lay leadership. Several districts are experiencing a renewed involvement of lay persons in district organizations as well.

JOHN: The commitment to strong spiritual leadership also means that we have taken steps to redirect the ministry of some of our clergy. We have encouraged every clergy to be involved with other clergy in peer support and discernment clusters. “Lone Rangers” usually do not fare well on this wagon train journey, because we really do need each other. We have encouraged the use of various parts of what has been called “the Circle of Support” including counseling, mentoring, coaching groups, use of spiritual direction, and the like. “Healthy Congregations” workshops have been used with congregational leadership in some challenging situations, and forms of mediation have been used in others. Some clergy have been redirected in their ministry in ways that have proved extremely fulfilling, and some have exited pastoral ministry to find fulfillment in other ways. We continue to strive for excellence in every way we can.

The cabinet has developed a new and stronger intention to stay connected with seminarians, especially the ones residing outside our own conference. Limited travel budgets make the task harder, but we clearly recognize the need to have a stronger relationship with those who offer strong potential as they “sign on with our wagon train.” We are trying to work harder and smarter to do the ministries that are priorities, being responsible with our conference budget.

CHUCK: We are pleased with reports coming so far this year stating that payment of wider mission giving is up over last year. We believe that responses of churches through apportionments are a sign of excellent leadership of both clergy and lay. We are also hopeful that the materials prepared by the Conference Council on Finance and Administration and messages on Christian stewardship given by the District Superintendents in charge conferences last fall may have had a positive affect on individual and church giving.

There seems to be a growing sense of vision and values within our conference that will lead us into the future. Mutual respect and a cooperative spirit exist between various groups within our conference. Good working relationships between the Board of Ordained Ministry and the Cabinet, the Board of Stewards and the Executive Leadership Team, the various orders of clergy and the Board of Laity are all helping us move in the same direction, to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to get our wagons to the destination we seek, while we experience the challenges and the exhilaration of our pioneering journey together. “Head ‘em up! Keep ‘em moving! We’re all in this together, Pilgrim!”