Connected

Part of my training for CLM asked me to discuss the idea of the Connection based on a reading of the Constitution and part of the Book of Discipline:

We are one universal church, “a community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ.”¹  We are one Body of Christ, and from that belief stems our connection.  “The church of Jesus Christ exists in and for the world, and its very dividedness is a hindrance to its mission in that world.”¹

The Book of Discipline defines the connection as “a vital web of interactive relationships….”²  It is part of our identity as United Methodist, and it is a tangible outgrowth of our belief in the Body of Christ.

The connection is experienced in almost every aspect of our organization, including clergy service, property ownership, and our organization for mission.  The United Methodist Church is organized in a manner to take advantage of our connected nature.  Our connection serves three purposes: (1) to enable a more effective method to carry out God’s mission in the world, (2) to organize the whole Church for the benefit of ministry in the local church and (3) to allow for the administration (connection) of the whole church to be faithful to our calling.²

For me, being a Connectional Church means that when I offer a presentation or a sermon at a church other than my own, I am still in my church.  It means that when there is a tornado in Kansas or a hurricane in Florida, I am there because my church is there, acting through UMCOR.  When there is a shooting at Virginia Tech, I am there, because the Wesley Foundation is there.  When my local church feeds 150 people on a Thursday, the entire United Methodist Church is there.  We are a Body of Christ, connected.

1.       Preamble of the Constitution of the United Methodist Church.

2.      The Book of Discipline, Administrative Order.