by Bishop Earl Bledsoe

2012 is a year of meetings and holy conferencing. With the completion of General Conference, we have one down and two more to go, with Annual Conference and Jurisdictional Conference.

The Rev. Jerry Mahle, pastor of Tioga UMC, worked diligently during the 2012 General Conference. Serving with the general secretary, he sat in a high perch on the platform that held the bishops. “This is my third General Conference time to serve in this capacity. I am so pleased and honored to be here to represent the North Texas Annual Conference,” he said during the conference.

Although we did not accomplish all that we had hoped at General Conference, it was a great gathering and an opportunity to renew our commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and witness The United Methodist Church become more global in our understanding of ministry.

Now we turn our hearts and minds back to our local annual conferences to continue the work of mission and transformation. It is at the local level that Christian discipleship is lived out. When I see and hear about the wonderful things that are going on in our local churches, I know that Christ is alive and well in North Texas.

I am excited about this year’s Annual Conference. It will be a time for us to renew our faith through worship and hear some exciting things going on in the four NTC centers.

The Rev. Jan Davis (left) and Ricky Harrison, the youngest delegate from the North Texas Conference, conducted business at the General Conference, held in Tampa, Fla. In the background are NTC delegates Clayton Oliphint (left) and Laity Leader Richard Hearne.

We will receive a report from the Nehemiah Group, which has worked all year on recommendations on how we can make Annual Conference more meaningful and inspiring.

You will not want to miss any part of the Annual Conference — some exciting things are in store for us all. As clergy, we must not forget our calling in Christ. It is our call that unites us in ministry and enables us to navigate through changing times and contexts for ministry.

The older I get, the more I find myself hanging out with other older folks. We need to rediscover what it means to be young and reconnect with young people.

General Conference Logo

Listen to their ideas and value their thoughts and contributions as they serve Christ and His church. At a church I visited one Sunday, a young man named Byron was asked to share some of his poetry. The pastor put him on the spot, but he rose from his seat, stood before the congregation and spoke in perfect rhyme about what it was like to use the gifts and talents God has given you for service to others. 

Do you remember what it was like to be young? I do. I remember the radical things we used to do, the zeal and enthusiasm for change in the church. God has not abandoned the church or God’s people.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:14: “But I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward — to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.”

I’ll see you on the journey!

A Message From the Bishop

by Bishop Earl Bledsoe

In my previous column, I used fishermen’s terms – fish or cut bait – to describe what the UMC needed to do at the 2012 General Conference.

What actually happened at the 2012General Conference may best be described in terms of a chemist who pours vastly different liquids into a test tube and stirs the tube. A frenetic combustion takes place. The mixture pops and fizzles. Eventually the chaotic action ceases, and the vastly different liquids meld. The combined liquid that comes out of the tube does not resemble the varied liquids that first entered the tube.

That’s what I believe happened at the 2012 General Conference, and I had the opportunity to see it from a different perspective than elected delegate or visitor. Bishops at General Conference do not vote, but sit on a platform that gives us a bird’s-eye view of the action of the delegates.

I witnessed various groups that came hoping to move the denomination in a number of ways. They are like the various liquids. The truth is, many of us are passionate about our church, and we all want improvement. But all the ideas and plans cannot prevail if we want to focus on the mission of the church and increase the number of vital congregations in the UMC. That’s where the chaotic action comes in. During the second week, there were heated debates and lots of tension as delegates spent hours trying to focus on an improved denomination.

Leslie Bledsoe and Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe attended a dinner celebrating African delegates during the General Conference.

At times it was not a pretty sight. I witnessed hurt feelings, disappointments, rage and dejection. However, as with the test tube, a calming eventually occurs, and the end result is a combination of liquids that look far different than those that went into the process. I witnessed many delegates, caught up in angry debates earlier, shake hands, pray and agree to work together.

I want to salute the North Texas delegation as they took major roles in the efforts to reshape the UMC. The 2012 General Conference ended with unexpected up and downs, and the North Texas delegation was in the thick of it. Many of the delegation members poured countless months and even years into legislation that would restructure the denomination.

But late on the final night of the General Conference, the approved restructuring proposal, Plan UMC, was ruled unconstitutional by the Judicial Council. Another North Texan, the Rev. Gary Mueller, played an instrumental role to ensure that women, people of color and older persons would not be hard hit by the loss of guaranteed appointments.

While this legislation was approved, it will be reviewed by the Judicial Council in the upcoming months and a ruling will be rendered.

Although many were disappointed by the rejection of Plan UMC, there are reasons for the North Texas Conference to be proud. We had North Texans working behind the scenes in the band, serving as marshals and planning worship. I was proud to see the Deaf Ministry Choir from Lovers Lane UMC signing during worship. All outstanding.

And there is one more group that I must mention. We had a group of lay and clergy North Texans who came to General Conference to watch, support and pray. They tweeted and added their voices to the experience and were a blessing to us all.

A Message From the Bishop

by Bishop Earl Bledsoe

As many of you know, I am an avid fisherman. There is a phrase that we fishermen use: “Fish or cut bait.” It means do something or get out of the way. It also means make a decision and take action without any more delay.

I believe that the General Conference 2012 is a time when we as a church must start fishing or cutting bait. A lot is getting done here in Tampa, Fla. The atmosphere is electric. Watching United Methodists from around the globe come together is life-changing. I believe we are taking the necessary steps to strengthen our denomination for the future.

This is a defining year for The United Methodist Church. I have attended four General Conferences before as a delegate; this is my first General Conference as a bishop. The biggest difference this time is that I am proud and honored to represent such a strong, vibrant annual conference as North Texas. As I walk around the Tampa Convention Center, I am reminded that we are a church that is very diverse and fast becoming more global.

This means that we must live a different way and serve a different way. We must embrace the newness and live into it. When we do, the church will find a relevant place in our society. Since many of you are watching and reading about General Conference, I want to offer a few pointers to help you interpret actions effectively.

Don’t rush to judgment about an issue because of national news reports. The national media tend to spotlight the most controversial topics and events, neglecting other meaningful and important legislation.

Look to our website, northtexasumc.org, to follow reports from our denomination’s news services. The North Texas delegates, the North Texas United Methodist Reporter staff and I are constantly sending fresh news and event updates to the website so that you can access what matters most to North Texas.

Keep up with the status of the Call to Action throughout the General Conference. This powerful piece of legislation could turn our denomination around for the good.

Pray for those of us in Tampa as we move the church forward to make disciples of Jesus Christ to help transform the world.

A Message From the Bishop

Bishop Earl Bledsoe

Easter Sunday is over, but I thank God that the resurrecting power of Jesus Christ never ends. I am certain that glorious worship services filled all of our churches last Sunday.

Our Annual Conference is blessed with anointed preachers, teachers and musical professionals. Our challenge is to keep that Jesus joy all the time.

I want us never to forget that the world is watching us, especially during this post-Easter period. They watch us to see whether we act like Jesus got up from the dead. After Easter is our crucial time to be witnesses for Christ. We Christians often call ourselves a people of the resurrection. Let’s challenge ourselves to truly show the world what a resurrected people look like. There are two ways to accomplish this.

First, we must have an overcomer’s attitude. Overcomers know that the even the most dark and dreary night will eventually end with the rising of the sun. Overcomers do not wait until the battle is over before they shout. They know that in the end, they will win. 

Secondly, like Jesus, we should shake off death. Jesus put death in its place by his resurrecting power. If we are honest, there are some dead issues and situations in our lives that we need to put in their place. Holding on to negative issues from the past is harmful and never helpful. The weight of yesterday hinders us from being who God calls us to be.

North Texas Conference, an overcomer’s attitude is what we need as we move into a busy season of church meetings (General Conference in Tampa, Fla., Annual Conference in Plano and Jurisdictional Conference in Oklahoma City). I pray that these three major meetings are covered in positive attitudes that stem from the power of Christ. 

Too much is at stake to forfeit our progress with a spirit of hopelessness. In fact, there is a great resource called “Pray for General Conference.” It is an online devotional guide from Abingdon Press that seeks to unite us around daily prayer leading up to the start of General Conference on April 24. Also, do not underestimate the impact of holding on to negativity in your life.

I am grateful for the Board of Ordained Ministry for its leadership of the recent Service of Healing and Wholeness. The members realized that the clergy were burdened with painful issues, and the weight threatened to divide us. During that service, we came clean, admitted our concerns and decided to leave them behind. Join me.

Let’s show the world that we truly are a people of the resurrection in thought, word and deed.

A Message From the Bishop

Bishop Earl Bledsoe

The word leadership is on my mind and in my heart as I write this column.

Friends, this Annual Conference is blessed by an abundance of quality leadership, especially among our laity. Leaders have the God-given ability to understand their season to lead in relation to God’s plans for their lives. You see, there is a time to begin leading and a time to cease. The realization of both time periods reflects the leaders’ relationship with and obedience to God. First, let me lift up John Croft as an example of a leader who is ending his time of leading. John has been the Annual Conference chancellor for eight years and has done a remarkable job.

He recently informed me that he is retiring from this post. I am sure that John will continue to serve in other ways and remain active in his church, Highland Park UMC, but he listened to God. He came to an understanding that this season of service is over. That’s leadership. Second, let me lift up an example of those who are beginning to lead. Due to the work of many, our Annual Conference has a refined and functional nominations process to bring lay persons into service in our conference-level committees. This new system has brought forth many talented people who feel God nudging them into action.

Many from across the conference submitted forms and demonstrated a willingness to serve. They are responding to the call of God in their lives to get started. That is leadership, too.

Any column on leadership must also reflect the ultimate leadership of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. During this Lenten season, we witness His leadership put to the test. Jesus knew what it meant to start His time of service. He also knew what it meant to end His time of service.

The scriptures give countless examples of Jesus’ leadership. Luke 14:11 touches my heart because it reveals the humility required of leadership. Jesus said, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

That’s leadership.