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November/December 2005 |
Welcome
About the strength of being connected
Lighthouses are a pastime for me. I have tromped around dozens of these interesting structures during the past four years on Lakes Michigan, Huron and Superior. Each is unique with interesting histories. They maintain their nightly beacon of strength, endurance and steadfastness. In many ways, lighthouses remind me of the connectional nature of our United Methodist Church. Like lighthouses, United Methodist churches populate every county of our state and stand as a daily witness to our faith, ready to shelter those who enter. Each houses a unique community with a particular mission.
Lighthouses also symbolize the connectional structure of the church, too, a network that makes possible mission and ministry. Without buildings, sanctuaries, classrooms, lounges, fellowship halls and the rest of what makes them the community's home, the activities of faith, worship, learning, socializing, outreach and salvation could not exist as the institution we have come to love and depend upon. This is where we meet the living Christ.
For many, the structures of districts, conferences, jurisdictions and the general church, connectional ministries beyond congregations, seem to be an unnecessary burden. Yet during times of distress, like hurricanes and the most recent deadly tornado in southwestern Indiana, United Methodists are able to respond immediately. Why? Because of our connection, our lighthouses. Phones, faxes and e-mail by disaster coordinators, districts superintendents, the bishop and communicators enable the church to move rapidly with food, water, flood buckets, health kits and other forms of aid. We, United Methodists, could respond quickly because we were connected. Collectively, we are hope for many people.
Connections just don't happen overnight in response to a devastating storm, they take years of planning, praying and paying both in time and money.
Recently, the General Council of Finance and Administration discovered that more money was given to the United Methodist Committee on Relief this year in response to natural disasters than was given in general church connectional giving for our entire global mission and outreach. We saw on the news the needs of devastated people and responded freely. We can celebrate this huge success, however we must realize that mission and ministry can only take place when the structures of our church are maintained properly like lighthouses.
Both of our Indiana United Methodist Conferences have been under financial distress. Yet also this year both conferences have received and forwarded to the United Methodist Committee on Relief hundreds of thousands of dollars for survivors of the Tsunami and more recently of Rita and Katrina.
At the same time there has been a continual erosion of finances for conferences which have been charged with supporting the ministry of 1,270 local churches. Both conferences have drafted 2006 budgets which are 11 percent below 2005 budgets. In 2004, neither conference received more than 81 percent of approved apportionments. This year's prospects look no better.
The reason given for not meeting connectional commitments has multiple answers. The greatest of these was the slump in Indiana's economy. Granted, Indiana has not recovered economically well as a state, but United Methodists continue to give passionately for disaster relief both in money, supplies and volunteer time. I hope not at the cost of waning conference and general church support.
Financially, our connectional structure has become weakened. If that structure fails, the mission and ministry of our connection will begin to fail. If it fails, when natural disasters strike, we will not have the connectional forces to assist those in need. We will be like a darkened lighthouse unable to provide needed hope.
Vital churches give to meet the financial needs of the connection knowing that they cannot exist as a vital point of mission, ministry and outreach unless the connection remains strong. The abundance in giving to relief efforts informs us that United Methodists are a people of financial means who will meet the needs known to them.
The collective efforts of an annual conference provides United Methodist congregations with pastors, insurance programs, pensions, education, training events, volunteer in mission trips, Bible studies, missionaries in 165 countries, communications, media resources, crisis management, support for personnel, a voice of Christian values in the Indiana Statehouse, day-care centers, community centers, clinics, mentoring programs, universities, seminaries, mission schools, nursing homes, retirement centers, hospitals and the list continues. Each congregation participates in a greater whole for the furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the making of His disciples.
Like a lighthouse, the church provides strength, endurance and steadfastness for each congregations. My prayer continues that the connectional church, that church beyond the congregation, will remain strong not alone for congregations, but for the salvation of the world.
Welcome,
Daniel R. Gangler
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008