Imagine Indiana teams have more questions than answers

By Daniel R. Gangler

The seven-member Imagine Indiana Planning Team and the 28-co-chairs of the 14 Imagine Indiana discernment teams met at the Indiana Area office in Indianapolis, Nov. 20 for a six-hour round-robin reporting session.

All groups were asking more questions than supplying answers to how the two United Methodist Annual Conferences plan to unit together to form a new Indiana Annual Conference.

The day-long session began and ended with presentations by the Rev. Greg Jones, dean of the Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C.

He said he had great hope, not only for this news (of a possible new conference) to Indiana but what it means to the entire church. He complimented the 37 leaders present for "not just talking about possible merger, but about the future and how we view God's mission." He quoted from Acts 15 and Ephesians 3.

"God has to be on the horizon (of the church) to be a faithful witness for the next 25 years." He said that needs to be more of a focus than 2007 and 2008 decisions on whether or not to become one conference.

One of the 14 discernment teams is dedicated to prayer for the process. Each time any Imagine Indiana meeting takes place, a group of United Methodists across the state pray for that meeting.

Major questions discernment teams are wrestling with in their planning are by teams:

Mission Field - Is one annual conference a better solution than two annual conferences? We must first determine our mission.
Leadership Models - How do we develop a culture of leadership when there is a lack of future clergy and lay leaders?
Effective Pastors - How do we have cooperative, collaborative accountability?
Congregations - How do we appoint clergy when we don't know the gifts and graces of a congregation?
Administrative Technology - What kinds of information do we need to make decisions about hardware and software?
Communication Technology - How do we help clergy and their churches connect electronically?
Professional (Conference) Staff - What is the necessary work of the conference? Who is responsible for resources?
Relationships with Institutions - How do we maintain nearly 20 institutional relationships which are reflected in a variety of ways legally and by traditions?
Stewardship of Assets - What assets can be redeployed in new ways?
Benefits: Pension, Insurance - How do we handle existing conditions that have different sets of benefits?
Supervision, Connection - How do we get beyond fixing things to creative futuring?
Gatherings of Conference - How do we enliven annual conference sessions to balance worship, education and business?

Following the team reports, North Conference Lay Leader Kayc Mykrantz and South Conference Lay Leader Ike Williams reflected on the process as the Feedback Team. They said people want to be heard and want to hear what is going on with Imagine Indiana planning. They encourage leaders across the state to become more involved in the electronic online forum available online at www.inareaumc.org. Click on Imagine Indiana in the left column and go to FORUM.

In closing, Jones said he was concerned that Imagine Indiana would aim too low. If this happens, "nothing is going to change." He exhorted the teams to "stretch and live with big questions and broad principles." … "It's about God. This is central with a relentless focus on mission."

DVDs of Jones' presentation will soon be available through the Indiana Area office. Details to come.

Last updated on 25 Apr 2008

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