I believe God is going to do great things in the Global Methodist Church, but we can hinder that if we aren’t careful. If we choose the wrong leaders, stubbornly demand our own way, or hold on to grudges about what has happened in the past, we will get bogged down and possibly even move ourselves outside of God’s will.
To keep that from happening we must be willing to let go and forgive anyone that we feel has wronged us. Jesus made it very clear we must be willing to forgive. It isn’t easy, but we can choose to do so.
We can’t demand our own way. The Global Methodist Church has made it very easy to leave and some may need to leave, but with that ease comes the danger of fragmenting into obscurity. A “Do it my way or I’ll go play somewhere else” attitude will not serve us well and honestly isn’t Christian. There are reasons for leaving, we have been through that, but now we have the challenge of coming together. For some, it will mean more regulation than you want, for others it will seem less regulated, but that is the way it is in any organization that isn’t a dictatorship with you being the dictator. Yes, stand firm on the essentials but on other issues let’s be willing to let others have their way.
Finally, choosing the wrong leaders. If we choose people who haven’t dealt with the first two problems we are in trouble. However, I believe we could learn from what the apostles asked for in the first deacon. “Therefore Brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom…” Acts 6:3a. No, I’m not saying they have to be men. I’m saying we need people full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We don’t want a popularity contest or a talent contest. We need people who are full of God’s Spirit and have great wisdom.
We don’t want people who seem on fire for God and seem full of the Spirit but have no wisdom. Neither do we need wise men and women who are not full of God’s Spirit. We need both.
Soon you will be deciding who your lay delegate will be for the Great Lakes Regional Conference. This conference is vital because it will help lay the groundwork for our region and for the GMC. Don’t choose the loudest voice, the most senior person, the biggest contributor, or the person who has the days off. Choose a person based on prayer and because they are filled with the Spirit and wisdom.
Building something new isn’t easy, let’s send the best, no, let’s send God’s best.
For your consideration, Pastor Charles