Message From Bishop Dease to North Georgia United Methodists

As a Bishop, it is hard not to be moved by the spiritual and emotional implications of what is happening at this historic General Conference.

As you look at the voting, and the decisions being made, these delegates from all over the world are harbingers of a new expression of United Methodism.

They desire to be a connectional church. They want to move forward. They want to be the Church.

So many of us have tried to give voice to the pain of friends, family, and acquaintances who have been hurt in the past through legislative decisions we have made. This is a time when we are doing something positive. We’re trying to live up to our better self.

God is working through us to prepare a more expansive table. The church is not perfect. We will continue to have challenges; we will continue to make decisions and reconsider those decisions. This is why we have General Conferences—because the work of hope and justice and grace is never done!

The image of God dwells in every human being and that is why we work towards inclusion. 

This is work we do in solidarity. Local churches can continue to serve and operate the way they have always done. There is no move to force the local church or clergy to do anything they are not prepared or willing to do.

My hope and plan for the future is to work with conference leadership to cast a vision that the whole North Georgia Conference can support and galvanize around in order to minister to the needy, inspire persons who are not yet a part of us to join us in this vision, and to equip laity and clergy to be their best selves as we make disciples of Jesus Christ.

Bishop Robin Dease
North Georgia Conference
The United Methodist Church