{"id":1653,"date":"2012-07-20T13:54:21","date_gmt":"2012-07-20T20:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/gc2012\/?p=1653"},"modified":"2013-11-08T10:12:47","modified_gmt":"2013-11-08T18:12:47","slug":"episcopal-address","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/episcopal-address\/","title":{"rendered":"Episcopal Address: Bishop Minerva G. Carca\u00f1o"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bishop Minerva G. Carca\u00f1o gives the Episcopal address at the Western Jurisdictional Conference on Thursday, July 19 at the Town and Country Center in San Diego, California. Photo by Patrick Scriven.<\/em><\/p>\n

Western Jurisdictional Conference of\u00a0The United Methodist Church<\/em>
\nTown and Country Resort \u2022\u00a0San Diego, California \u2022\u00a0July 19, 2012<\/em><\/h3>\n

Grace and peace to all in the name of Christ Jesus. We your bishops stand before you on this\u00a0day to boldly proclaim that God\u2019s love is available to all! The God whom we serve with you\u00a0excludes no one. We believe that God\u2019s vision for us and all who claim the name of Jesus the\u00a0Christ is a home for all God\u2019s people, gathered around a table of reconciliation and\u00a0transformation. It is Christ Jesus who beckons us to be such a home. Our faith affirms for us\u00a0that Christ Jesus has already built this home. It is a home of mercy and grace with the power to\u00a0reconcile us to God and each other and transform us.<\/p>\n

We also stand before you to\u00a0unequivocally give witness to the fact that we your College of Bishops are of one mind.<\/strong> We\u00a0believe that our beloved United Methodist Church has been less than faithful to the biblical\u00a0mandate to accept all God\u2019s children including our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.\u00a0 \u00a0We assume\u00a0responsibility for preaching and teaching in every place we serve, this good news of Christ Jesus\u00a0who welcomes all. We pledge to you that we will continue to work for that day when we The\u00a0United Methodist Church can truly live up to our logo of open hearts, open minds, open doors.\u00a0And we covenant before God and you, that we will challenge statements or actions that offend,\u00a0denigrate, or exclude any person because of the color of their skin, their economic\u00a0circumstance, their political persuasion, their gender or their sexual orientation. We pray that\u00a0we will together build the home of God\u2019s own vision and hope for God\u2019s all inclusive family.<\/p>\n

Even now, though, we are grateful to God that we can give witness to the reconciliation and\u00a0transformation that God has already been about amongst us.<\/p>\n

Responding to Haiti<\/h3>\n

Early on in this quadrennium the earth shook with destructive and deadly force. The poorest\u00a0nation in the Western hemisphere was plunged into darkness as an earthquake opened the\u00a0mouth of a hurting land and swallowed up life and hope in Haiti. We lost friends in that\u00a0earthquake. God mourned for the hundreds of thousands of children of God\u2019s own heart and\u00a0creation who were struck down and afflicted by this terrible earthquake. Operation\u00a0Resurrection 2010: A Compassionate Response to the Earthquake from the Western\u00a0Jurisdiction, was the way we chose to honor the spirit of our Haitian brothers and sisters, and\u00a0UMCOR staff members Rev. Sam Dixon and Rev. Clinton Rabb, who died in the earthquake, and\u00a0Rev. Jim Gulley who was rescued, and our way to proactively respond to the human suffering in\u00a0Haiti.<\/p>\n

In the process of responding we learned about Haiti\u2019s history, culture and economy. We came\u00a0to know a people and a culture of great beauty and hospitality. We came face to face with a\u00a0people who are confronted daily by a history of slavery and oppression that has left them in\u00a0cruel poverty. We learned about the complicity of U.S. economic and political decisions that
\nhave contributed to Haiti\u2019s vicious cycle of poverty.<\/p>\n

We of the Western Jurisdiction committed to responding to the immediate needs of Haiti by\u00a0raising $100,000 for recovery and relief for Haiti.\u00a0\u00a0We pledged to send 25 Volunteer in Mission\u00a0(VIM) teams to Haiti over a 5 year period. We further committed ourselves to replace the\u00a023,000 Health Kits that were immediately shipped from our UMCOR West Depot when the\u00a0earthquake hit Haiti thus depleting the Depot\u2019s supplies. We prayed together that God would\u00a0bless our acts of obedience that in some small way we might be used to restore hope, increase\u00a0faith and widen the pathway to peace.<\/p>\n

By the grace of God, within a few mere months we the people of the Western Jurisdiction had\u00a0raised 19 times more than we had committed to raising. Together, friends, as a connectional\u00a0people we sent over $2 million to Haiti. Within 2 years, less than half the time projected, we\u00a0met our 25 VIM teams for Haiti goal. We not only replaced the 23,000 Health Kits needed at our\u00a0UMCOR West Depot, we filled the depot to overflowing! In the spirit of our Western\u00a0Jurisdiction\u2019s vision statement we were, \u201cdisciples who live out the Good News of Jesus as\u00a0global citizens\u201d.<\/p>\n

We do believe that our efforts restored a measure of hope in Haiti. We pray that it may have\u00a0increased faith in that land, and that our going and coming to Haiti in all the ways we had\u00a0proposed, did widen the pathway to peace. What we do know for sure is that in being obedient\u00a0to God in these ways, hope was restored within us, our faith was increased, and we found\u00a0peace, blessed and joyful peace, in the doing of God\u2019s holy work. Thanks be to God!<\/p>\n

Working Together through Permeable Boundaries<\/h3>\n

One of the great learnings of our work for the people and the land of Haiti was that we can do\u00a0mighty things when we commit to working together. During this quadrennium we your bishops\u00a0with jurisdictional leaders have been in a conversation about permeable boundaries. \u00a0\u00a0We believe that for too long we have allowed conference boundaries to separate us.\u00a0Conference boundaries were meant to designate areas of particular responsibility, but they\u00a0have become walls among us that have kept us from doing those things that if we acted,\u00a0moved, and led together would impact the West and the world in the name of Christ Jesus in\u00a0much better and stronger ways. During this jurisdictional conference you will hear more about\u00a0this conversation and the possibilities that determining that the designated geographic\u00a0boundaries of our annual conferences are permeable, could lead us to. Let me now point to\u00a0efforts over this quadrennium and efforts that we propose to lead us into our future, and that
\nbegin to test the waters of permeable boundaries.<\/p>\n

Enabling Emerging Connectional Leadership<\/h3>\n

In the report of our Western Jurisdiction Leadership Team you will hear about the leadership\u00a0events that were held in the jurisdiction during this quadrennium. One of these jurisdictional\u00a0leadership events focused on the issue of U.S. immigration concerns. Your College of Bishops\u00a0participated fully and actively in this leadership event. At the end of this event, some of you
\nwere inspired to step up in leadership around this critical social crisis, and engaged us your\u00a0bishops in a conversation about establishing a Western Jurisdiction Immigration Network. We\u00a0are pleased to report that this network is today actively leading us in addressing immigration\u00a0concerns as a jurisdiction. Our jurisdiction also now has a place at the table of our\u00a0denomination\u2019s global task force on immigration. No other jurisdiction has to date taken this\u00a0step of saying we need to help lead our church in the kind of transformation that welcomes the\u00a0stranger, and that treats our immigrant brothers and sisters with justice and hospitality in this
\ncountry and around the world.<\/p>\n

More recently an opportunity arose for us bishops to consider who in our annual conferences\u00a0would be interested in addressing the need to eliminate the death penalty in the U.S. We sent\u00a0the word out and it was quite amazing to see how quickly persons came forth ready to commit\u00a0to this work of life and death, reconciliation and transformation. These are persons who are\u00a0already working on this issue in the areas where they live and serve or who are concerned\u00a0about this matter and would like to serve with others to eliminate the death penalty.\u00a0\u00a0We hope\u00a0that before the summer is over we your bishops can organize the Western Jurisdiction Network\u00a0to Eliminate the Death Penalty so that we can be assisted as a jurisdiction to be engaged in this
\nconcern in a transformative way.<\/p>\n

Neither of these two efforts have required institutional organizational changes. No monies have\u00a0been pledged for these efforts, though in the future you may want to consider a financial\u00a0investment in these efforts. What we bishops have attempted to do is to enable discipleship,\u00a0finding ways to affirm those who sense that holy call from God to respond to the needs of the\u00a0world. We have attempted to see what can be done if we enable and support our conference\u00a0leaders to gather and work together. Our hope is that not only our boundaries but, even more\u00a0importantly, that our hearts and spirits might be permeable for the sake of Christ\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

We would be remiss in not mentioning that the congregational developers of our annual\u00a0conferences and leaders in our jurisdiction committed to rural and urban ministry have been\u00a0working in these ways for some time now. The congregational developers have served us well\u00a0in developing the new church start plan that you will act upon. Our other leaders call\u00a0themselves RUN \u2013 Rural\/Urban Network of the Western Jurisdiction. We are grateful for their\u00a0leadership and for the ways they have modeled a commitment to these important areas of\u00a0ministry, and a commitment to helping us as a jurisdiction respond to these vital ministry
\nneeds.<\/p>\n

Seeking God\u2019s Future for Us<\/h3>\n

We your bishops have also worked very prayerfully and diligently to serve you by considering\u00a0the whole area of the Western Jurisdiction and asking the question, \u201cWhat is God calling us to\u00a0do and how can we be faithful?\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0 Our discernment processes have led us to work\u00a0collaboratively with our Jurisdictional Leadership Team and with staff and conference leaders\u00a0from all of our annual conferences. Out of these efforts come to you at this conference, a\u00a0jurisdictional wide plan for starting new churches and a strategic direction for strengthening\u00a0our work with and among Hispanic\/Latino communities. We take our Western Jurisdiction\u00a0vision to be multicultural and inclusive, engaged in the life of our communities, led by\u00a0confident, effective lay and clergy leadership, very seriously. We are confident that these two\u00a0efforts will help the vision God has planted in our hearts to bear much fruit. We commend the\u00a0plan for starting new churches and the strategic direction for Hispanic\/Latino ministry to you\u00a0and pray for your full support for them.\u00a0 \u00a0 We believe them to be helpful, concrete and\u00a0intentional efforts that will contribute to the strong work already being done in the jurisdiction,like the work of the Korean Mission, and will help us to build a home for all God\u2019s children.<\/p>\n

Building a Leadership Team with Others<\/h3>\n

To undergird the sacred work that together we are privileged to share, the College of Bishops\u00a0has given attention to leadership development. We have made every good effort to grow in our\u00a0leadership and to lead together with our Western Jurisdiction Leadership Team. With our\u00a0Conference Directors of Connectional Ministry and the Chair of the Western Jurisdiction\u00a0Leadership Team we have organized ourselves as a jurisdictional Mission Cabinet out of the\u00a0conviction that through shared leadership we will serve more faithfully and effectively.\u00a0 \u00a0 In\u00a0January of this year we gathered our extended cabinets to begin to build a team together of
\nmutual support, encouragement, accountability, and spiritual and leadership growth. Next\u00a0week a group of clergy from across the jurisdiction will spend 5 days together at Claremont\u00a0School of Theology learning creative new ways to grow the church in this 21st
\nCentury.\u00a0Congregational development workshops are also being conducted in ways that benefit the\u00a0entire jurisdiction.<\/p>\n

Through all these efforts we have experienced the walls of institutional separation becoming\u00a0permeable connections of opportunity in new and grace filled ways. \u00a1Gracias a Dios!<\/p>\n

Extending a New Challenge<\/h3>\n

Now we come before you with a new challenge; a missional opportunity with the possibility of\u00a0transforming the continent of Africa and from Africa the world. Before we hear more about this\u00a0challenge, we want to teach you an important song. Bishop Robert Hoshibata will teach us this\u00a0song and lead us in singing it.<\/p>\n

By now, we are all aware of Imagine No Malaria, our church\u2019s mission to end preventable\u00a0malaria deaths in Africa. You have heard that Imagine No Malaria takes our fight against\u00a0malaria beyond mosquito nets, to include education, communication, and improved diagnosis\u00a0and treatment against this killer disease. Some are calling it Nets Plus, which is an accurate\u00a0description. Many of you have already been actively supporting Imagine No Malaria, and it has\u00a0made a world of difference.\u00a0Malaria has cast a shadow over Africa for many, many generations and it has not yet released\u00a0our brothers and sisters from its grip. We your bishops would like to share a message with you\u00a0about this deadly disease and ask for your support in favor of life.<\/p>\n

Click for Imagine No Malaria Resources<\/a><\/p>\n

As you heard from Bishop Yambasu, the mission of Imagine No Malaria is an expression of our\u00a0faith and our commitment to partner with our brothers and sisters in Africa in favor of life. \u00a0\u00a0Imagine No Malaria is a unique opportunity for the entire United Methodist Church to do\u00a0something together; to do something bigger than ourselves, bigger than any local church,\u00a0bigger than any district and bigger than any one of our annual conferences. Many of you in this\u00a0room have already supported Imagine No Malaria, and it has not gone unnoticed.\u00a0\u00a0Already you\u00a0have saved lives.<\/p>\n

When we started this effort, malaria claimed a child\u2019s life every 30 seconds.\u00a0\u00a0Today malaria\u2019s\u00a0impact has been cut in half \u2013 to a death every 60 seconds, but that is not enough. Winning this\u00a0fight against malaria requires an ongoing commitment. Our strong connectional participation\u00a0and leadership in the Imagine No Malaria effort is a matter of life and death.\u00a0\u00a0Every member of\u00a0our United Methodist family should have the opportunity to participate in a fight that we will\u00a0win by God\u2019s grace and mighty power.<\/p>\n

On this day we your bishops, knowing the good hearts of the people of the West, knowing your\u00a0connectional spirit, and your commitment to a world transformed, want to challenge you to\u00a0raise $2 million for Imagine No Malaria over the next 2 years. We set this goal of $2 million as a\u00a0jurisdictional goal. Some of our annual conferences have already committed to working toward\u00a0this goal and surpassing it. We would ask this 2012 Western Jurisdictional Conference to affirm\u00a0this goal as a commitment that together we will lead to its fulfillment.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n

We your College of Bishops have each been engaged in providing leadership for the entire\u00a0denomination. We are active leaders in the Council of Bishops and serve throughout our\u00a0general and global church. At all times we recognize that whatever we have been able to do has\u00a0been by the grace of God, and in collaboration and partnership with clergy and lay leaders from\u00a0throughout the jurisdiction and the entire United Methodist connection. It is a sacred privilege\u00a0to serve Christ Jesus, and a sacred gift to us to serve among and with the people of the Western\u00a0Jurisdiction. To God be the honor and the glory.<\/p>\n

Bishop Minerva G. Carca\u00f1o<\/strong>
\nPresident, Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops<\/em>
\nJuly 19, 2012<\/p>\n

Click here for a online version of the accompanying Powerpoint.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bishop Minerva G. Carca\u00f1o gives the Episcopal address at the Western Jurisdictional Conference on Thursday, July 19 at the Town and Country Center in San Diego, California. Photo by Patrick Scriven. Western Jurisdictional Conference of\u00a0The United Methodist Church Town and Country Resort \u2022\u00a0San Diego, California \u2022\u00a0July 19, 2012 Grace and peace to all in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":1655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1653","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-conversation"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/7604903738_6a41baf211_z.jpeg?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2l75j-qF","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1653"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5720,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1653\/revisions\/5720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}