For Immediate Release: September 16, 2019
What will the future of The United Methodist Church look like in the coming years? Who is shaping that vision, and what are the most important values?
From November 14 to 16, 2019, the Western Jurisdiction (WJ) Mission Cabinet is hosting a Fresh United Methodism Summit consisting of the WJ Leadership Team, WJ Workgroup Leaders, 2020 General Conference delegates from the WJ, and other emerging leaders. Beginning with reports from each Annual Conference and several WJ workgroups, attendees will be listening for areas of alignment and opportunity so that the jurisdiction can collaborate for broader impact. Then, participants will go through a process of envisioning and innovation around the next steps for the Western Jurisdiction and The United Methodist Church.
The Western Jurisdiction is known across The United Methodist Church for its diversity and justice-seeking spirit. With this event, we hope to live into that reputation more fully by bringing together institutional leaders and some of the emerging voices that we need to hear today.
How will this event shape the future of the Church? We don’t know but we are convinced that this is a season where we need to hear new voices, fresh ideas, and perspectives.
United Methodists and friends beyond the denomination are excited about the possibility of attending this event. But the event facilities limit the number of participants and observers. For that reason, a formula mirroring the delegate allotment for General Conference was used to designate seat allotments for each WJ Conference. Respectively, a limited number of observers will be determined through a random name draw. Significant sessions of the Fresh United Methodism Summit will be live-streamed.
Go to www.westernjurisdictionumc.org/fresh to find details about the groups selected to participate, how to apply to be an observer, details about the location, and details about the live stream.
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Media contacts for each Conference in the Western Jurisdiction are available at http://westernjurisdictionumc.org/leadership/communications-contacts.
