A heartfelt, emotional, and inspiring Episcopal Address at Greater New Jersey Special Annual Conference.
Episcopal Address | Special Session, October 26, 2019
October 26, 2019 | The Way Forward, Messages from the Bishop
I care deeply about each of you, and I care deeply about GNJ and the church. Today I come before you as a pastor. In 1982 I was ordained, and the church made me an elder. In 2004, the church consecrated me and made me a bishop. As an elder, I chose to be a pastor. As a bishop, I still choose to be a pastor....
At the same time, I am a bishop, and I care deeply about the people of The United Methodist Church and the people in our communities. As a bishop, in the last two weeks, I discussed financial challenges, staffing issues and how to evaluate our resourcing with our congregations. In my role as a bishop, I use a pastoral lens. ....
Today, there are people among us, me included, that believe all people can have loving caring relationships. I believe a man and a woman, a man and a man, a woman and a woman can share love and make a home where God is honored.
Today, there are people among us, me included, that believe God calls people to ministry regardless of their ethnicity, gender, class and sexual orientation. I personally have witnessed God using people in congregational leadership and as clergy persons regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national status and age.