Dear Friends in Christ,

     September has been a challenging and exciting month for me! We have a new Bishop, Larry Goodpaster, and he's written a book entitled There's Power in the Connection. I've spent the last several days carefully working my way through its pages and have come to the conclusion that God will bless us in the Western North Carolina Conference and its local churches through his leadership among us.

     His is a hopeful message about the United Methodist Church. Acknowledging the steady decline in the denomination, he also affirms the 20% growth occurring in the Alabama-West Florida Conference, from whence he has come to us, and attributes that growth to three things: a passionate commitment to Jesus Christ, which returns the focus of the church to where it belongs; a demonstrative love for others expressed in mission and ministry designed to lead others unapologetically into the kingdom and to nurture and mentor them; and a return to Wesleyan evangelical theology. (Now, before that word "evangelical" turns you cold, given its misuse in both political and religious realms, let me remind you that the word itself in the Greek means to share the good news!) As Bishop Goodpaster says, "If you're not following Jesus, who are you following?"

     Bishop Goodpaster points out that the church's focus in United Methodism has often been diverted to other things, and until we recapture Wesley's call to personal and social holiness -- a holiness that grows out of a passionate commitment to Jesus Christ, a willingness to introduce him to others, and to compassionately love others -- the denomination will continue to decline. So what's one of our biggest stumbling blocks? The fact that the church is doing so much good. Seems strange to say that, doesn't it? But the Bishop has a point, I think. We can celebrate a great many good things we are doing in the body of Christ called Methodist, while at the same time failing to realize that we have substituted those good things we do for the essential things we must both do and be as the people of God.

     So what do we do with these insights? I told my wife Linda this morning as I prepared for the day that I judge the worth of a book by two things: Does it reaffirm what I have always known to be true in my heart of hearts, and does it provoke a self-examination of my own personal commitments to Christ and the church, and a reassessment of the leadership I am providing for the flock in my care. On both counts, There's Power in the Connection has spoken loudly to me. I would encourage you to pick up a copy, read it, think about it, and pray about what it speaks to your own heart. And soon, I'm going to make an opportunity available for us to sit down together and discuss its assertions and suggestions, and its invitation for us to reassess where we are as the body of Christ called Rehobeth United Methodist Church. Ours is a wonderful congregation, doing lots of good things. But as Bishop Goodpaster suggests, why settle for good when we can experience great? Remember what Jesus said to those who follow him as disciples -- "Greater things than I have done, you will do ..."

Yours in the Service of Christ and the Church

Bob

Note: You can order Bishop Goodpaster's book online through Rehobeth's virtual bookstore. Go to the Media Gallery page and click the Virtual Bookstore link.

• Back to Archive
• Back to Media Gallery