Michigan Conference delegates were asked to comment on the 2024 North Central Jurisdictional Conference theme, “Lift Every Voice,” and suggest ways to ensure that every voice is heard and valued in our conference. On Thursday, we heard from Gordon Grigg and Rev. Megan Walther.
GORDON GRIGG
Lay Delegate, Ishpeming: Wesley UMC
For the past couple of days, we have been focusing on lifting every voice through the lens of John Wesley’s three simple rules: do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. The theme for the second day was to do good.
We opened our day with a message from Bishop Julius Trimble (watch the sermon) about what it means to do good. What stood out from Trimble’s message was that doing good means doing justice. Doing good is looking at the issues you see in your community and working to fix those issues for the long term, not just a quick fix.
Our history of Methodism shows that we are a people of justice. One of our speakers was recently asked what makes The United Methodist Church different from other denominations. When thinking about this question, what comes to mind is putting God’s love into action. We are a people who go out into the world and fight for equality, using our privilege to advocate for those who don’t. When we are doing justice, we need to listen to the needs of the people and then lift their voices to make a change. To lift every voice, we need to listen to every voice.
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REV. MEGAN WALTHER
Clergy Delegate, Clarkston UMC
Dr. Paul Chilcote, one of the speakers at the North Central Jurisdictional Conference this week, said that he hopes that the future of The United Methodist Church is marked by love and that United Methodist churches will be known as safe spaces. One way to “Lift Every Voice” in Michigan is to ensure that United Methodist spaces are safe spaces where people can trust they will be accepted, loved, and protected.
I invite all of us to reflect on our own ministry settings: How would someone new feel approaching and entering the space where we do ministry? What barriers might prevent someone from feeling safe or welcomed? Are there systems we need to put in place to ensure safety for kids, youth, or others?
“Lifting Every Voice” means ensuring that everyone is safe and loved, first and foremost. So, United Methodists in Michigan, let’s be on the lookout for ways to ensure that our ministry spaces are safe places, known for our love and extravagant welcome!
Last Updated on July 12, 2024