This week, we meet four more of our General Conference delegates as they prepare for the big denominational gathering in Charlotte.
JAMES DEATON
Content Editor
Last week’s article (click to read) gave an overview of the upcoming General Conference in Charlotte, NC, from April 23 to May 3. It also outlined the responsibilities of the Michigan Conference delegates who will attend this denominational gathering.
This week, we meet four reserve General Conference delegates: Rev. Joel Fitzgerald, Gordon Grigg, Ruth Sutton, and Rev. Sherri Swanson.
Rev. Joel Fitzgerald
Current ministry role in the Michigan Conference: Joel is the pastor of Albion: First UMC and Lyon Lake UMC.
Previous experience as a delegate: Joel has served as a delegate to General Conference in 2004 and 2008 in the former West Michigan Conference.
What legislative committee have you been assigned to, and how are you educating yourself about the matters you’ll be discussing?
“I am a reserve delegate for General Conference and will observe the work of the Financial Administration Legislative Committee. This committee deals with the budget and pension matters. Beyond reading the text of the petitions, I have been reading commentary and analysis of the issues from the pertinent general agencies and church news sources.”
A lot has changed since the pandemic postponed General Conference from its original date to now. Describe your thoughts and feelings about this moment we’re in as the Church.
“We are in a liminal phase if ever there was one. The old way of being church is passing away, but we are unsure what the new way will be. This can lead to a lot of anxiety as the way we have always done things doesn’t seem to work anymore. Yet, it can also be a time of great excitement as we dream and imagine the church without some of the structures that may have held us back in the past.
“Amidst this liminal time, I also think taking a broader view of history is helpful. After all, we are a church because a geopolitical crisis forced Mr. Wesley to decide he had the authority to ordain people. While our current era might feel like a time of declension, I think it is better to see it as a time of transformation and adaptation. Interestingly, a recent report from the Lewis Center looking at disaffiliation statistics asks whether some churches fully embraced the 1939 and 1968 mergers. Taking a broader view helps me question whether there ever was a “golden age” of the church we should get back to. Doing church has always been fraught.”
What continues to motivate you and inspire you to serve in this capacity as a delegate and a member of The United Methodist Church?
“I think The United Methodist Church still has a breadth and a depth that is sorely needed in the world and in the broader church. Our insistence on God’s grace, our insistence on connection, and our desire for social and personal holiness are messages that can help our world full of anxiety and anomie. General Conference is one piece of this connectional stew, so it is important. But as, if not more important, are the shoots of new life springing up in every corner of the church.”
Which General Conference legislative items are most important for Michigan United Methodists to pay attention to? Why are they important, and how might they impact us and our ministry?
“The burning issue for me is regionalization and contextualization. Many issues that face the church are best handled in more contextual forums. Thus, while I hope the global church could come to a place of welcoming all God’s children and removing all harmful language toward our LGBTQ siblings, I don’t believe that may be possible given political realities around the world. I believe regionalization is the best way for us to continue to be in ministry with the global church while providing needed space for contextualization.
“Also, I think the most impactful legislation for Michigan United Methodists concerns the proposed changes to our pension system and any legislation that further loosens administrative requirements for the conference and local church.
“Wespath is proposing a new pension plan that will move clergy to a solely defined contribution system. This will require clergy to be more involved in their retirement planning and ensure they are saving enough for retirement. It will also lessen the financial burden on conferences and local churches. I believe this is a crucial change for the church as we move into a new dispensation of fewer members and fewer resources.
“Beyond pension changes, any work General Conference does to allow administrative flexibility is important. For instance, a previous General Conference changed language that allows local churches to explore one board or simplified accountability models of local church governance. I hope more areas of administrative flexibility, particularly at the conference level, will be considered.”
How can the Michigan Conference pray for and support you as a delegate?
“Prayer, tacos, and chocolate are always welcome. Also, I’d urge folks to take time to digest and pray on anything they hear about General Conference. In an era of misinformation and instant reactions, take time to pray, discern, and test every spirit.”
Gordon Grigg
Current ministry role in the Michigan Conference: Gordon is a lay member of Ishpeming: Wesley UMC in the Northern Skies District. He is the director at Camp Michigamme, a United Methodist-affiliated summer camp in the Upper Peninsula.
Previous experience as a delegate: This is Gordon’s first time serving as a General Conference delegate.
What legislative committee have you been assigned to, and how are you educating yourself about the matters you’ll be discussing?
“Since I am a reserve General Conference delegate, I was not initially assigned to a legislative committee. However, working within the delegation, the reserves have agreed to dig into legislative committee work that was not assigned to the primary delegates. I have been looking into matters in the Church and Society 1 Legislative Committee. I have gone over the different pieces of legislation that have been assigned to that legislative committee. I have worked to summarize what the pieces of legislation say and what we might see that will be controversial or that we might see on the plenary floor. Leading up to General Conference, I have been following stories that have been coming out about different pieces of legislation that come from the United Methodist Communications. I find it beneficial to get this prework done so we know what will be voted on, and as a delegation, we can be as knowledgeable as possible.”
A lot has changed since the pandemic postponed General Conference from its original date to now. Describe your thoughts and feelings about this moment we’re in as the Church.
“Personally, I feel the church is at the end of winter and entering spring. Something new is coming, similar to how we can see the buds on the trees. I also feel like we are all collectively holding our breath to see what happens when we walk out of the convention hall at the end of the conference. There has been so much discussion about what can happen; we are all just anxious about what is going to happen.”
What continues to motivate you and inspire you to serve in this capacity as a delegate and a member of The United Methodist Church?
“Right now, what motivates me is to help create a welcoming space for all within the church. To get the work needed to create a space for all to come, worship, and use their gifts to help create Christ’s church. After going through the different pieces of legislation and hearing what other delegation members have been talking about in their prework, I am excited to see how the church is looking at making the church a welcoming place and ensuring that everyone is included.”
Which General Conference legislative items are most important for Michigan United Methodists to pay attention to? Why are they important, and how might they impact us and our ministry?
“I am excited to see the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church being updated. I enjoy seeing that the church takes stances on social issues that are important globally, and seeing these issues rooted in scripture shows that we are trying to be a Christ-centered church. I find this super important because I feel like people look at church as a place where social issues are not addressed, but to see that the United Methodist is taking stances on social issues that matter shows that we are actually caring about people.
“Looking at legislation that is coming forward, one piece of legislation that we need to focus on is regionalization. This is something that has been going on for many General Conferences. Right now, everything that has to do with the United States must be voted on at General Conference, which wastes a lot of time for those coming from outside the United States. This would also allow the United States, if it becomes a regional conference, to change parts of the Book of Discipline to meet the needs of the United States, just like the central conferences can change parts of their Book of Discipline to fit their ministry context.”
How can the Michigan Conference pray for and support you as a delegate?
“I just ask for clarification and direction for the delegation as we go into the work of the General Conference. I would appreciate prayers for safe travels to the conference and patience, knowing that the processes are going to go slow.”
Ruth Sutton
Current ministry role in the Michigan Conference: Ruth is a lay member of Sanford UMC.
Previous experience as a delegate: In 2016, Ruth was a delegate to the North Central Jurisdictional Conference and a reserve delegate to General Conference.
What legislative committee have you been assigned to, and how are you educating yourself about the matters you’ll be discussing?
“I have been assigned to the Local Church Legislative Committee. Because I am not a voting delegate, I cannot vote in the legislative committee. So, I have prepared a summary of the legislative petitions that are before that committee for use by our delegation.”
A lot has changed since the pandemic postponed General Conference from its original date to now. Describe your thoughts and feelings about this moment we’re in as the Church.
“This is a crucial moment for the church. Changes need to be made in the Discipline so that all of God’s children can be fully accepted in the church. We are a connectional church, but the context of our cultures is different and requires different rules for the different cultures. The Michigan Conference will need to reinvigorate the churches that have remained United Methodist. My local church looks forward to fully welcoming people into our church without regard to gender and sexuality issues.”
What continues to motivate you and inspire you to serve in this capacity as a delegate and a member of The United Methodist Church?
“I am as determined as I can be to assist this delegation as a reserve delegate in functioning at the conference. I hope to be supportive and assist in research as needed.”
Which General Conference legislative items are most important for Michigan United Methodists to pay attention to? Why are they important, and how might they impact us and our ministry?
“I am most passionate about seeing the hurtful language about homosexuality removed from the Discipline. I also feel strongly about the need for regionalization. I am hopeful that these legislative petitions will pass.
“These two legislative issues are important to Michigan United Methodists. We need to be able to accept our beloved members fully. Our pastors need to be able to perform their duties without worrying about charges being brought when they minister to our LGBQT members. Our bishop needs to be able to work with our clergy without fear of being brought up on charges. Regionalization will allow the United States, if it becomes a regional conference, to operate contextually and have guidelines that align with our culture, yet still recognize other countries and their special needs.”
How can the Michigan Conference pray for and support you as a delegate?
“Just don’t forget that I am there. I have waited a long time to attend General Conference, and I am very excited to represent the members of the Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church.
Rev. Sherri Swanson
Current ministry role in the Michigan Conference: Sherri serves as the pastor of Georgetown UMC in Jenison, which is a suburb of Grand Rapids. She has been at Georgetown for six years.
Previous experience as a delegate: This is the first time Sherri has been a part of a delegation to General Conference. She was a voting delegate to the North Central Jurisdictional Conferences held in 2021, 2022, and 2024 and is a reserve delegate to General Conference.
What legislative committee have you been assigned to, and how are you educating yourself about the matters you’ll be discussing?
“Though I am not officially assigned to a legislative committee (as a reserve delegate), our Michigan delegation has asked me to review legislation submitted to the Global Ministries Legislative Committee. I have read through all the materials in the Advance Daily Christian Advocate. Fortunately for me, the amount of legislation under consideration by this committee is significantly less than in many other legislative committees. There are not any brand-new initiatives.
“The General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) is requesting the continuation of five church plans related to specific populations (Deaf Ministries, Pacific Islander Ministry, Hispanic/Latino Ministries, Korean Ministry, and Asian-American Language Ministry). GBGM is also requesting the readoption of five resolutions (pertaining to deaf ministries, HIV/AIDS, U.S.-China relations, and peace in Afghanistan), along with one new resolution on religious freedom. I found the GBGM report entitled “Mission in Such a Time as This” very informative and inspiring, as it describes the ongoing work of our church through UMCOR, our missionaries, and several global health initiatives.”
A lot has changed since the pandemic postponed General Conference from its original date to now. Describe your thoughts and feelings about this moment we’re in as the Church.
“I feel hopeful about this present moment. Though the past few years have been very tumultuous, with the pandemic and so much denominational strife, it seems like there is good energy now for moving forward. We recognize that our church will not be exactly the same in the future as it has been in the past, and that’s okay.”
What continues to motivate you and inspire you to serve in this capacity as a delegate and a member of The United Methodist Church?
“I was very honored to be elected by my clergy colleagues to this position five years ago. I want to give my best to represent the needs and aspirations of our Michigan Conference. I am inspired by the other members of our delegation, who are incredibly dedicated.”
Which General Conference legislative items are most important for Michigan United Methodists to pay attention to? Why are they important, and how might they impact us and our ministry?
“I am most passionate about removing the harmful language in the Book of Discipline regarding members of the LGBTQ community. This is not a single piece of legislation but multiple pieces of legislation that several different legislative committees are considering.
“I have been following the adoption of these increasingly exclusive denominational statements for 40 years since the General Conference of 1984 when I was just beginning seminary. Our church’s stance has been very painful to many of my friends, colleagues, and parishioners. It has also kept many gifted, qualified people from serving in ministry positions.
“It also seems that the legislation about regionalization is critical if the church is going to move forward. This will allow each region of the church to engage in ministry that fits its local context. Further, it will decentralize the U.S. in our worldwide church and also allow the church in the U.S. to deal with matters that are solely related to our country.”
How can the Michigan Conference pray for and support you as a delegate?
“We all appreciate your prayers. We also appreciate your comments, questions, and interest.”
To contact the Michigan Conference delegation, use this group email address to reach them with your questions and concerns: [email protected].
Last Updated on April 8, 2024