During our recent Annual Conference you heard both Appointive Cabinet Dean Rev. Kim Goddard and me reference the Invitation Team. This group of clergy and laity has been assembled to seek a vision and path for the Holston Conference as we move forward in ministry and mission together. Since Annual Conference, we have convened our second meeting and added Belinda Kenny to the team.
Belinda is a lay woman from Williamson Chapel United Methodist Church in the Smoky Mountain District. She is a wonderful addition to the Invitation team.
Our second team meeting was a full day on July 20. A significant portion of our time together focused on the various streams of United Methodists in the Holston Conference. Like the numerous streams and rivers giving definition and shape to the geography of Holston, we recognize multiple theological streams have always existed in our conference. United as we focus on our common theological core that flows into one river, the streams of Holston United Methodism deepen and define our faith and life together and give us the breadth to reach more persons for Christ.
The invitation team is working on discerning commonalities and distinctions for each stream in ways that allow persons to live in alignment with their essential convictions while staying connected with the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church. As we have from our inception, we will continue to honor our church’s polity as set forth in The Book of Discipline.
The Invitation team is looking forward to monthly meetings as we continue to do this important work that will provide space for a majority of our Holston United Methodist Churches to continue in mission and ministry together. Watch for regular updates on the Invitation Team webpage.
As always, it is a joy to serve as your bishop.
Blessings,
Debra Wallace-Padgett
Resident Bishop
Holston and North Alabama Conferences
Belinda is a lay woman from Williamson Chapel United Methodist Church in the Smoky Mountain District. She is a wonderful addition to the Invitation team.
Our second team meeting was a full day on July 20. A significant portion of our time together focused on the various streams of United Methodists in the Holston Conference. Like the numerous streams and rivers giving definition and shape to the geography of Holston, we recognize multiple theological streams have always existed in our conference. United as we focus on our common theological core that flows into one river, the streams of Holston United Methodism deepen and define our faith and life together and give us the breadth to reach more persons for Christ.
The invitation team is working on discerning commonalities and distinctions for each stream in ways that allow persons to live in alignment with their essential convictions while staying connected with the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church. As we have from our inception, we will continue to honor our church’s polity as set forth in The Book of Discipline.
The Invitation team is looking forward to monthly meetings as we continue to do this important work that will provide space for a majority of our Holston United Methodist Churches to continue in mission and ministry together. Watch for regular updates on the Invitation Team webpage.
As always, it is a joy to serve as your bishop.
Blessings,
Debra Wallace-Padgett
Resident Bishop
Holston and North Alabama Conferences
Author
Debra Wallace-Padgett
The Reverend Dr. Debra Wallace-Padgett was elected a Bishop of the United Methodist Church at the 2012 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference. At the time of her election, she was the lead pastor of St. Luke United Methodist Church in Lexington, ...