Methodists Meeting

That was the title of a news segment yesterday morning on the local NBC affiliate here in Fort Worth.

Methodists meeting. Indeed!

Last night 6,500 United Methodists gathered for worship at the Fort Worth Convention Center. It was a powerful service of word with preaching by Council of Bishops President Janice Huie; song (choirs and instrumentalists from churches around the Dallas/Fort Worth area; visual arts --dance, drama, multimedia; and holy communion.

All this on the 40th birthday of the United Methodist Church. It was on April 23, 1968, just 30 miles away in Dallas, that the Methodists and the EUB joined together to form the United Methodist Church. It was also at that time that the separation of African-American and Latino churches were ended, and conferences were established by geographic lines only.

Bishop Swenson, in her comments to the plenary session this morning, reminded us that the founding conference took place just 19 days after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She also reminded us of the words of Dr. Albert Outler at that founding conference, referencing the turbulent times of the 1960s: we are in the midst of anxious times, discontent and uncertainty. In such times, business as usual simply will not get our business done.

Our business? The three general rules of Wesley. Do no harm. Do good. Love God.

Or, in the words of Jesus: love God, love each other.