Last weekend I attended the Aldersgate Covenant meeting at the Church of the Resurrection. At this gathering, I think I finally learned what holy conferencing should be. We immersed ourselves in prayer, worship, and conversation. We prayed for unity, repented of partisanship, and confessed before God that we ourselves–and not just our neighbors–are sinners. It was holy conferencing because, when we ask in prayer with humble hearts for God to show up, God shows up. It is the presence and activity of God that makes conferencing holy–and nothing else.

This gathering really threw into sharp relief how crass our political machinations have become. We adopt the poisonous assumptions and methods of secular politics, inject them into the veins of the church, and somehow expect that the outcome will be a good one. This is nothing new. It has always gone on in the long history of the Church. Yet God continues to work in spite of us.

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“I have never been to a United Methodist meeting like this.”

That was a commonly heard, positive statement among the more than 160 people who attended Gathering of the Aldersgate Covenant May 16-17 at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kan.

Twenty years ago, the first Aldersgate Covenant gathering resulted in legislation adopted by General Conference, the denomination’s top lawmaking body. But this weekend’s event focused not on church rules and governance but on prayer for the Holy Spirit to revive the people called United Methodist.

“The kind of revival that we’re talking about is a renewed depth of faith,” preached retired Bishop Violet Fisher.

Read the full article on UMC.org

Twenty years ago, a group of laity and clergy came together to celebrate how the Holy Spirit was at work in The United Methodist Church; to address the loss of membership, resources and confidence in our denomination; and to discern how to engage a world that was increasingly indifferent, even hostile, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Contact: Bishop Gary Mueller Phone: 501.324.8019 E-mail: bishop@arumc.org

MARCH 5, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

ALDERSGATE COVENANT ANNOUNCES GATHERING ON MAY 16-17

All United Methodists who desire spiritual revival are invited together for worship and prayer

A gathering of United Methodists for 20 hours of prayer, worship, and watching for a revival of the Holy Spirit is set to take place at the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, on May 16-17, 2014. The event is hosted by the Aldersgate Covenant, a diverse group of leaders in the United Methodist Church who first proposed the Church’s mission statement 20 years ago. A desire for spiritual revival in the UMC prompted the upcoming gathering, which the Aldersgate Covenant team has designed to center on worship and prayer. The event is open to all United Methodists. Registration is available through the event website: www.aldersgatecovenant.org.

“The kind of revival we’re talking about is a renewed depth of faith, a closer relationship with Jesus, an openness to be led by the Holy Spirit, and a renewed commitment to God’s mission in the world,” said Bishop Gary Mueller of the Arkansas Conference, who has been a part of the Aldersgate Covenant since its initial meeting in 1994. “It leads to the kind of discipleship that truly engages people and truly brings transformation in lives, communities, and the world.”

When the Aldersgate Covenant first formed, its members shared three goals: to celebrate how the Holy Spirit was at work in the United Methodist Church; to address the loss of membership, resources and confidence in our denomination; and to discern how to engage a world that was increasingly indifferent, even hostile, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The fruit of that initial work was the mission statement approved by the 1996 General Conference (and amended in 2008): “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Local churches provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs.” The Aldersgate Covenant’s emphasis today is to call the Church into a new openness toward the Holy Spirit in the hope that spiritual revival will occur.

Worship, prayer and holy conferencing are the only agenda items at the May 16-17 Gathering of the Aldersgate Covenant. Those who attend will experience invigorating preaching and powerful music on Friday evening. The extended period of worship also will include time for prayer and conversation. On Saturday morning, the gathering will celebrate a Service of Covenant Renewal and conclude with a celebration of Holy Communion. Underlying the gathering will be an attempt to discern the movement of the Holy Spirit for those present, and for the United Methodist connection as a whole.

Preachers for the event include the Rev. Matt Miofsky, Lead Pastor of The Gathering UMC in St. Louis, MO; the Rev. Lisa Yebuah, Pastor of Inviting Ministries at Edenton Street UMC in Raleigh, NC; the Rev. Rob Fuquay, Senior Pastor of St. Luke’s UMC in Indianapolis, IN; and Bishop Violet Fisher, formerly the episcopal leader of the New York West Area of the UMC.

The Aldersgate Covenant is a group of leaders in the United Methodist Church who seek to live into the Church’s mission “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” A Gathering of the Aldersgate Covenant will take place Friday and Saturday, May 16-17, at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. For more information about this event, visit www.aldersgatecovenant.org.

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