Bishops and Laity Chart Course of Action

January 22, 2014

Frigid temperatures did not stop fifty-five people from coming to Pensacola, FL to kick off the New Year by strategically planning for the Southeast Jurisdiction. Three groups met during Jan 7-9 to handle the business of the Southeast Jurisdiction. During that time, the Southeast Jurisdiction Conference lay leaders, active, and retired bishops held their annual meeting. The lay leaders and bishops discussed four areas of focus:

· Fulfilling mission

· What is unique in our Jurisdiction, poverty, education, and immigration, etc.

· Creating Teaching Churches/New Models, new ways of growing together

· Unity-Trust

The bishops and lay leaders conducted in-depth discussions about fulfilling the Mission. The lay leaders and bishops agreed that we must change the nature of the conversation in all of our conferences to focus on the positive “bright spots” in each of our mission fields.

Lastly, all in attendance agreed that bishops and laity work together to filter out distractions that will keep God’s people from fulfilling the mission of making disciples. God calls each of us to invest our life into that of another. The lay leaders and bishops collectively agreed to look for ways for the laity and clergy to create mission strategy in the Annual Conferences.