Bishop Sherer-Simpson preaches at Joint Called Clergy Session opening worship

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TOPEKA, Kan. — More than 800 United Methodist clergy from Kansas and Nebraska gathered Jan. 17, in Topeka, for a joint conference intended to bring all clergy together from both episcopal areas.

The opening worship service began with a drum circle and a dramatic interpretation of scripture.

Bishop Ann B. Sherer-Simpson gave the message. Sherer-Simpson commented on the energy in the room generated by bringing all the clergy together.

“In the midst of such joy, it is hard to pause and know that we are in the wilderness,” she said. “The wilderness is not a place that I want to go, at least not by myself. The wilderness is where I don’t know where the path is.”

Sherer-Simpson was acknowledging that while worshiping together brings joy, the denomination finds itself in the “wilderness” looking for answers for how to grow its ministry. Like the Hebrews, she noted, the church is thirsty.

“Then we turn to 21st Century United Methodism,” Sherer-Simpson said. “And we see that our wilderness is a bewildering array of social and economic and cultural factors. We know what they are. We’ve listed them a hundred times. If it was only the world changing, we wouldn’t be so scared. That would just be our mission field. But the church is changing.”

Sherer-Simpson said we’ve talked about it over and over, and the reality should come as no surprise.

In reference to the attendance data entry she said. “You don’t like to do it, just like I don’t like to read it. I hate reality therapists. And when I look at it, and when you look at it, we know we’re not reaching as many people for Christ as we need to.”

The church as a whole is examining itself, looking for ways to streamline and shift focus toward making disciples for the transformation of the world in the local church. Many proposals are headed to General Conference supporting these widespread changes.

Sherer-Simpson confirmed that we are working in the wilderness and that we don’t know the path through it. She also confirmed that most in attendance are asking, “How do we move forward?’ We’re at the place that the Hebrew people were as they were thirsty out in the wilderness. We’re asking, ‘Is God among us or not?’ We’d like answers, and we’d like them yesterday.”

Sherer-Simpson pointed out that God got the Hebrews out of Egypt, got them across the sea, provided food and water, guided them by day and night, and cared for them in many ways.

“It was evident that God was among them,” she said. “We know God has been among us, but the question still haunts us as the work gets hard and the decisions get complex,” she said.

She said we not only have to be disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world, we’ve got to transform the church.

Sherer-Simpson said many church members signed up to be members, not disciples. We didn’t tell them what it took to go deeper and become the disciples God wants us to be. “We’ve got to show people how to be the story, how to be the body of Christ,” she said.

Sherer-Simpson shared two stories from Nebraska that offer signs of hope. The first is United Faith Community Church, in Valley Neb. The congregation started a free weekly meal with a few hundred dollars. The meal has grown and people have asked to bring food to help with the meal. While the congregation hasn’t grown much numerically as a result, its spirit has been revived. The congregation decided that it wanted to bring people together in the community. Instead of mourning its state, the congregation decided to give itself away. The congregation doesn’t talk about money anymore. Donations are up so much, they have more money than they know what to do with.

The second story was about a Micah Corp volunteer, who has found a home in the United Methodist Church because it stands for many of the same social justice issues about which she is passionate.

“We know God is among us,” Sherer-Simpson said. “We only have to look at persons and institutions that are being transformed. As Wesley drew his last breath, he said, ‘Best of all, God is with us.’ May the people of God pray that we open ourselves up to that presence and discern together the way so that these stories and those in your places multiply.”

Photo: Nebraska Area Bishop Ann Sherer-Simpson (photo by Britt Bradley)