FLUMC Lay Leader Update

April 1, 2022

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. - Ephesians 4:1-6 NRSV

Dear friends — 

These are busy and challenging days. Like many of you, I have been watching webinars, attending district gatherings, considering questions and most of all, praying for the future of the United Methodist Church. There is a great deal of information to digest and some of us are in the midst of critical conversations in our local congregations. It seems fitting that the season of Lent calls us to reflection and repentance. Within these busy and challenging days, I believe, is an invitation to a fresh sense of what it means to be United Methodists in the Florida Conference. 

I have been reflecting on this portion of the Council of Bishops’ Narrative for the Continuing UMC: 

All of our members, clergy, local churches, and annual conferences will continue to have a home in the future United Methodist Church, whether they consider themselves liberal, evangelical, progressive, traditionalist, middle of the road, conservative, centrist, or something else.

I want to suggest that being spiritual home for all is not an easy task.  This is hard work because polarization and silos are easier than laboring for the unity of the Church. It is spiritual work because we need the resources of patience, kindness, and self control (to name a few) that can only come from the Holy Spirit. And it is necessary work because our ability to welcome each other as Christ has welcomed us directly relates to our evangelistic witness in our communities and throughout the world. This hard, spiritual and necessary work of being a home for all people has been, it seems, placed on us in this moment. 

So then Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, tells us to make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit. This, in my opinion, is what it means to look forward to the Continuing UMC. So that out of our discernment, holy conferencing together and (re)commitment to our connection, we can continue making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. So friends, let’s make the most of these busy, yet challenging days. Let’s be about the hard, spiritual and necessary work this season calls us to. Let us not grow weary in doing good. 

With you on the Journey, 

Derrick Scott III - Co-Lay Leader of the Florida Conference