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Boundaries Discussion Board launched

Written: 7/12/2007

United Methodists in Western New York as well as those in three other annual conferences representing all of Vermont, much of New York and a portion of eastern Pennsylvania now have a discussion board where they can weigh in on the idea of uniting to form one of the United Methodist Church's largest annual conferences.

The discussion board of the North Central New York, Troy, Western New York and Wyoming annual conferences has background on discussions surrounding creation of a new conference or new conferences as well as information around those discussions, frequently asked questions, and on an October 6 adjourned session of the four conferences to consider requesting the Northeastern Jurisdiction to change boundaries .  All are invited to post questions and comments.  A link to the site can be found on the left side of this webpage.

Statements were presented at each of the Annual Conference sessions stating the intentional conversation around possibly requesting reconfiguration of boundaries.

The purpose the statement is not a commitment to merger of any kind, but rather serves to tell conferences that the committees will move forward in defining and shaping a potential union.

Prior to reaching consensus about submitting the resolution or endorsement to Annual Conference sessions, the boundaries committees spent time addressing perceived concerns and fears surrounding a merger. 

The four greatest concerns expressed were:

• The size of the conference, physically and in membership
• Clergy itinerancy
• Theological and cultural differences between the conferences
•  Exacerbating existing issues such as declining membership and revenues

Should the four conferences decide to merge as one, it would create an uber-conference, the largest in Northeastern Jurisdiction and the sixth largest of the 60 conferences nationwide.  In all, there would be 1,005 pastoral charges and 2,800 members attending annual conference session.  The total membership of the merged conference would represent over 18 percent of the membership of the Northeastern Jurisdiction.

Though the four conferences are currently engaged in dialogue about merger, it is not a given that they will all merge into one large conference. Consideration is being given to the union of the two separate Episcopal areas, Western New York, which includes North Central New York and Western New York, and Albany, which includes Troy and Wyoming conferences, with one bishop serving the two new episcopal areas.

Other considerations include a merger shaped by state borders, for instance Troy separating along the New York-Vermont line, or Wyoming separating along the Pennsylvania-New York state line.

The Rev. Bill Gottschalk-Fielding, chair of the North Central New York Boundaries Committee reported that the four chairs had met with more than 40 members of the Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference, including Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher, in March. The conference was formed when the Southern and Central Illinois conferences merged in 1996.  Two previous attempts to merge had failed in 1992 and 1993.

The understanding that the North Central Jurisdiction might force the issue of merger in 1996 brought the teams back to the table in 1993. This time, the teams were determined to concentrate on devising a merger based on mission needs instead of organization and structure.

Discussions during the pre-merger period "need to be mission driven," said the Rev. Jan Marsi, chair of the Wyoming Annual Conference Boundaries Committee. "Building relationships before union took place was critically important."

The two conferences began to develop programming together, including going on joint Volunteers-in-Mission trips. That, Marsi said, "is the most effective way to create relationships."

Bishop Christopher, Marsi reported, said that one of the primary questions to keep in mind as the conferences look at merger is "Will uniting help further equip and connect the churches?"

"Each of the conferences needs to ask what is the mission God calls us to do," said the Rev. Henry Frueh, chair of the Troy Conference Boundaries Committee.

The Illinois Great Rivers Conference leaders said it was very important to address the grieving process as members faced the changes brought about by merger and the redefining of identity.  It was also essential to have a clear vision of where the conference's mission as well as strong episcopal leadership throughout the transition.

"They're 10 years into this uniting and they're still working through it," said Marsi. "It is a process."

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