General Conference 2024 - Additional Information

Dear Friends, 

The General Conference of the United Methodist Church has begun.  During this first week, delegates from around the world are meeting in legislative committees before proposed changes to the Book of Discipline (the UMC’s book of church law) are considered by the entire body beginning on Monday, May 29th.  Among these delegates are the sixteen delegates (eight clergy and eight laypeople) elected by the South Carolina Conference to represent us at General Conference.   

In my last Tidings, I wrote about the proposed regionalization legislation that is before General Conference.  If you have not read this, please go back and read my last Tidings at www.centralmethodist.net/tft

In this Tidings, I will address the proposed legislation regarding the Book of Discipline’s language related to human sexuality.  To summarize, the current Book of Discipline states that “self-professed, practicing homosexuals” are not eligible to be ordained in the United Methodist Church.  It also states that clergy are not permitted to perform weddings for same-sex persons and that same-sex weddings cannot take place in United Methodist churches.  There are proposals to remove this language altogether, leaving it to individual annual conferences to determine who is eligible for ordination and to individual congregations to decide what is allowed in their worship spaces.  Annual conferences are already largely autonomous in determining who they will ordain.  If regionalization legislation passes, this autonomy will likely be strengthened.  There is already language in the Book of Discipline stating that the decision to officiate a wedding is at the discretion of the individual clergyperson. 

When considering ordination, it is helpful to understand the stringent process through which one goes to be approved for ordination in the UMC.  To be ordained, a person must have his or her call affirmed by his or her local church’s Staff Parish Relations Committee, the local church’s Charge Conference, and the District Committee on Ordained Ministry.  Incidentally, Rev. Ann Kovan is a member of the Florence District Committee on Ordained Ministry.  A candidate must also earn a Master of Divinity degree (at minimum a three-year degree) at an approved seminary.  After seminary, a candidate enters a strenuous two-year process under the supervision of the conference’s Board of Ordained Ministry before being eligible for ordination.  Incidentally, Rev. Meg Jiunnies and I are both members of the South Carolina Conference’s Board of Ordained Ministry.  Anyone approved for ordination by the Board of Ordained Ministry must also be approved by a vote of all the conference’s clergy members.  The process involves layers of approval and accountability in addition to such things as a psychological assessment, background checks, and extensive written work on theology and the practice of ministry.  In other words, ordination in the UMC is not treated lightly and is only conferred on those truly called and dedicated to the work of an ordained minister.   

In my next Tidings, I will reflect on the implications of potential legislation for local churches.  For now, suffice it to say your clergy team is committed to ensuring that whatever is best for Central is what happens at Central.  There is still a great deal that is uncertain, and I will be updating you as General Conference unfolds.  In the meantime, let us pray for the General Conference delegates and our denominational leaders.  Let us also focus on the mission and ministry God has placed before us and to which God has called us.  And as always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with your questions and concerns. 

Yours in Christ, 

Thomas

General Conference 2024 Update

Dear friends, 

In this second Tidings from Thomas about the upcoming General Conference of the United Methodist Church, I offer a brief discussion on an issue that will likely occupy a great deal of the General Conference’s time – regionalization.  While this is likely not the issue on which the media will focus, it could have profound implications for how the United Methodist Church (UMC) will function in the future.  

Before unpacking the proposed legislation, it is helpful to review the existing polity of the UMC.  Within the United States, the church is organized into five geographical jurisdictions.  We are in the Southeastern Jurisdiction.  Outside of the USA, the church is organized into central jurisdictions.  Each of the American jurisdictions is autonomous in that we elect our own bishops who oversee the church within jurisdictional bounds. Jurisdictions are further organized into Annual Conferences, such as the South Carolina Conference. 

The proposed legislation regarding regionalism would create one large region for the USA, which may or may not be further divided into jurisdictions.  There are varying versions of regionalization legislation being put forward, but one thing they have in common is an attempt to allow for more culturally contextualized church practice.  For example, African conferences and American conferences could have greater freedom to adapt ordination standards for their particular ministry context.  Like other pieces of legislation, this will all go through legislative committees and can be amended on the floor of the conference, but this is my understanding of the legislation in broad strokes.  How and if regionalization legislation is passed will likely affect what happens next on issues relating to human sexuality.  I will write more about this issue later. 

By way of reminder, General Conference is from April 23 to May 3.  If you want to take a deeper dive, this link will take you to the official General Conference website: https://www.resourceumc.org/en/churchwide/general-conference-2020

Let us continue to pray for God’s will to be accomplished through General Conference and through the United Methodist Church.  We serve a mighty God who has great things in store for us.  If we do our best to be faithful followers of Jesus, our ever-faithful God will see us through whatever comes. 

Yours in Christ, 

Holy Week at Central UMC

Dear Friends, 

It’s Holy Week, which means a LOT is going on at Central.   

Among other things, it means Easter is only days away.  Easter also provides an excellent opportunity to invite people to church.  If you have someone in your life you have been thinking about inviting, now is the perfect time to do so.  We also know that Easter brings many people through the doors who are not normally part of the Central’s worshiping life.  Easter offers us an opportunity to show Christian hospitality as we welcome visitors.  It is like opening your home to guests.  When we have guests in our home, we want to make the best impression possible and ensure guests feel welcomed and comfortable.  Likewise, we want our guests on Easter Sunday to have a meaningful worship experience and a positive impression of Central.    It is our job on Easter to proclaim the joy of the risen Christ and we want to do that as faithfully as possible. 

We also have special worship opportunities during Holy Week.   

• Our Maundy Thursday service with Tenebrae is at 7:00.  This impactful service recalls Jesus’ institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion and invites us to reflect on the events that led to His crucifixion.   

• On Good Friday we will have a somber service at noon, reflecting on Jesus’ death. 

• On Easter, we will move from the grief of Jesus’ death to the joy of His resurrection with our Easter Sunrise Service.  This service will begin on the Sanctuary porch at 7:30 and move into the Sanctuary after the greeting. 

• We will also have our customary Sunday morning Sanctuary and Well services at 10:30. 

I hope to see you at these special worship opportunities and may you have a blessed Holy Week! 

Yours in Christ, 

Thomas Smith

Ash Wednesday

Dear friends, 

The Season of Lent is nearly upon us, inviting us to spiritual self-examination.  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday with special services inviting us to a season of repentance. 

Repentance is not simply apologizing to God for our sins.  Repentance is spiritually turning toward God and away from the things that distract us from God.  Yes, it involves sorrow for our sins, but it also involves making changes in our lives to keep us from sin.  Repentance is one of the main themes of the Ash Wednesday service, which I always find personally meaningful. 

From time to time, someone asks me, “Why ashes?”  Throughout the Old Testament, ashes are mentioned in connection to dust and sackcloth as signs of mourning and grief.  Ashes were applied to a person’s head and body during times of crisis as a sign of penitence, often accompanied by fasting.  Ashes and dust are also used in conjunction to refer to human mortality.  On Ash Wednesday, we receive ashes as a sign of grief for our sins, to acknowledge our own mortality, and to acknowledge that God alone can save us.  We continue this centuries-old Christian practice as an act of worship as we humble ourselves in God’s presence. 

We will have two Ash Wednesday services in the Sanctuary, one at noon and the other at 6:30.  Both services will include the traditional imposition of ashes.  I encourage you to attend one of these impactful services as you begin the Season of Lent. 

Yours in Christ, 

Rev. Thomas W. Smith

Christmas Eve Worship

Dear friends, 

I love Christmas Eve.  For my family, Christmas Eve means oyster stew, sugar cookies, and me watching the Pope’s midnight mass as everyone else goes to bed.  Most importantly, Christmas Eve provides the opportunity for worship. 

Worship is one of my favorite parts of Christmas Eve.  I am blessed to be in ministry with a church like Central, who does Christmas Eve so well.  This year is a little different since Christmas Eve is on a Sunday.  On Sunday morning of December 24th at 10:30 AM, we will have one combined worship service in the Sanctuary.  This morning service will not be a Christmas Eve service.  Rather, it will mark the Fourth Sunday of Advent.  As such, the morning service will not have Holy Communion and will not have the traditional lighting of candles.  We will have three Christmas Eve services that evening – Sanctuary services at 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM and a Well service at 4:00 PM.  I look forward to seeing you Sunday! 

Yours in Christ, 

Thomas W. Smith
Senior Pastor

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

Dear friends, 

We are well into the Season of Advent, and Central is a busy place during Advent!  One of the many ways we mark this time of year is with our annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, which is this coming Sunday afternoon at 4:00.   

Our service of Lessons and Carols is modeled on that of King’s College, Cambridge University.   This well-known annual service is the one most associated with the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. However, this holiday tradition can be traced to Truro, England where the service as we know it was first celebrated in 1880.  Church leaders in Truro were looking for ways to discourage the raucous celebration of the season in pubs and instead invite people to reflect on the true spiritual meaning of Christmas.  As such, they developed a festive service in which Scripture readings recalled the fall of humanity, the prophetic promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus.  The readings are interspersed with Christmas carols, hymns, and choral anthems.  At Central, we continue this tradition as we hear the story of God’s loving interaction with humanity and sing the songs of the season.   

One aspect of the service is that it offers an opportunity to celebrate and support community ministry.  Each year a representative of one of Central’s partner community ministries participates in the service.  We also receive an offering, which goes to support the work of that ministry.  This year our offering will support Lighthouse Ministries and its mission to help our needy neighbors.  Central was instrumental in the founding of Lighthouse Ministries and this is one of the ways we offer ongoing support. 

After the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, there will be a reception with refreshments in Spears Fellowship Hall.  

All of which is to say, I hope to see you Sunday afternoon! 

Yours in Christ, 

Canceled Due to Weather

Dear Friends,

This Wednesday was set to be an exciting time as we resumed Wednesday Night Dinners.  However, out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to wait until September 6. While forecasters with the National Hurricane Center believe Idalia will weaken to a tropical storm after landfall, South Carolina could experience four to eight inches of rain, isolated tornadoes, and flash flooding beginning Wednesday. Please monitor your local forecasts and stay informed.

As Idalia approaches, I encourage you to pray for those who lie in the storm’s path.

Yours in Christ, 

Thomas

Sunday Morning Schedule Update

Dear Friends,

This summer we have been engaged in a Holy Experiment. Holy Experimenting is an invitation to find new and more effective ways of fulfilling God’s mission through Central. Those of you who went through the Shift process may remember this definition. Holy Experimenting is characterized by the following:

·     We try new things, trusting that our efforts are focused on contributing to the fulfillment of God’s mission for us.   

·     We recognize that we may not know the outcome, but any outcome can be a step forward.   

·     We adopt a learner’s attitude, staying open to God’s guidance and intervention.   

·     We can quickly pivot and adjust as needs change.   

·     We allow ourselves to try new ways of being church, looking toward faithfulness to God’s mission rather than using the world’s standards of success and failure. 

Any experiment needs evaluation if we are to learn from the results. To that end, we conducted a survey. A link was sent to Central’s entire email list, and 326 surveys were completed. Cards with a link to the survey were also available on Sunday mornings. To summarize the results related to our experience this summer:

·     63.74% called the new worship time “extremely appealing” or “appealing.”

·     6.67% were neutral on the new worship time.

When asked about continuing with a new Sunday morning schedule past the summer:

·     58.16% expressed an interest in keeping the Summer Sunday schedule as it is.

·     17.80% were neutral on maintaining worship times.

When given an opportunity to offer comments, respondents overwhelmingly spoke positively about a feeling of togetherness, especially as it relates to the feeling of a full sanctuary. 

Some respondents expressed concern for the financial implications of an altered schedule. Our records indicate that through July 15, 2023, Central has received $1,071,888.38 toward the operating budget. We received $955,519.38 for the same period in 2022. In other words, Central is $116,368.93 ahead of where we were at the same point last year.

In considering the best way to move forward, three questions emerge as being of primary importance.

1)   At what time should the service be held?

2)   How would changing its service time affect the Well?

3)   What would be best way to promote a strong Sunday School program for all ages?

In seeking an answer to these questions, and having been informed by the survey, I have been in a period of deep discernment. Discernment is different than decision making. In discernment, we ask God what God would have us do. In decision making, we weigh the options and make the best decision we can. Discernment is God-oriented. Decision making is us-oriented. Despite my personal preferences or the preferences of the individual members, whatever we do must be what is best for the entire church. It must be what most effectively empowers us to follow Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbors.

In this process of discernment, the words of Hebrews 10:24-25 came to me, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” 

Bearing all this in mind, I am firmly convinced that the best path moving forward is to continue to have one worship time, but to adjust that time to keep our Sunday School program at maximum effectiveness. Beginning August 6, our Sunday morning schedule will be:

9:30 AM                     Sunday School

10:30 AM                   Worship in the Sanctuary and the Well

Throughout our history, Central has been willing to try new approaches in fulfilling God’s mission. I ask for your prayers and patience as we try something new in our mission to follow Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbors. Let us go forward and join God in that mission.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Thomas W. Smith

Annual Conference Report

Dear Friends,

The 2023 meeting of the South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church adjourned yesterday. This year’s conference dealt with many matters. The headline-grabbing issues relate to congregations disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church over issues related to human sexuality. I offer these words to lend some perspective to what you may have seen in the news or heard from friends.

By way of review, The United Methodist Book of Discipline does not allow for same-sex marriage, nor does it allow homosexual persons to be ordained as ministers. Only the General Conference, the world-wide legislative gathering of United Methodists, can change these prohibitions. The disaffiliating congregations are doing so out of concern that General Conference may alter this language when it meets in 2024.

Following a discernment process, 113 congregations requested to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church, representing about 12% of the United Methodist congregations in South Carolina. The Annual Conference approved a resolution of disaffiliation related to these congregations, meaning that at the end of June they will no longer be part of the United Methodist Church and will not be part of the South Carolina Conference. Many of their clergy are expected to surrender their United Methodist credentials and remain in ministry with these congregations. Some of these congregations plan to unite with other denominations and some plan to remain independent.

It was a solemn moment when the names of disaffiliating congregations were read and the members of the Annual Conference prepared to vote. Bishop Holston led the body in prayer both before and after the vote was taken. In his prayer before the vote, Bishop Holston offered these words, “Regardless of what we do in this time, help us to bless each other. Help us to see your grace and your mercy for what it truly can be. And as we make the decision in this place and space, help us not to do it with a heart of anger. Help us to truly seek to be helpful to one another.”

Regardless of what votes are taken and what decisions are made, we are still called to follow Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbors. God is at work and God calls us to join in that work. God is on a mission and our mission is join ourselves and our congregation in that mission. May we, God’s church called Central, be faithful to that call. Let us resolve to join God in mission and work to advance the Kingdom of God.

I leave you with these words from John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. I have shared this quote with you before, but its sentiment is as fitting now as ever. “For opinions, or terms, let us not ‘destroy the work of God.’ Dost thou love and serve God? It is enough. I give thee the right hand of fellowship.” Wesley’s antiquated language reminds us that we do not have to agree on everything.  People can disagree on important issues and still love one another.  Let us commit ourselves to love and serve God together and to love one another. God calls us to be one in Jesus Christ, even when we disagree.

May God bless you and please do not hesitate to be in touch if you would like to have further conversation.

Yours in Christ,

Thomas Smith

Summer Worship Schedule | Tidings from Thomas | April 24, 2023

Dear Friends,

Summer is always a fun time at Central with special events and programs.  The rhythm of summer is different as people travel for vacations and spend weekends out of town.  Central’s leadership teams have been having conversations about the best ways to effectively and with excellence fulfil our mission to follow Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbors in the different circumstances summer brings. 

Experience has shown us that both attendance and giving decline in the summer as people travel for vacations and spend weekends away.  This trend has been heightened as we emerge from Covid.  Experience has also shown us that what has worked well before Covid is not as effective as it was.  The ministry teams that oversee Sunday morning ministries recognize this and have decided to try a holy experiment.

Let’s talk about holy experiments for a moment.  Recognizing that our best efforts no longer yield the same results, we must be open to new ways of fulfilling God’s mission for Central.  In holy experimenting:

· We try new things, trusting that our efforts are focused on contributing to the fulfillment of God’s mission for us. 

· We recognize that we may not know the outcome, but that any outcome can be a step forward. 

· We adopt a learner’s attitude, staying open to God’s guidance and intervention as we go. 

· We are able to quickly pivot and adjust as needs change. 

· We allow ourselves to try new ways of being church, looking toward faithfulness to God’s mission rather than using the world’s standards of success and failure.

Embracing this idea, our Sunday morning schedule for June and July will be as follows:

9:00 AM

Sunday School for children and youth.

Adult Sunday School for classes who choose to meet at 9:00 AM

10:00 AM

Worship in both the Sanctuary and the Well

11:00 AM

Adult Sunday School for classes who choose to meet at 11:00 AM

The regular Sunday morning schedule will resume in August.

This summer schedule will give us the opportunity to worship and interact with people from other worship services who we do not see as often.  A single worship time gives us the opportunity to reunite with old friends and make new friends.  One anticipated outcome is that this summer schedule will foster a “one-church feeling.”  Another added benefit is that during the summer when so many people are traveling, this schedule lowers the pressure on our ministries that rely on volunteers to serve.

Throughout its history, Central has been willing to try new approaches in fulfilling God’s mission.  I ask for your prayers and patience as we try something new in furtherance of our mission to follow Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbors.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Thomas Smith
Senior Pastor

The United Methodist Church - Tidings from Thomas

Dear Friends, 

The United Methodist Church has been much in the news over the last few months and there have been new developments in South Carolina.  I, as well as Meg and Ann, feel it is important for us to be transparent with you and share our understanding of the situation. 

It is helpful to review how we got to this point.  The story starts at General Conference, the world-wide gathering of United Methodists which meets every four years. Only the General Conference can speak for the entire United Methodist Church and only the General Conference can change our Book of Discipline. Think of the Book of Discipline as the UMC’s rule book. In 2019, there was a special session of General Conference to deal with issues related to human sexuality. The 2019 General Conference also created an avenue by which congregations could separate from the UMC. It was assumed that at the next regular General Conference, which would have been held in 2020, that some congregations, who felt they could not remain in the UMC with potential changes to the Book of Discipline, would choose to leave the denomination. Like many things set to take place in 2020, General Conference was rescheduled multiple times. It was decided to suspend meeting until the next regularly scheduled General Conference in 2024. Rather than wait until 2024, those working to form a new expression of Methodism responded by proceeding with the launch of the Global Methodist Church on May 1st, 2022.  In response to pressure related to the launch of the new denomination, the South Carolina Conference Board of Trustees, near the end of 2022, released a process by which local congregations can disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church and seek affiliation with another expression of Methodism.  In other words, congregations have a process by which to join the newly formed denomination or affiliate with another form of Methodism. 

Although a process now exists, we your pastors are certain that now is not the time for Central to consider disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church.  Other congregations have entered the discernment process, but we are not at that point.  From a purely financial standpoint, the process is prohibitively expensive.  From the standpoint of polity, the United Methodist position on human sexuality has not changed.  Congregations who are disaffiliating are doing so based on what they think may happen at General Conference in 2024.  Until we know what changes may or may not come out of General Conference 2024, I firmly believe that any decision for Central to disaffiliate would be premature. In addition to the enormous financial burden disaffiliation would place on Central, we would be making a decision before having all factors known.  

You may hear about United Methodist congregations in South Carolina who have begun the discernment process, but we should only be influenced by what is right for Central.  We cannot allow ourselves to be manipulated by people who do not know our church and are not familiar with our ministry context.  We must do what is right for Central.  Most of all we must focus on the mission and ministry God had given us.  Now is the time for us not to focus on division but to focus on unity and our mission to follow Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbors.  God has given us a mission and ministry and we must not allow ourselves to be distracted from the work God entrusts to us. 

Here is the disaffiliation discernment process in summary: 

• A congregation’s Church Council can vote to initiate a season of discernment lasting a minimum of 30 days.   

• At the end of this discernment period, a Church Conference would be convened at which every professing member of a congregation is eligible to vote.   

• A resolution to disaffiliate must be approved by at least a two thirds majority. 

Additionally, disaffiliating congregations would also have to pay the Conference: 

• 10% of the appraised value of all church property and liquid assets 

• All unpaid apportionment giving for the prior year 

• Apportionment giving for the year of closure up to the date of the Annual Conference vote to close the church 

• An additional 12 months of apportionment giving 

• All unpaid salary and benefits due to clergy appointed to the church 

• A withdrawal liability equal to the church’s proportional share of any unfunded pension obligations 

You can view details the full details of the discernment process here: https://www.umcsc.org/discern/ 

I will make a presentation to our Church Council at its February 28th meeting about this process as it relates to Central.  Rev. Ann Kovan, Rev. Meg Jiunnies, and I will also be holding a video question and answer session.  You can submit your questions through this link https://centralumcflorence.wufoo.com/forms/k1ylhji31rcvm5e/ or by the paper forms located in The Commons and Well greeter tables.  

Back in May of 2022, I shared a quote with you from John Wesley.  “For opinions, or terms, let us not ‘destroy the work of God.’ Dost thou love and serve God? It is enough. I give thee the right hand of fellowship.” Wesley’s antiquated language reminds us that we do not have to agree on everything.  People can disagree on important issues and still love one another.  Let us commit ourselves to love and serve God together and to love one another. God calls us to be one in Jesus Christ, even when we disagree on important issues.   

Most of all, let us pray.  Please pray for Central and her leaders and please pray that God keep us faithful to the mission God has entrusted to us. 

Yours in Christ, 

 Thomas Smith, Senior Pastor

Merry Christmas! | Tidings from Thomas | December 25, 2022

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.  - John 1:14 

Merry Christmas! 

In and amongst the scattered wrapping paper and the dinner preparations, let us not lose sight of today’s true meaning.  God became a human being and entered the world.  Heaven touched earth and God took up residence among God’s people.  Christmas is not about presents, but it is about presence.  The primary message of Christmas is that God is with us.   

It is important that we take time in the busyness of the day to know that God is with us.  Noted author and speaker Brene Brown introduced me to the concept of mindfulness.  One way to think of mindfulness is the practice fully experiencing the present moment.  A simple mindfulness exercise is to pause in whatever you are doing and pay attention to your senses.  What do you see?  What do you hear?  What do you smell, or feel, or taste?  Linger with those sensations, focus on the experience, and simply appreciate them.  Now, add another level to that lingering.  As yourself, “Where is God in this?  What does this experience tell me about God?”  God is with you this day and every day.  Exercise mindfulness and pause to notice God’s presence. 

May God bless and once again, Merry Christmas! 

Yours in Christ, 

 Thomas Smith