Friends, I want you to know that the conversation at a local, national, and international level about inclusivity and unity in the UMC continues. The 2019 General Conference decisions will most likely be back on the table in some way at the next General Conference in 2020.

For those of you who are looking for ways to connect with others who value inclusivity and unity, I want to point you to a newly formed “grass roots” group of United Methodists from our Conference (the IGRC). The name of the group is “IGRC for Unity.” You can find them at www.igrcforunity.org and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/igrcforunity.

Below is a section from their FAQs that describes their intent:

“The United Methodist Church in Illinois has always been a group of diverse people with different opinions on many things. Our unity has always been in our relationships and our commitment to serving the world in the name of Jesus Christ. This unity is threatened by forces that seek to divide and separate us. We believe that we are stronger together. We believe that our United Methodist family needs the diversity of our ideas united under the big-tent of God’s gracious love. We are working to foster conversations, relationships, and actions to build up one another and find a way to stay together in midst of our differences.”

If you’re looking to connect with others who support the current legislation, I would suggest looking at the Wesley Covenant Association. You can find them online at www.wesleycovenant.org.

Whether you identify with one of these groups or not, I still think God will show us a way. That has, is, and will be my prayer for all of us.