To Merge or Not to Create a New Conference. That is the question.

Well, this does lack much of the drama of a good Shakespearian play, but in a couple of weeks North Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church will be getting together at Purdue to discuss and vote on "creating a new Indiana Conference" with the South Indiana Conference. The Imagine Indiana (II) team has presented their ideas for how and what could happen. I think my problem is the why.

As I have heard the information over the last year (had the pleasure of having someone on the team in my commissioned ministers' group), I have been asking a couple of questions that I'm not sure I've heard the answer to yet:

1. How will this help NIC accomplish its mission to equip local churches to make disciples of Jesus Christ? This question is one that has been continually asked by many people (most smarter than me). It was asked of the II team by Jack Hartman at Annual Conference last year, and an answer was expected for this year. The report has no answer as to how this will help us equip local churches. It basically expects accountability (which we as pastors buck at whenever it's proposed) by, well, as far as I can tell no one (it's proposed, but not described as to how it will happen). Making an organization larger rather than smaller makes it tougher to really equip churches as far as I can tell.

2. What of the proposed changes can be done only by creating a new conference and not be one by each individual current conference? None of the proposed changes are limited by only being done in a large, new Indiana conference. Would it mean changes for each conference? Absolutely. Would creating common organizational structures inevitably lead to merger anyway? Not necessarily, but it would make things easier if we felt called to a new conference later. Many of the proposed ideas for change are great (affinity groups are fantastic ideas), but they do not demand a singular Indiana conference to make them happen.

Now, let me clear up a couple of things. First of all, I'm not necessarily against a new Indiana conference. I have been in the past. Unfortunately being in my early thirties and a Gen-Xer means that my natural tendency leans toward cynicism. However as I've prayed I've been asking God to make me more open to what God's will might be. It's just that I think God has laid these lingering questions on my heart. Secondly, I am not one that believes organizational change leads to greater passion or productivity. Organizational change typically leads to fear for self, questioning of leadership, and inertia. However, passion coming from the ground up may lead to organizational change, but mainly it leads to greater activity and focus on a common mission, and that being allowing the Kingdom of God to burst forth through us and in the world.

If anyone reading this is from the Imagine Indiana team or North Indiana or South Indiana conferences, I would love some comments. I think dialog has been invited, but not really experienced. In my opinion, it seems that people are not really listening to questions, valid questions like the two above, that have been raised about this issue of a new conference. It's not about whether I'll serve on the Ohio River or if my retirement benefits will be better or worse. It's about what enables us to most effectively equip local churches to make disciples for Jesus Christ. I'm just not hearing a clear answer to that.