wfn.org | GCOM executive David Lundquist to retire

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

April 17, 2000    News media contact: Thomas S.
McAnally·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.     10-71B{205}

By United Methodist News Service

C. David Lundquist, top staff executive of the United Methodist General
Council on Ministries (GCOM) for the past 14 years, has announced his plans
to retire this fall.

An attorney, Lundquist is the first layperson to lead the denomination's
program planning and coordinating agency and the third general secretary
since it was formed in 1972. The agency is based in Dayton, Ohio.

Before joining the staff, Lundquist was a governing member of the agency
from the West Michigan Annual Conference, where he had served in many
leadership roles, including chancellor. He was a delegate from the
conference to each General Conference and North Central Jurisdictional
Conference between 1972 and 1988. More recently, he has served on the
executive committee of the World Methodist Council.

The GCOM is responsible for facilitating the program life of the
denomination, including presenting the program needs and budget for the
program-related agencies to the General Conference. The GCOM also
coordinates the ministries of those agencies.

Under Lundquist's leadership, the council has guided numerous churchwide
studies on topics such as connectional issues, homosexuality and small
membership churches.  Initial studies on ministries relating to the black
church and young people resulted in the current churchwide initiatives on
Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century and Shared Mission Focus
on Young People. 

During the 1997-2000 quadrennium, the GCOM has worked with more than 20
annual conferences to provide guidance and resources as the conferences have
designed new, more flexible styles of organization for mission and ministry.
In addition, the council has reordered its organizational style as a model
of the conciliar design proposed for the entire church in the connectional
issues study.

Among GCOM's significant accomplishments during his tenure, Lundquist noted
an increased emphasis on the global nature of the church, more attention to
the central conferences outside the United States, and an increasing amount
of research to help church leaders make decisions and support ministry
across the denomination.

Delegates to the General Conference meeting in Cleveland May 2-12 will
consider a proposal to eliminate the GCOM in favor of a new organizational
structure.  Without an organizational component like the GCOM, Lundquist
said, "there can be no assurance of a coordinated connection with local
churches, annual conferences, the general and global church, which would
facilitate mission and ministry for the entire denomination." 

Lundquist is a political science graduate of the University of Michigan and
received his law degree from Duke University School of Law. He was awarded
an honorary doctor of laws degree from United Methodist-related Adrian
College in 1992. 

GCOM's president, Bishop Woodrow Hearn of Houston, said leaders of the
council are planning a reception in honor of Lundquist and his wife,
Georgia, on May 7 during General Conference.

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United Methodist News Service
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