'State of Church' report will include inside, outside views
May. 11, 2006 News media contact: Tim Tanton * (615) 7425470* Nashville {281}
NOTE: Photographs and a related report are available at http://umns.umc.org.
By the Rev. Kathy Noble*
VARNA, Bulgaria (UMNS) - Views of United Methodists and of people outside the church will be incorporated into the denomination's first State of the Church report.
The churchwide Connectional Table approved contracting with the Martec Group, an international strategic marketing research firm, to develop the report through interviews, Internet bulletin boards, surveys and other methods. United Methodist Communications will facilitate much of the Web-based research. Research will be conducted globally.
Preliminary reports will be presented to the Connectional Table and the Council of Bishops in the fall for review and input. An introductory report is to be released churchwide in January with a complete report issued later in the spring. A second full report is scheduled for March 2008.
Twila Glenn, Connectional Table member from Des Moines, Iowa, said she hopes the report will be both "a gift and stimulus for reflection and action."
It will "identify gaps between where we are and where we want to be," as well as the "trajectory we are on and probable outcomes without change," says Glenn, a member of the report task force.
The committee's proposal called for research only within the church. Kristina J. Gonzalez, member from Seattle, urged adding funds to allow additional research "in order for us not to lose the opportunity to have others evaluate us rather than just evaluating ourselves."
The Connectional Table began developing plans for an annual State of the Church report during its first meeting in January 2005.
*Noble is the editor of Interpreter, the magazine that highlights mission and ministry in the United Methodist Church.
News media contact: Kathy Noble or Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
********************
United Methodist News Service Photos and stories also available at: http://umns.umc.org