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    United Methodists of Upper New YorkLiving the Gospel. Being God's Love.


    news article

    CLT and DLTs discuss shared vision and shifting the center

    October 11, 2016 / By Stephen J. Hustedt, Director of Communications

    On Saturday, Oct. 1, the Conference Leadership Team (CLT) met with the District Leadership Teams (DLTs) at Casowasco Camp to form a shared vision of their work together in the coming year. The time started with a review of the work that had been done in previous years and the assurance that the teams will be building on that work and not starting from scratch.

    The graphic developed last year and shared throughout the Conference was the basis of the review.

    “What’s most important is the center, spiritual renewal and revival,” said Bishop Mark J. Webb. “But we believe our leverage point is growing Christ following leaders.”

    Bishop Webb went on to share the work that had been done around growing Christ following leaders, including sharing the technical and adaptive competencies that have been identified. He also used technical data to show how much work still needs to be done.

    “We believe that God is calling us to a culture of vitality, fruitfulness, and effectiveness,” Bishop Webb shared. “But we have a long way to go to get there from our current reality.”

    Bishop Webb continued that in order to reach a culture of vitality, fruitfulness, and effectiveness, the Conference would need to create other cultures like a culture of urgency and a culture of enough.

    To that end, Bishop Webb explained why the CLT and DLTs were meeting together.

    “For a long time we have functioned with the Conference at the center,” Bishop Webb explained. “But we believe the Districts are the key to effecting cultural change so we are shifting to put them at the center.”

    Most of the rest of the afternoon was spent in small groups looking at turning intentions into outcomes in the context of each unique District.

    By the end of the day, it was clear there is much work to do, but the teams are building on a strong foundation and seeds of change have already started to be planted. Through God, those seeds will grow and bring about the vitality, fruitfulness, and effectiveness God is calling for us to experience.


    With more than 100,000 members, United Methodists of Upper New York comprises of more than 675 local churches and New Faith Communities in 12 districts, covering 48,000 square miles in 49 of the 62 counties in New York state. Our vision is to “live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to be God’s love with our neighbors in all places."