news article
Extended Cabinet and ethnic minority pastors have honest conversation
October 16, 2014 / By Steve Hustedt / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
On Sept. 19, 2014, the Upper New York Conference Extended Cabinet gathered together with ethnic minority pastors from around the Conference for a time of fellowship, conversation, and worship. The time was led by Bishop Ernest Lyght, retired, and had been planned for over a year.
“We’ve been planning this for a long time,” said Bishop Mark J. Webb, "but this was not the end of something, it was the beginning of something. We have a long way to go, but we are talking to each other and seeking God's best together. That's a start."
The gathered group spent two hours focused primarily on three areas of questions and discussion:
The Rev. Yohang Chun and the Rev. Delma West recieve Communion served by Bishop Mark J. Webb, right. Photos by Steve Hustedt
- What is it that excites you about what God is doing in your ministry? Where do you experience pain?
- How is the Cabinet interacting with you in your ministry? With assistance? Getting in your way?
- What is it that you’re really want to say that your are not saying?
“This was the first time I was able to attend a gathering such as this, and it was a great blessing to know I am not alone,” said Pastor Sonexay “Sean” Chanthasone of Lao Good News United Methodist Church. “Having the Cabinet and my peers there to listen and give support was a great encouragement to go forward and make disciples.”
While the conversations were not always easy they did become more honest and go deeper throughout the day.
“I think that Bishop Lyght hit the crux of the matter when he asked the clergy, 'What is it that you really want to say that you are not saying?' I suggest that both spoken and unspoken responses to that question are reflected in the number of clergy not present, frustrations over things not moving forward in meaningful ways, and that the very model of gathering may no longer meet the needs of the group invited into conversation,” said the Rev. Adrienne Phillips of Faith United Methodist Church in Schenectady. “In looking to the future, I envision a Conference that will better utilize the gifts, talents, and skills of its clergy of color, a Conference that will engage more of these clergy persons in planning and exercising leadership roles.”
As those gathered reflect on the time they are already beginning to process what the next steps in this important work will look like.
“The time we had together was good,” Bishop Webb said, “but I’m really excited to see where God is leading us. Our desire is to be the body of Christ. That means embracing’s diversity and learning to remove barriers so we can focus together on our ministry. God will get us there!”