East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church

BE A YES! CHURCH

The Purpose of the YES! Church Task Team

During her Episcopal Address to members of Annual Conference 2023, Bishop Tracy S. Malone shared about having formed the temporary YES! Church task team:

“This multi-generational group was made up of clergy and laity with differing theological perspectives and cultural understandings. Their work was to assist our shared adaptive work in helping us shape our futuring conversations as we clarify our missional identity as people called United Methodists in the East Ohio Conference; helping us to do the adaptive work of cultivating an environment and a culture within the Conference and within every local church and faith community that is welcoming and inviting, where all persons will be fully welcomed and invited where they will know that they are loved unconditionally, a place where they can grow in grace and faith in Jesus Christ, a place where they can serve and be sent out as disciples of Jesus Christ who transform the world,” said Malone.

“Through this YES! Church task team’s work, conversations and consultations with clergy and laity and with people even outside of the walls of the church they came up with an immersive study guide for local church visioning. This study guide has been developed to provide local churches an opportunity to have the same opportunity that they had to engage in a process and to be able to come to experience, ‘what does it mean to be a YES! Church?’ where if anyone were to be invited to worship or to any event in your church they would, without hesitation, say, ‘Yes!’” Malone said.

In the fall of 2023 Bishop Malone will invite pastors, congregations, and faith communities on a journey using the work of the YES! Church task team.