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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Every four years, United Methodist laity and clergy gather from around the world for General Conference to make decisions about the future of The United Methodist Church. This year, 988 delegates representing 12 million United Methodists and their 40,000 congregations will gather to worship, pray, learn and holy conference with one another. The 988 delegates will include seven laity and seven clergy from the Baltimore-Washington Conference. We will also have two choirs, one conferencewide young-adult choir and the other from Foundry UMC, who will sing during worship.

This General Conference, we will celebrate what God is doing through our congregations, offer our aspirational goals to God and covenant with God and one another to work together, consider a new organizational plan for our general agencies, consider important legislation about congregations, clergy, conferences and bishops, and call the church to action in the world through resolutions. We will also recognize how the church has not always treated Native Americans as Christ has called us to and we will repent and commit to work to reconcile with our Native sisters and brothers.

There will be many opinions and challenging conversations at General Conference because we are passionate about the church and have differing opinions on many topics. Our church has not always made the right decisions. We separated over slavery, segregated African-American churches, denied women’s ordination, treated one another with malice over difficult matters like abortion, war, homosexuality, capital punishment and the environment. This General Conference may make decisions that leave people of faith feeling divided. My hope is that we will listen for the voice of God in all of our conversations and see Christ in each other, even in the midst of our differences.

I call each of you to pray for General Conference. Many of you have been participating in the 50 Days of Prayer as a spiritual discipline in preparation for General Conference 2012. I, too, continue to be in prayer that God will be at the center of everything that occurs in Tampa later this month.

Our founder, John Wesley, taught about and practiced the means of grace, including prayer, repentance and forgiveness. While we all may not be able to be present in Tampa for General Conference, I encourage everyone to connect with those of us at General Conference spiritually through prayer and other works of piety.

I invite you to join me in this prayer:

Oh Holy God, we lift you up at the center of all that we do. May you continue to walk with us and work through us as we prepare for and gather at General Conference this month to shape the future of your people called United Methodists.

We look to you God, to be our compass, providing direction amidst the foggy and unclear areas so that we may discern with clarity, your will. Allow us to enter each sacred conversation with humility and to hear your voice in all who speak.

May you continue to bless the church as we work to make disciples for the transformation of the world. There is so much at stake, Lord. As the hymn writer, Harry Fosdick wrote, “Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the facing of this hour and for the living of this day.” We pray all of this in your name, Amen.

In Christ,

John R. Schol