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BY LINDA WORTHINGTON
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Creating a conference structure that will be able to resource Acts 2-style churches, which are Spirit-led, Spirit-filled, authentic Christian communities that bear fruit, is a crucial part of the agenda of the 222nd session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, said the Rev. Wayne DeHart.

DeHart, conference human resources director, briefed almost 70 people who gathered April 29 at Good Hope Union UMC in Silver Spring to learn more about the issues that will be addressed when the conference meets May 25-27 in Baltimore.

The session was one of four that day. The other briefings were held at Mt. Zion UMC in Lothian, Harmony UMC in Marlowe, W.Va., and Epworth Chapel UMC in Baltimore.

This new structure is outlined in a comprehensive proposal, titled 'The Path Forward,' which is being brought to annual conference for approval by the Commission on Planning, Research and Evaluation.

At the sessions, several people inquired about the difference between the current and proposed structures.

Members of the conference leadership team explained that the present organizational structure does not have all of the required bodies set forth in the Book of Discipline. The plans remedies that.

It also addresses the fact the in the current structure the boards of Global Ministries and Church and Society are combined, which is also not permitted. The new structure makes them independent bodies.

One of the most dramatic changes, DeHart said, is the creation of a Connectional Table, which mirrors the one recently created for the denomination.

Members of the Connectional Table will include all elected persons of the conference and representatives from the United Methodist Women, United Methodist Men and Board of Laity, as well as conference program and senior administrative staff.

Connectional Table members will meet twice a year to learn best practices together, align the conference?s ministries with its vision and account for conference fruit.

Another portion of the restructuring, renames the Commission on Planning, Research and Evaluation, which will now be the Discipleship Council.

The council will continue its work to develop the strategic direction of the conference and evaluate its progress.

All of changes in the organizational plan, DeHart said, will help align the conference with the United Methodist mission of making and engaging disciples for the transformation of the world.

DeHart also announced that the nominations committee would soon be naming the membership of all the reorganized committees, commissions, boards and agencies, choosing from more than 200 people who had responded to an appeal that was available in both print and electronic form. Most of the committees will have seven people each, except when the Book of Discipline indicates otherwise.

All agencies will have one main focus ? to make disciples of Jesus Christ ? said the Rev. Rod Miller, conference director of connectional ministries.

The Rev. Charles Harrell, chairman of the conference Council on Finance and Administration discussed the proposed budget that must be voted upon at annual conference. 'What does it take to resource an adventure?' he asked, and then answered, 'Vision, fire, fruits, prayer and commitment.'

According to Harrell, every effort will be made to increase the apportionment remittance rate from 90 percent (2006 expected) to 91 percent (2007 budget).

The benevolence factor, on which a church?s apportionment is calculated, is decreasing, with expectations that by 2012 (when the Discipleship Adventure and Acts 2 churches should be fully realized) the rate should be 19.5 percent. The factor this year is 24 percent and projected for 2007 at 23.25 percent.

The increase in apportionment collection rate and the decrease in the benevolence factor 'can only happen if we?re faithful in discipleship and making new disciples,' Harrell concluded.

Following the presentation of the 'discipleship' of the budget, Miller talked of the way 'to be a conference full of Acts 2 churches.' He outlined the strategy to achieve the goal of 600 (of a current 692) churches being 'Spirit-filled and Spirit-led, Acts 2 congregations,' by 2012. The strategy includes equipping congregations and leaders, both clergy and laity, with tools to develop the ministries, a process already underway.

One step starting this month is the initiation of 'Discipler Groups' for clergy, monthly meetings of small groups of clergy with Discipler Gbwc_superuseres, who are trained district superintendents and conference staff.

The local church lay leadership will have an Academy which will be a 'mini-leadership days,' said the Rev. Rodney Smothers, conference staff who is leading that effort.

By equipping clergy and churches, working with all generations, proclaiming God?s word in different ways to diverse congregations, with apportionment dollars to undergird the whole thing, we?ll end the trend of declining membership and worship attendance, Miller said. 'We?ll begin a new trend in a different direction, where we?ll honor the past and align together around a common goal.'

Another issue noted at the sessions was the report of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Dialogue Team. The team has met monthly since the fall of 2005, under the leadership of the Rev. Karin Walker.

Their mandate from the 2005 annual conference was to develop a series of dialogues during the 2005-2008 quadrennium on issues related to homosexuality. The team plans to offer training in the fall at the district level to facilitate the dialogue process.