Does doctrine matter?
The typical United Methodist may put General Conference in the category of fertilizing the lawn, changing the antifreeze in the car, or cleaning out the basement. It's something that needs to be done, but it's easy to put off in light of things demanding our more immediate attention. Nevertheless, it raises three important questions.

1. Does General Conference really have much to do with life in the local church and impact on our local communities?

2. Do the delegates really discuss and decide or is the agenda so choreographed that General Conference simply approves what the boards, agencies, and bishops present?

3. Why should I care?

In this article I want to share with you why General Conference is important, highlight the role Good News will take, and invite you to be part of influencing General Conference. In two succeeding articles I will outline the specific areas in which we believe General Conference attention and action are required for the present and future vitality of the United Methodist Church.

What is at stake?
When more than 1,000 United Methodist delegates from around the world meet in Pittsburgh for 11 days in the spring (April 27 through May 7, 2004) at a cost of more than $3 million, the stakes are exceedingly high. What will we do with our time and energy at General Conference is very important. After all, within an average 24-hour span of time, thousands of lives in the United States go through irreversible change. In their book Lost in America (Group), Tom Clegg and Warren Bird relate the following fascinating statistics. Within a typical day:

. 10,799 babies will be born and 6,403 people will die; there will be 6,148 marriages and 3,110 divorces.

. 3,246 women will have an abortion and 3,445 unmarried women will give birth to a child.

. 84 people will committee suicide, 45 people with the AIDS virus will die, and 43 people will die in alcohol-related traffic accidents.

. 4,630 fifteen-year-old girls will have sexual intercourse for the first time, 1,312 students will drop out of high school, and more than 6,000 people under the age of 18 will try their first cigarette.

. 28,206 people will be arrested.

. 63,288 people will receive food stamps.

. And 8 churches in the United States will close their doors for the last time.

Every day. All of this and much more takes place every 24 hours. And the numbers are trending upward.

But what has that got to do with the United Methodist General Conference?

Since 1968, the population of the United States has grown by 91,470,321, or about 45 percent. During the same period the United Methodist Church has declined by about 3 million members, or approximately 27 percent. Though we regularly vote to affirm our mission to "make disciples of Jesus Christ," set a denominational quadrennial budget of  $186 million, and claim more than 35,000 congregations, last year (2002) 40 percent of the United Methodist congregations in the U.S. failed to attract even one new person to the Christian way!

All of the money collected and spent, the widespread presence of our congregations and institutions, and the time given to the church in thousands of ways has sadly produced these pitiful outcomes. The simple arithmetic should arrest our attention. Something is foundationally wrong with any organization that performs so poorly. Of course not one United Methodist wants the church to continue in this downward spiral. But wanting something to change does not make it change. Action is required.

Many in the corporate world are familiar with Total Quality Management and the impact of W. Edwards Deming. One of Deming's most enduring lessons is his 85-15 rule: when things go wrong for an organization, there is roughly an 85 percent chance the system is at fault. Only about 15 percent of the time is an individual to blame. The only group within United Methodism authorized to take action to "fix the system" is the General Conference.

What is at stake in Pittsburgh is whether or not we, as a denominational family within the Christian movement, are going to be part of God's redemptive plan to encounter the world, including the United States, with the life-saving and life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ. Moreover, for those who are seeking a vital, serving, worshiping community of Christ-followers, is the United Methodist Church a viable option for the investment of their time, money, and calling?

To many, I fear, we are little more than a local chapter of religious reenactment hobbyists with little to offer anyone, including those who are already members. Clearly the numbers indicate that both seekers and serious followers are passing us by. Perhaps the reason this does not motivate us to action is that we have become content with "sinking slowly into the sunset." We do not see (or face up to) our subtly growing irrelevance to our culture or Christ's mission.

At the same time as United Methodism is declining, God has raised up a vibrant and effective ministries in our midst and around the globe. The God revealed in Jesus Christ is vehemently and tirelessly seeking the lost and inviting them into a new Spirit-driven community of healing and hope. The simple arithmetic of United Methodism's decline during a time of rapid population growth in America indicates that we are sitting on the bench rather than effectively participating in this glorious world-changing work.

Certainly, General Conference cannot bring renewal and revival by majority vote. What it can do is discern and act upon ways to remove the obstacles. And most importantly, it can give a mandate to the denomination that it is high time we re-center ourselves in the Apostolic faith and our Wesleyan doctrinal standards.

The Good News focus 
Good News has recently been targeted as "bad news" by some of the institutional gatekeepers of United Methodism. These folks, many of whom have been generally associated with the failed leadership that has brought our denomination to its current decline and demoralization, have claimed to do "careful research" on the various renewal groups and have unleashed a barrage of misinformation about us.

There is no question that Good News works cooperatively with other evangelical renewal groups to influence the outcomes of General Conference. In fact, since 1980, we have worked to prepare petitions, coach some annual conference groups in the election of delegates, and facilitate networks of information and analysis. And once again, and we will provide on-site information, advocacy, and evangelical networking at the 2004 General Conference in Pittsburgh. 

Supporting the entire effort will be, once again, a nationwide network of prayer. At the last General Conference, more than 1,200 persons and or groups were involved regularly in praying and in receiving daily reports from Cleveland. A lot of time, money, late nights, early mornings, and long days are invested. Why? Because we long for a vital, effective, truly global United Methodism engaged in the redemptive work of Christ.

While it is abidingly true that United Methodism is most authentically expressed through its local churches, the actions of the General Conference have a direct impact on whether our local churches are resourced for growth or shackled for decline; whether they are dabbling in theological novelty or dynamically making disciples for Jesus Christ.

We, along with other renewal groups, are accused of threatening to change the current course of United Methodism. Yes, Lord Jesus, may it be so!

Renewal of the Church for the sake of the world
Three rivers surround the site of General Conference 2004 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The recent history of these rivers is suggestive for United Methodism. Not long ago the rivers were considered significantly, maybe irreversibly, polluted. Their long-term viability was in question. Through specific action, primarily to remove or control sources of pollution, the rivers are now markedly improved in water quality and, therefore, in their ability to support life. The renewal of those rivers parallels our hopes for the United Methodist Church.

We believe action in three areas of our collective church life will open the way for renewal. These areas-identity, leadership, and mission-will be outlined in the next two issues of Good News.

Right now, however, all who desire to support the work of renewal and participate in the important work of the upcoming General Conference are invited to become part of a General Conference Prayer Network. To be a part of that network, please send us your email address (preferably) or your home address and phone number. In addition, since the costs of our work at General Conference are significant and, unlike official boards and agencies, we must pay our own way without reliance on apportionment dollars collected from local churches, you are invited to invest in the future of the church by a financial gift to Good News designated for "General Conference Effort."

The Scriptures provide a joyful, almost giddy, image of the "river of life" (Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 22). We are praying, planning, and preparing to receive God's river of life flowing through the General Conference in Pittsburgh!

Scott N. Field is the senior pastor of Wheatland Salem United Methodist Church in Naperville, Illinois. He is also the chairperson of the Good News Board of Directors.