Can you believe it’s been almost a year since we began the process to disaffiliate from the greater UMC and then carefully discern a new affiliation for the future of The Woodlands Methodist Church? I can honestly say it’s been a year like no other in all my years in ministry!

Hopefully by now you’ve read our Decision Guide and watched our leadership recommendation video calling for affiliation with the Global Methodist Church (GMC), but in case you haven’t, let me bring you up to speed with a link to watch our video announcement here. And I know you’ll want to read the open letter to the congregation from our 15-member clergy team here.

I also want to take this opportunity to share three reasons why I believe joining the GMC affords our pastors and congregation the very best opportunity to advance the mission of The Woodlands Methodist Church in ways that truly multiply our efforts to Reach People for Jesus Christ, Disciple Them in Faith, and Help Those in Need.

1. It’s not about me.
The option to remain an independent, network-affiliated Methodist church affords its senior pastor ultimate flexibility. It’s an inviting path to walk for a person in my shoes. And yet, while I considered the merits of this option, it’s not the path I choose for myself. Today I am choosing broad connection over broad discretion. My heart sings at the opportunity to lead and serve —  spiritually yoked with others in a formal Wesleyan connection. This is where I feel called to develop and lean into our unique giftings and then to share them across a global denomination.

The independent Methodist networks we researched offer a model where the senior pastor is the sole link between churches and, even so, on a very informal level of engagement. While this sounds like a wonderful opportunity to connect for me, I can’t help but think about the 14 other pastors with whom I serve who would be mostly left out of the network connection.

2. GMC is best for upholding our traditional Wesleyan doctrines and discipline.
Of all the options studied by our discernment leadership team, the GMC offers the truest and broadest expression of traditional Wesleyan Methodism —  offering sound theology backed by a robust system of accountability.

TWMC maintains the highest regard for the authority of Holy Scriptures contained in the Old and New Testaments, as well as the historical confessions of the Christian faith included in the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and John Wesley’s Articles of Religion and sermons. They claim these same doctrinal sources, so TWMC and the GMC are theologically aligned. The GMC also has specific guidelines for its bishops, clergy and congregations to follow, outlined in its Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline. Learn more about this topic at the bottom of the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website.

3. We must share our strength.
This is a moment to generously share our ministries and resources to the glory of God and for the advancement of His Kingdom. By joining the GMC, we have a grand and historic opportunity to multiply the strength and vitality of our church with exponential reach.

Because the GMC is still very much in development, we have a unique window of time to help shape ministry programming, operational systems and the overall vitality of the GMC in ways that will not be possible if we wait to join later. Operationally, TWMC is able to contribute to the Eastern Texas Conference of the Global Methodist Church in the areas of leadership involvement, systems formation and resource development. In the areas of ministry, we see ways to multiply our church’s activities in Christian discipleship, NextGen leadership development, Missions outreach and church planting.

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For these reasons and so many more, I am inviting all church members to cast a ballot to affirm our GMC recommendation as part of Vision Night — an inspiring evening of word and song beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 7, in the Sanctuary of The Woodlands Campus. Please visit our website for information and details.

I hope you are as energized and excited as I am for this season of ministry ahead. This is our time. Our moment is here to make a significant and lasting contribution to the people called Methodists. God is truly doing a new thing among us.

Take care and God bless you. See you in church.

— Mark