Pastor's Column

June 14, 2004

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This will be my final column reporting some of the many actions of General Conference 2004.

Our delegates voted to expand our denomination’s media campaign with the message of “Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors” over the next four years. United Methodist Communications is also going to start a separate youth component to the campaign and a plan to improve communications for church members in countries outside the United States.

A concordat agreement between the United Methodist Church and the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico was approved as a way of continuing the special relationship between the two bodies.

The delegates voted to establish a Global Education Fund, which will be used by the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry to assist 748 Methodist schools, colleges, universities and seminaries in 69 countries. We voted to continue funding for the church-related Africa University in Zimbabwe.

Finally, we took a strong stand on the ongoing conflict in Israel/Palestine calling on the state of Israel to cease the confiscation of Palestinian lands and water for any reason and urged the Palestinian Authority and all Palestinian Religious Leaders to continue to publicly condemn violence against Israeli civilians. We urged the dismantling of the Wall of Separation that has been constructed since May of 2002.

I hope these last three columns have given you a flavor of General Conference. We belong to a magnificent church that cares deeply about issues and people both locally and globally. I feel proud to be a United Methodist.

Joy and Peace,
Rev. Deborah Fisher