Bishop tells conference ‘It’s a spiritual matter’
May 6, 2004
By Danette Clifton*
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.Bishop Robert E. Fannin
preaches for morning worship on May 6 at General Conference.
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PITTSBURGH (UMNS) – Bishop Robert E. Fannin
told the 2004 United Methodist General Conference that “most of the
questions, concerns and opportunities facing the church are
spiritual matters.”
In his sermon during the May 6 morning worship service, Fannin,
episcopal leader of the Birmingham Area, also told those gathered,
“The world is craving to hear the Good News, and we need to find the
spirit and the enthusiasm to say, ‘He lives, He lives and He lives
in the United Methodist Church!’”
During the service, worshippers experienced the global nature and
spirit of the United Methodist Church with the music of the
Mytischi United Methodist Church Choir of Moscow, Russia. Before the
sermon began, the congregation stood, held hands and sang, “We were
baptized in Christ Jesus.”
During the sermon, Fannin told worshippers, “We the people called
United Methodist and we the people called Christian must recapture
in our words, actions, programs, worship and vision a spirituality
that speaks to today’s world.” He continued, “I believe that as new
generations of seekers for truth, we must once again merge mind and
heart so as to speak with authority about the story of Jesus and His
love.”
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.
A United Methodist choir from Moscow leads morning worship
at General Conference.
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Fannin told a story of meeting a woman at a
car rental counter who had recently visited a United Methodist
church and reported to him that the service was the “deadest thing”
she had ever attended. He warned the conference that if she, and
other seekers like her, visit another United Methodist church, no
matter what its style of worship, it will depend on “the presence of
the Spirit” whether these seekers will want to become a part of that
community of faith.
He also challenged the General Conference with the words of John
Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement: “Give me 100 preachers
who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not
a straw whether they be clergy or lay, such alone will shake the
gates of hell and set up the Kingdom of God upon earth.”
Fannin told the delegates from around the world, who have spent the
last eight days debating and voting on various issues, “If we cannot
agree that our primary task is the presentation of Jesus Christ as
Lord and Savior, then some of you got on the wrong bus, came to the
wrong town and the wrong conference.”
*Clifton is director of communications for the North Alabama
Conference.