Petition Text: 21641-LC-112-D

Understanding Petition Numbers

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Amend ¶ 112:

1. ...Methodists everywhere have embraced the idea that as a people of faith we they journey together...

2. [Third paragraph] It is important to note that we United Methodists are not a connectional people...The evolution of our polity has, however, been a natural response to these elements in our background and they continue to inform and direct our efforts. United Methodist Connectional polity has its theological roots in understanding scripture, tradition, experience and reason. This heritage continues to inform and direct the denomination.

3. The Principle Itself.--Let us simply state the connectional principle and its essential ingredients:

The United Methodist connectional principle, -- born out of our historical tradition, many biblical roots, and accepted theological ideas, -- is the basic form of our United Methodist polity, the way in by which people we carry out God's mission as a people....

It declares that our an identity is in our of wholeness together in Christ that with each part is vital to the whole, that our and a mission is more effectively carried out by a connectional life which incorporates Wesleyan zeal into the life of the people.

b) Memory.--The principle provides continued remembrance of the story of our heritage as United Methodist Christians in order that we persons might share more meaningfully in the experience and the mission of the universal Church. As we United Methodists know and share the common story of our their faith journey, our their witness to the world is strengthened.

c) Community.--The principle provides for relationships of Holy Spirit-empowered community wherein in which support,...Our Llife together, with its mutual accountability and relationships, keeps us United Methodists ever alert to being faithful to the gospel in all our efforts. Through it...

d) [Last sentence] Our Mutual acceptance of a disciplined life...

g) Linkage.--The principle provides an interdependent network of gathering points which brings us people together in various ways to carry out our a shared mission. In these "conferring" experiences we all persons celebrate together and together lay out our a strategy for sharing...

4. Affirmation and Stress.-- As United Methodist people we celebrate the fact that connectionalism has served us well in our mission and ministry well, and we they affirm its the central place of the connection in our their life together. At the same time we recognize there are stresses that must be addressed if the connectional principle is to continue to serve us well in the future....to be able to live in the new days ahead of us with freshness and new commitment.

5. The Challenge.--Now we United Methodists have the special opportunity to take this way of doing mission and ministry and to use it effectively in accomplishing our their goals as a Church. We They have a unique avenue for witnessing and reaching out with the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ to the end that the people of the world will indeed be reformed saved. The connectional principle should be interpreted to all our United Methodist people in new and fresh ways and lifted up with enthusiasm as an effective instrument in our an efforts to bring the creation world as we know it closer in into closer harmony...

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Petition Text: 21641-LC-112-D
1996 United Methodist General Conference