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...
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21641-LC-112-D
1996 United Methodist General Conference