Oklahoma United Methodists will face a transformed regional conference next week
TULSA ― A leader of one of Oklahoma's largest faith groups said church members face a changing ministry landscape every year due to clergy retirements, church appointments, closings and other adjustments common in ministry life.
However, Oklahoma United Methodists will face a transformed regional conference when they gather for their annual meeting set for Monday through May 25 at Boston Avenue United Methodist in Tulsa.
More: What happened when members of a new Methodist denomination gathered in the OKC metro area?
The gathering is the first annual meeting of the Oklahoma United Methodist Conference following two rounds of church disaffiliations over disagreements about same-sex marriage and gay ordination, among other issues. Eighty-four Oklahoma churches have ended their affiliation with the United Methodist denomination since October 2022.
Thus, the Rev. Derrek Belase said delegates will come together in fewer numbers to represent the state's remaining United Methodist churches — 365 ― but with no less commitment to United Methodist ministry.
"It is going to look different," he said. "We lost trusted colleagues and friends that have chosen to go in a different direction so now we're going to see what it's going to look like as we move forward."
Belase, the Oklahoma United Methodist Conference's executive director of connectional ministries, said he's anticipating seeing what the newly transformed conference looks like and how members will embrace the annual meeting's theme of "One in Christ in Ministry to the World."
"That's what we're still focused on — we are one," he said. "We're one body and the body looks different than it did, but it always does when we get together. ... In my opinion, it's like a family reunion."
The minister said along those lines, conference members will be given copies of "Unrelenting Grace: A United Methodist Way of Life," a book by Bishop Ken Carter that promotes the strength of United Methodists connections and how members may move forward with confidence and hope. Belease said the book, along with other resources are part of the regional conference's new initiative "to begin focusing on the things that draw us together and not the things that drive us apart."
"Because there's been so much said about disaffiliation and the things that are dividing us, but we're going to be focusing on are the things that draw us together so we will do a little bit of business and whole lot of celebrating ministry."
Meeting highlights
Belase said the coming meeting will not include disaffiliation proceedings but at least one aspect of the conference is related to churches that severed ties. He said United Methodists will elect new delegates for the denomination's 2024 General Conference meeting to replace those delegates who exited with disaffiliating congregations.
Another special aspect of the meeting is the Day of Learning activities that will take place on May 25, in partnership with the John Hope Franklin Center in Tulsa. Belase said the annual conference gathering was initially scheduled to be held in Tulsa in May 2021, around the time of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre centennial activities but that plan was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Belase said activities surrounding the Day of Learning will be different because they won't be tied to the race massacre centennial, but attendees are expected to learn much from the John Hope Franklin Center located on Tulsa's historic Greenwood Avenue.
Other conference highlights will include the ordination of six individuals and the commissioning of four people; 15 clergy members are retiring; and the Sistema Tulsa Community Youth Orchestra will perform.
Belase said United Methodists conference members have a tradition of singing a song called "Are We Yet Alive" at their yearly meeting and it will surely resonate this year.
"The verse goes 'And are we yet alive, And see each other's face?'" he said.
"That song has been sung throughout the history of Methodist gatherings and it reminds us when we get back together, that that the reason we get together for conferencing is to be able to see each other and to be able to celebrate the ministries of United Methodism across the state."
Oklahoma United Methodist Annual Conference
When: May 22-25.
Where: Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, 1301 S Boston Ave., Tulsa.
Information/livestream: https://www.okumc.org/.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma's United Methodists to meet in Tulsa for annual conference
