Task Force Assembled to Facilitate Reduction of Districts

by Paul Thomas, Director of Communications
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7/7/2010

 

A 13-person task force has been commissioned by Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton to assist him in reducing the number of districts in the Detroit Conference from seven to six. The conference is reducing a district to comply with action taken by the 2010 annual conference session, which instructed the resident bishop to determine the boundaries of the new districts, and for the Conference Leadership Team to name them by no later than July 1, 2011.

 

Bishop Keaton was not instructed to form a task force as part of the legislation, but brought together a group of 13 people to aide him in the reduction effort. Bishop Keaton chose the members of the task force after potential names were submitted to him by the district superintendents. The group consists of seven lay persons and six clergy, and each district in the conference is represented by at least one member on the task force. The names of the members of the task force are as follows:

  • Bill Arendall, member of St. Clair Shores: Good Shepherd UMC (Detroit East District)
  • Rev. Joanne Bartelt, Port Huron District Superintendent
  • Mike Clark, Conference Lay Leader
  • Ralph Czerepinski, Saginaw Bay District Lay Leader
  • Sandy Eisele, member of North Lake UMC (Ann Arbor District)
  • Rev. Dr. Dale Miller, senior pastor at Farmington: Nardin Park UMC (Detroit West District) and former Detroit East District Superintendent
  • Rev. Duane Miller, Detroit East District Superintendent and Dean of the Cabinet
  • Rev. Jeff Nelson, pastor at Redford Aldersgate UMC (Detroit West District)
  • Rev. Peggy Paige, pastor at Iron Mountain: First and Quinnesec UMCs (Marquette District) and former Port Huron District Superintendent
  • Rev. Sherry Parker, senior pastor at Brighton: First UMC (Ann Arbor District)
  • Bonnie Potter, member of Thetford Center UMC (Flint District)
  • Linda A. Schramm, member of Sandusky: First UMC (Port Huron District) and president of the Conference United Methodist Women
  • Paul Thomas, Conference Director of Communications

Sandy Eisele, the Rev. Peggy Paige, and Paul Thomas were members of the Michigan Area Transition Team, which explored creating new district boundaries and structure for the proposed Great Lakes Conference as part of its efforts to unite the Detroit and West Michigan Conferences. Thomas, who co-chaired the Transition Team, was elected to serve as the chairperson of the task force, while the Rev. Sherry Parker was named vice-chairperson. The Rev. Jeff Nelson will serve as the group's secretary.

 

Bishop Keaton and the Rev. Dr. William Dobbs, Clergy Assistant to the Bishop, will also be present at each task force meeting and will work with the group's leadership team. The task force, which will be working with the appointive cabinet, will present its final report and recommendations to the cabinet by January 1, 2011. 

 

The resident bishop, according to paragraph 415.4 of the 2008 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, is empowered to "form the districts after consultation with the district superintendents and after the number of the same as been determined by vote of the annual conference."

 

Bishop Keaton offered his thoughts to the task force at their organization meeting on June 29, referencing Psalm 27 to call the task force to "wait for the Lord." 

 

"Can we have a song of confidence in this time of downsizing, that God is leading us, going before us, guiding us?," Keaton asked. "We need to find ways to put our hands in God's hands so that whatever comes out of this process has God's stamp on it, because we pray that this process is of God." 

 

"Some may see the demise of their district or the conference as a Good Friday moment, especially in light of increasing work for the district superintendents," Keaton said. "But we are Easter people. There is an Easter coming, and we live in the expected hope that in the midst of reducing districts, there is an Easter coming that we will claim together as men and women and followers and disciples of Jesus Christ."

 

Keaton called the task force to ask themselves "What is the fresh opportunity here that creates reformation?” and “What new ideas can come to bear?" He also stated that while the work of reformation takes place, the ultimate goal is to empower the work of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. 

 

The task force spent some if its time together brainstorming about new ideas and fresh opportunities, which it will explore further in the coming months.

 

"The resolution passed by the annual conference has called us to downsize, but in this process, a fresh opportunity exists to organize ourselves for more effective mission and ministry," Thomas said. "As the task force spent time dreaming about this process, new ideas emerged, such as thinking of redistricting in terms of population centers rather than geographical boundaries, potentially combining district offices for greater collaboration, examining the role of the district superintendent, and an opportunity to be more focused on our urban centers, just to name a few. The goal of this task force will be to recommend to the bishop and the cabinet a six-district plan that may save money, but will ultimately empower the local churches of the conference to make disciples of Jesus Christ in a way that enhances the connectional nature of The United Methodist Church."

 

The official language of the motion passed at the 2010 Detroit Annual Conference is as follows:

 

Be it resolved that the number of districts comprising the Detroit Annual Conference be reduced from seven to six, effective no later than July 1, 2011. Pursuant to ¶415.4 of the Discipline, the resident bishop shall determine the boundaries of the new districts, after which the conference leadership team shall name them.

 

The task force is scheduled to meet again on September 14.