Remnants. Small amounts of leftovers after the greater part has been consumed or lost.

Following the delayed 2020 General Conference held in 2024, it is clear that the losses we have experienced among the United Methodist Conferences in the southern US has led to stark reductions reductions in our general budget for the whole denomination, which means that we have had to be creative about funding conferences and leadership.

In many ways, we were left with a remnant in a smaller denomination. Interestingly, the loss of those who had become detractors and (often untruthful) critics of the UMC led to a much higher energy and a greater focus on justice and inclusiveness. At the recent General Conference, we saw the elimination of the harmful language in our Discipline that marginalized our LGBTQ+ siblings. We saw the movement toward regionalization, which offers a greater equity across our global denomination. Finally, the Social Principles have been revised to address how we live out justice, equity, and inclusion in powerful new ways.

In Isaiah 11:10-11, we read: On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. On that day the Lord will again raise up and recover the remnant that is left of God’s people, from [all the lands to which they were dispersed].

God will then use this remnant to change the world.

The remnant is alive and active!

As I write this, I am at the South Central Jurisdictional Conference of the United Methodist Church in Rogers, Arkansas. Yesterday, I watched as the delegates approved the work of unification to create the new Horizon Texas Annual Conference to which Wellspring now belongs. As one who worked for three solid months on this project along with many others, it was a joy to be present to see this come to fruition.

The Episcopal Address, offered by Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey (who serves as the bishop of the Texas Annual Conference and now the Rio Texas Conference), focused us on the power of the mustard seed that, despite its smallness, can grow into a massive tree. She had us sing the first verse of Hymn of Promise, that speaks of a seed that is planted and sown by us even with the knowledge that its growth will be “unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.”

She also reflected on a sermon by our Native American bishop, Bishop David Wilson, who shared that our work is with our sights set on seven generations … for people we will never know and who may never know about us.

I know about seven generations in my own family. My great-great-grandfather bought a 250-pound anvil … yes, a blacksmith’s anvil … that he then determined would be passed down to the firstborn male Smith in each generation. When our son and daughter-in-law found out that they were having a son, they got us on a video call and said, “Dad, we have a new heir to the anvil.”

My grandson is the seventh generation to inherit the 250-pound behemoth that now sits in my garage, and I now know that seven generations spans at least 153 years.

So our work is to take this remnant … this seed … of a church that we now have and plant it in such a way that it will bear abundant fruit for the next 153 years.

Moving Forward

With the historic votes taken at our General Conference, there are many who have felt the sense of accomplishment. Those who have been part of the Reconciling Movement were ecstatic about removing the discriminatory language from the Discipline, and it is easy to think our work here is done.

One of the first people I encountered at the SCJ Conference was Laura Young, who is the South Central Jurisdictional Organizer for Reconciling Ministries Network. I had not had a chance to see her since the historic General Conference, and we both celebrate the work that was done there. But she is clear that the work of the historic General Conference is just the beginning. She said, “The decision of the General Conference was a significant milestone, but we can only party like it is 1972. It is a milestone to be celebrated, but we need to work to build a church that offers safety, protection, and affirmation for our LGBTQ+ siblings. Our work continues on.”

As a remnant of faithful United Methodists, our job is to continue building the church where we see Christ in every single person and every single thing. Ours is a task of advocacy for those who are in the margins. Ours is a task to hear the voices of fear and doubt on all sides of our struggles and to offer the words of Christ: “Do not worry. Do not be afraid.”

This Jurisdictional Conference is also a reminder of how God tends to use remnants throughout the bible to create a stronger, more faithful witness. I am inspired by the work of the United Methodist Church. The remnant is rising up, moving forward, and working to bring Christ into the world in powerful new ways.

I am blessed to be part of the remnant.