| State of
Church report will include inside, outside views
May 11, 2006
By the Rev. Kathy Noble*
VARNA, Bulgaria (UMNS) -- Views of United Methodists and of people outside the
church will be incorporated into the denomination's first State of the Church
report.
The churchwide Connectional Table approved contracting with the Martec Group,
an international strategic marketing research firm, to develop the report
through interviews, Internet bulletin boards, surveys and other methods. United
Methodist Communications will facilitate much of the Web-based research.
Research will be conducted globally.
Preliminary reports will be presented to the Connectional Table and the
Council of Bishops in the fall for review and input. An introductory report is
to be released churchwide in January with a complete report issued later in the
spring. A second full report is scheduled for March 2008.
Twila Glenn, Connectional Table member from Des Moines, Iowa, said she hopes
the report will be both "a gift and stimulus for reflection and action."
It will "identify gaps between where we are and where we want to be," as well
as the "trajectory we are on and probable outcomes without change," says Glenn,
a member of the report task force.
The committee's proposal called for research only within the church. Kristina
J. Gonzalez, member from Seattle, urged adding funds to allow additional
research "in order for us not to lose the opportunity to have others evaluate us
rather than just evaluating ourselves."
The Connectional Table began developing plans for an annual State of the
Church report during its first meeting in January 2005.
*Noble is the editor of Interpreter, the magazine that highlights
mission and ministry in the United Methodist Church.
News media contact: Kathy Noble or Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615)
742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org
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