Continuing Conversation

The Connectional Table, a “table and not an agency,” is well described by its Chair, Bishop John Hopkins:

The Council of Bishops, General Council on Finance and Administration, annual conferences, general agencies, caucuses, youth, and young adults are always “at the table.” The Connectional Table is a place to gather the right groups at the right time around the right issues for conversation and momentum. As much as possible, The Connectional Table avoids the role of coordinating, regulating, and operating in order to appreciate God’s work among us as a church and focus on the future. The Connectional Table is a place to bring conversations from the parking lots and hallways into the living room of the church and enlarge participation in the discussion.”

The Connectional Table looks forward to extending the dialogue into annual conferences and beyond such that we dream together for the good future of our great denomination, committed to making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Conversation through Christian conferencing

Under the able leadership of Bishop John Hopkins, the Connectional Table has used Christian conferencing as a primary working model. For John Wesley, Christian conferencing was one of the five-instituted Means of Grace, described by the following questions to consider:

• Are you convinced how important and difficult it is to “order your conversation right”?
• Is it “always in grace? seasoned with salt? [meant] to minister grace to the hearers?”
• Do not you converse too long at a time? Is not an hour commonly enough?
• Would it not be good to have a determinate end in view; and to pray before and after it?

The hope of the church is in the quality of our conversations
—Bishop John Hopkins

An essential tenet is the belief that the Holy Spirit can lead and guide the church when all are in conversation. So it is an important value to have dialogue instead of debate, to find consensus around important matters rather than have “winners” and “losers.”

The focus is on “ordering our conversation right.” This has required ample gathering time in prayer, in covenant groups, and in worship. Gathering around an altar table and celebrating together Holy Communion is an element of every Connectional Table meeting.