"The Church of Go"

The people of the Tennessee Annual Conference were challenged tonight by Bishop Sally Dyck of Minnesota to be the Church of Go. Using the various definitions of the common word, “go,” she admonished the leaders and people of The United Methodist Church to relinquish their complacency, privilege, and self-centeredness and go out into the world to share the good news of Jesus Christ with all people.

To that end, Bishop Dyck used the metaphor Jesus used with his first disciples: “fishing for people.” She said we need to use a wide net that will catch as many as possible. Jesus and his disciples did not use fishing rods and hooks. We need to stop “fly fishing for Jesus.” We should go beyond the practice of selecting and inviting those who look and think just like us. Rather, we need to do what Jesus and his disciples did, cast a wide net and bring all people into the household of Christ. Most particularly, the church needs to seek out those who have never been in a church or who have been alienated by the church. People like the poor, drug addicts, the homeless, gay and lesbian people, racial minorities, etc. Bishop Dyck told the congregation that our job is to do all in our power to bring all people to Christ. It’s God’s job to sort them all out in the end.

Bishop Dyck is a dynamic and engaging preacher. She brought a challenging word of good news to the people of the Tennessee Annual Conference tonight. I pray that the people will respond accordingly and become the Church of Go … into the world to make disciples of all people, teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded, and remember that he is with us always, even to the end of the age.