An E-pistle From Bishop Mike

June 9, 2008: "Imagine Indiana - Next Steps"

Now that both North and South Indiana Conferences have approved the Imagine Indiana Plan by large votes (79% in North and 77% in South), there are many “next steps” to be taken. There will be a Special Called Session of both Annual Conferences on Saturday, October 4th at the State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. This one-day gathering will be for the following purposes: to vote on a reconciliation of the amendments passed by each of the conferences, to elect the new officers to make the necessary legal changes for a new conference (Trustees and CFA), to worship together, and to witness to the state of Indiana that we are a new conference of United Methodists working together for our mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” Our gathering that day will be a unique and historic event when both conferences meet in the same room to finalize the Imagine Indiana plan and to celebrate together. All of those who were lay and clergy members for the recent sessions of the North and South Indiana Conferences will be the voting members of this Special Session – and we also, of course, invite lots of visitors to come and share in this event. More details will be coming to clergy and lay members from your respective conference offices in the next few weeks.

Another important step for Imagine Indiana: according to the plan adopted by the two conferences, I am to name a Transition Team to begin the many processes which are required to create a new conference. This Transition Team has nominating responsibilities, to nominate those to be elected on October 4th to serve on the Trustees and CFA of the new conference. This Transition Team also has selecting responsibilities, to select several interim committees to serve until the first Annual Conference Session of the new Conference in June of 2009. Those committees include: a Human Resources Committee, a Conference Rules Committee, a Committee on Nominations, and an Annual Conference Sessions Committee. These interim committees will do the necessary work to help us prepare for the first Annual Conference Session of the new conference. The Transition Team also has coordinating responsibilities to help us begin putting the Imagine Indiana plan into effect. I will be naming this Transition Team by the first of July so that they can begin their work, and make their assignments for various groups to work.

Another step in the Imagine Indiana process will be my convening the Area CFA to begin the lengthy process of bringing our two current conference offices in Marion and Bloomington and the bishop’s office in Indianapolis into an Indiana conference center in the greater Indianapolis area, including all financial, pension, insurance, data base, web site, and other support services into a unified system by January 1, 2010.

In addition, the Cabinets and I will begin working on the final district lines and sites for the 5 Resource Centers of the new conference, so that this new model can replace our current eighteen districts. A part of that plan will be the launching of the Ministry Clusters that all of our churches will help to select and form. I also will ask the Chairs of our Clergy Orders (Elders, Deacons, and Local Pastors Fellowship) to begin the process of helping our clergy form into Clergy Covenant Groups.

And then the first Session of the new Indiana Conference will be held June 24-28 (save those dates, and we will finalize the exact number of days needed) at Ball State University, where we will elect the full slate of new conference leadership and finalize the first budget of the new conference for 2010.

Thanks to all who helped with Imagine Indiana these past 3 years. Thanks to all who have prayed, discussed, disagreed, and worked together to shape the plan to date. There are many “next steps” to follow, but I sense the strong affirmation of both conferences for us to continue on this journey together. I pray that it will all be to the glory of God and to the ministry of Christ here in Indiana.