[BOA, continued from Page 1]

[From the Heart, continued from Page 1]

Bishop James
There's always a huge challenge for the church to know how to constantly recognize, welcome and cherish the new wine of God's Spirit and direction — while at the same time, not trying to control those things or box them in. We want to celebrate our history and how God has worked in the past, because the old wineskins get brittle and inflexible, and it can get real messy in kingdom work as we try to balance things out. "New wine," in launching the Wesleyan revival in England, focused heavily on ministry to the poor. And the "new wine" of the Free Methodist Church when it launched was also ministry to the poor. But, as poor people are redeemed, God lifts them up, and sometimes they forget where they've come from or what their original mission was all about — their original passion. I'm really encouraged knowing that directing ministry out into the neighborhood is such a central theme for this general conference. I see it as a call to revisit and recapture the "new wine" that brought our denomination into being.

Bishop Snyder
God is so good. General Conferences are times of pretty significant stress for bishops because we carry a lot of concern for the health and unity of the church, and we have such a deep hunger to see the church thrive in godliness and effectiveness in the world. And because of this, during a general conference we bishops experience most of the emotions that can be experienced. But, in spite of that, we recognize that without question, Jesus is Lord of the church. And, while decisions made by a general conference are not all made with unanimous support, we still move away from here into ministry to the world with the confidence, understanding and full assurance of faith that the Lord can — and does — work to keep the church focused on — and unified around — our vision that we be a healthy biblical community of holy people multiplying disciples, leading groups and churches. Therefore, from the depths of my heart, I venture into these next four years in praise to God, thanking Him for all the opportunities He gives us, and fully committed to serve with a heart and mind focused on the person and mission of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord.

Bishop Haskins
One of the things I've held onto deeply in my first four years as bishop is the fact that, historically, bishops have been defined as "servants of the servants." Understanding this definition is absolutely essential if we are to understand the role of bishop: It's all about pastors and local churches. The challenge in this role of serving a denomination is one of finding a balance where we can lead out of vision and relationships, and not be overwhelmed by the needs of a bureaucracy. I think the greatest need for us as a Board of Bishops is not to try to manage and control the church, but to lead by vision and relationships, hear the voice of the Lord, take the Word of the Lord to the people, and live in community with pastors and lay leaders so we can have united hearts in trying to fulfill the vision God has given us. One of the things I hope to see us address in the next four years is the empowering and releasing of our laypeople. This is key for us as a denomination as we strive to be all God wants us to be. We must release our laypeople to use their gifts — to give them permission to hear God's voice and simply respond to Him in obedience.

Bishop Krober
I believe we are finally positioned for a breakout period in the Free Methodist Church. We've cared for most of the organizational and attitudinal restrictions. We've developed the vision of becoming a healthy biblical community that multiplies. Now I sense that God is asking me to set the standard high for ministerial and lay leadership development. There is always the issue of God's sovereign blessing and the release of the Holy Spirit, but when it comes to the human side of the equation, to the degree that we are able to train and unleash teams of laity, to that degree we will rise. I will seek to guide that dynamic. My hope is to assist my superintendents and pastors in narrowing the focus of their lives and ministry so they can major on winning the lost, building believers into disciples — and doing it all in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is also essential that we succeed in linking every single pastor to a team of pastors — where learning, encouragement, accountability and discerning can occur. Finally, I am concerned that we have become a middle-class, "successful," comfortable — and to some degree — a compromised people. Thus, part of my task will be to challenge this call for repentance and the seeking of God's heart.