The Wilderness Way #13

Traveling through the Mid-Cities District was an exhilarating experience. It hums with vibrancy. St. Andrews, Fort Worth was the first church in the Central Texas Conference that my wife and I visited upon moving to Fort Worth. Their warm hospitality is evident to all. Their history of courageous leadership is phenomenal. They have a challenging and changing future.

A number of other congregations face a challenging future of community change. Richland Hills, Eastern Hills and Handley are all in a similar situation (though with distinctive differences). The past for them is not prelude to the future. And yet, the past can provide resources and insights for reaching out to a new future in the name of Christ if courageous change is embraced.

This district also has a number of huge churches reaching out in powerful ways. White’s Chapel in Southlake was not just another big box mega church. It is a mission post of the advancing kingdom of God with an impressive system of making disciples. The same can be said for a number of other churches in the area. First UMC, Hurst has a strong missional orientation with superior ministry reaching across the age spectrum. St. Barnabas exhibits similar strength, also Euless First and St. Paul’s in Hurst.

McMillan and New World are reaching youth. I was especially impressed with McMillan’s outreach to the neighborhood youth. Prayer is in their DNA. Bedford First is reporting an influx of single parents. St. Matthew and St. Luke’s (Haltom City) are islands of stability in a changing neighborhood. Deeper Bible study shows up repeatedly in these and other churches as they experiment with how to reach out to the next generation.

Meadowbrook UMC is impressive in its missional outreach (as are others). What stood out as distinctive at Meadowbrook are the creative ways this congregation is attempting to reach out to its mission field. They are using non-traditional means to reach a new generation. The pastors have a sense of being appointed not just to the church, but to the mission field as well.

El Buen Samaritano, Korean and Tongan UMCs demonstrate both strength and diversity in reaching out. El Buen Samaritano has an impressive number of new converts and a vibrant evangelistic ministry.

Forgive me for just mentioning a few churches as examples of the great diversity going on in the Mid-Cities District. In some ways, this district reflects the future of Methodism. It is as diverse as any district we have. The places that are fruitful and multiplying are reaching out to a new generation in a host of unconventional ways.

There is evidence of a willingness to change and a slow, somewhat timid, rediscovering of evangelism. If our future as a movement of faith lies in reaching new people in new places in new ways, then the Mid-Cities District is a laboratory from which the rest of the conference can learn. Some clear lessons are emerging from this laboratory.

A younger generation is attracted to larger churches with diverse ministry. No one joins a church to prop up the institution. People join because they want to walk with the Lord. Mission and evangelism are linked and yet distinct. (More on this later.)

The Mid-Cities District is a gem of faithfulness and fruitfulness!

By: Bishop Mike Lowry On 5/15/2009

Topics: Bishop Columns