Heeding call to make disciples

6/25/2010

More than 300 of the 1,100 members attending the 2010 Central Texas Annual Conference June 6-9 in Fort Worth responded to Bishop Mike Lowry’s challenge to follow Jesus’ plea to be disciples.

One by one, clergy and laity came forward with their signed Holy Covenant and took a scrolled copy back to their local church. About 47 percent of those who came forward were laity. The Holy Covenant reads:

Before Almighty God and my sisters and brothers in faith, I enter into this Holy Covenant to heed Jesus’ call to “make disciples of all nations” by extending the hand of Christian witness to at least two people each week until God calls me from this life.

Being Christ’s disciples in the world by witnessing means greeting new people you meet and even those you have known a while with statements like, ”Do you have a church home? If you don’t, I would really like to invite you to mine.”

The Holy Covenant comes after a year of discussion and discernment by the Conference Evangelism Task Force. Two members of that task force, Rev. Joel Robbins of Ovilla United Methodist Church (chair) and Rev. Brad Brittain of Mexia First United Methodist Church have been providing training to church leaders who are interested in adopting what Bishop Robert Schnase refers to as “radical hospitality” in his books on Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations and Fived Practices of Fruitful Living.

The task force stands ready to do this training in churches, clusters of churches or districts. The training includes an inspirational component tied to success stories in other churches and well as how to’s and new ideas. To schedule a program for your church or for a cluster of churches, please contact Carolyn Stephens at Carolyn@ctcumc.org.

The names of those who signed the Holy Covenant are listed below. Others wishing to join in the radical hospital covenant and add their name to the list may download and sign the Holy Covenant document and then notify Susan Briles susan@ctcumc.org of their commitment.

Download and Print Holy Covenant

Georgia	Adamson
Brenda	Adkins
Ron	Albertson
Mike	Alexander
Kathy	Alexander
Darlene	Alfred
Mary Frances	Almquist
Gena	Anderson
David W.	Archer
John	Aymond
Vaughn	Baker
Jacque	Baker
Jan	Baldwin
James	Ballard
Mary	Bassett
Virginia	Bassford
Tom	Beaty
Tae	Beckling
J. Kent	Berry
Kay	Berry
Martha	Bessac
Mel	Bishara
Sara	Black
Denise	Blakely
Toni	Bliss
Lynn	Blumenstetter
Joe	Boatman
Debbie	Bosch
Cindy	Boyd
Harrell	Braddock, Jr.
Max	Brennan
Jackie	Brennan
Susan	Briles
Brad	Brittain
Shelly	Brooks
Belle K.	Brownlee
Tim	Bruster
Jane	Bryant
Steven	Buchele
Eva	Buckner
Judy	Burdette
Chris	Buse
Leslie	Byrd
Bill	Canet
Carlos	Careaga
Louis	Carr, Jr.
Aurora	Cepeda
Joe	Chamness
Betty	Chandler
Jim	Chandler
Jerry	Chism
Valeria	Clawson
John	Clifford
Jim	Conner
Tom	Connolly
Lori	Cotton
Paul	Cox
Dianne	Cree
Debra	Crumpton
Janice G.	Culpepper
Cindy	Damon
Tiffany	Danna
Gayland	Daugherty
Edna	Davis
Jerden	Davis
Kit	Dean
Viola	Dean
Lynne A.	Dechairo
Sharon	Dickson
Pam	Dieckert
John A.	Dirk
Bliss	Dodd
Carolyn	Duderstadt
K.	Duderstadt
Darcy	Dupree
Gerald	Eddings
Shawnee	Elizabeth
Jackie	Elliott
Jerry	Ellis
Matthew	Epting
Cecilia W.	Erlund
Barbara	Evartt
Tom	Faile
David	Fergeson
Sheila	Fiorella
Sally	Fleming
Alex	Flores
Peggy	Ford
Amy	Forsythe
Mary E. McGuire	Fortner
J. Andy	Fowler
Larry	Francis
Renee	Fraze
Jay	Fraze
Linda	Freeto
Carl	Freeto
Nancy	Froman
Verne	Fuqua
Lois	Gabaree
Jerry	Galloway
Yvonne	Gillar
Beverly	Gilliam
G.F.	Glasscock
Steven	Glockzin
Betsey	Godbold
Dave	Goodrich
Allen	Grant
Ethan	Gregory
Janice	Gregory
Betty	Griffin
Evelyn	Guerin
Gene	Gurley
Raul	Gutierrez
Matt W.	Hall
Jason	Hamilton
Jackie	Hammar
April	Hankins
Pat	Hardt
Yvonne	Harpole
Mary	Hart
Kay Koos	Hawkins
Chris	Hayes
Peggy	Herod
Leah	Hidde-Gregory
Charlotte	Hill
Mary	Hill
Richard	Hill
June	Hill
Liz	Hill
A.J.	Hillin
Page	Hines
Alicia	Hines-Kelly
Sandra	Hippman
L. Ann	Hitt
Catherine	Hix
Susan	Hoffman
Linda	Holbrook
Martha	Hollis
Bob	Holloway
Rosalind	Honchul
Decee	Horton
Clifton	Howard
Sara	Hughes
Bill	Hughes
Joan	Hughes
Rebecca	Hull
Alison	Humann
Nicole	Hutchison
Krista	Ingram
Jerry	Irvin
Judy	Jackson
H.F.	Jackson
Sarah	Jackson
Valetta	Jackson
Grant	Jacobs
Gail	Jensen
Jo	Johnson
Glenn	Jones
Jason	Jones
Clinton	Jones
Reed	Justus
, Kaiya	Kershaw
Sylvester	Key, Sr.
Kent	Kilbourne
Gary	Kleinjan
Richard	Klemm
Bridget	Klug
Rankin	Koch
Katie	Koppang
Judy	Kreitner
Cary	Labbe-Steele
Curtis	Lackey
Kay	Lancaster
Steve	Langford
Alex	Latu
Glenda	Lawrence
E. Frank	Leach
Ike F.	Ledger
Cynthia	Lee
Leigh	Leonard
Bill	Leonard
C. Wayne	Lewis
Gary	Lindley
Sally	Loebig
Katie	Long
Arcynthia	Louie
Bishop J. Michael	Lowry
Kenneth	Lunsford
Denise A.	Luper
Larry	Lutz
Howard	Martin
David	Martinez
Fred	Mason
Gayle	Massey
Dawne	McAlpin
Corliss	McBride
J.B.	McCracken
Steve	McIver
John	McKellar
Jim	McMillan
Jackie	Messer
Rod	Miles
Johnny	Miller
Jeff	Miller
Jannette	Miller
Willard "Buddy"	Moore
Lynn D.	Moore
David C.	Morgan
Kevin	Morton
Lee Anne	Morton
Cynthia	Moss
Marvin	Mott
Bobbie	Mungle
Susan	Murphy
Laura	Murphy
Keith	Murray
Steve	Nance
Chauncey S.	Nealy
Dee	Neeley
Lisa	Neslony
Melissa	Nichols
Robert	Nimocks
Nancy	Nold
Andrew	Nunley
Harvey	Ozmer
Vella	Pallette
Curtis	Parker
Debra	Parker
Mary Nell	Partin
Michael	Patison
Jack	Payne
Mary	Percifield
Pam	Phinney
Sandralyn	Pierce
Kwin	Quesenberry
Bennett	Ragsdale
C. Mike	Redd
Richard	Reed
R.	Reeves
Sharon	Reid
Tricia	Reid
Eldon W.	Reynolds
Marlene	Richardson
Judy	Richmond
Cynthia	Rives
Thomas Q.	Robbins
Christie	Robbins
Joel	Robbins
Thomas Q.	Robbins, jr.
Carol	Roberts
Sharon	Robertson
Betty Jo	Robinson
Dwaine A.	Robinson
Denise	Rogers
Rudy	Rudewick
Michael	Rushing
Joyce	Russell
Wanda	Russell
Shelly	Samuels
Jimmy C.	Sansom
Stephen	Schmidt
Dale	Schultz
Don	Scott
Jim	Senkel
Kim	Simpson
Eddie	Smart
Ramon	Smith
Kenneth	Smith
Lianna	Smyers
Jong-Nam	Song
Robert	Soulen
Donna	Sparks
Beverly	Springer
Carolyn	Stephens
William	Sterling
Robin	Stevens
Pat & Pat	Stroman
Eva M.	Stuart
Nancy	Summers
George M.	Sutton
Richard	Thompson
Mildred	Townsend
Allison	Turner
Lianne	Turner
Doug	Vaughn
Kissa	Vaughn
Evelyn	Vonner
Horace	Vonner
Darren	Walker
Donna	Ware
Alysson	Washburn
Laraine	Waughtal
Gregory	Way
Jana	Wear
Mary	Weathers
Martha	Wells
Bob	Wells
Charla	West
Debbie	Whiteley
Lara	Whitley
Janet	Whitley
Brenda	Wier
Dale	Wilbanks
Randy	Wild
Cathy	Williams
Judy Ruth	Williamson
Alphonetta	Wines
Jung Li	Wolf
John	Woodard
Carol	Woods
Julie	Worcester
Russell A.	Wright
Marty	Wright
Shirley	Wright
Mike	Wright-Chapman
Lilli Ann	Yaites
Robyn S.	Young
Scott	Youngblood
Michael	Redmond