It’s hard to sum up how full my heart is after just Friday and Saturday morning at the United Methodist Church’s Western Jurisdiction Conference in Spokane, WA. This body generally only meets every four years, after their general conventions. (Covid threw that cycle into a little chaos). I was in attendance because the UMC District Superintendents I work with (Daniel Miranda in Spokane and Karen Hernandez in the Treasure Valley) had both being trying to introduce me to Bishop Cedric Bridgeforth, Bishop of the Greater Northwest Area with an office in Seattle. Daniel gave me several options and these dates were the only ones that worked. Then, earlier this month, all the Methodists learned that this would be the one Jurisdiction that would have a bishops election–not one but two elections. Read the press release to start understanding this. The group started meeting Wednesday, doing service projects around Spokane, but I didn’t join them until Friday morning. Still, everyone thought I was generous to give them so much time. I had to explain that I was getting work done–making connections, building relationships, living into that part of my job that is chief ecumenical officer for the synod.

The ELCA’s full communion relationship with the UMC was voted on at our churchwide assembly in 2009. It got a bit overshadowed because that was also the assembly where we voted on the human sexuality Social Statement and the Recommendations for Ministry Policies around LGBTQ rostered leaders and unions. I was at that assembly as a guest (easy enough to drive up from Iowa).

I had several UMC classmates at the University of Chicago Divinity School. A few years into my call at Trinity, Nampa I learned about the Lewis Fellows program funded by the Lilly Endowment and run by Wesley Theological Seminary in D.C. for young (under 35) clergy–mostly Methodists but they always invite a few others, at least when I did it. We went to Kansas City, Miami, and D.C. over the course of nine months. We learned about leadership and lenses and ourselves and I learned more about the UMC. That was the first time I really got the implications of them being an international body.

Meanwhile, I was settling into Nampa, home of Northwest Nazarene University–connected to the UMC through the Wesleyan family. Over the years, I built relationships with UMC colleagues in the Treasure Valley and this past year I’ve met regularly with Daniel and Karen.

The Western Jurisdiction of the UMC welcomed me warmly. I loved how many people made a point of introducing themselves and telling me about local ecumenical endeavors they were part of or, with regional or national ministries, wondering aloud how the UMC and ELCA could partner. And of course I was honored to be part of the Consecration of Bishops Stoneking and Olewine.

In four years the Western Jurisdiction will meet in Northern California/Northern Nevada. I hope Bishop Jeff Johnson of the Sierra Pacific Synod clears his calendar now!