From the Bishop

Questions and answers

One of the books that influenced me in recent years is Leadership Without Easy Answers by Ronald Heifetz. His book makes the point that leadership is not about providing answers to the complicated issues of our day, but rather leadership must help the group, organization or institution to name the right questions. The group then is trusted to have the capacity to find the answers, once the right questions are asked.

I hope that Heifetz is right, because I know that I don't have all of the answers to the issues facing our United Methodist Church, and I am reluctant to try to offer the kind of "easy answers" which at times seem attractive. Perhaps we have seen too often the deadly results in our nation and in our religious communities when we are attracted to simple answers offered by some leaders to very complex questions. Perhaps we have too easily yielded our own wisdom and thinking in order to accept these easy answers.

The Imagine Indiana Planning Team also believes the answers lie within the body, in this case, within the Body of Christ called The United Methodist Church in Indiana. To facilitate this process, the Planning Team is lifting up the following questions for prayer and discernment, seeking the wisdom of the body. You can respond to these questions by going to our Indiana Area Web site (www.inareaumc.org) and clicking on the Imagine Indiana logo, which will lead you to a link to the Forums where you can post your responses. As an alternative, if you are not comfortable with that technology, you can mail your responses to the Imagine Indiana Planning Team c/o the Area Office.

Here are the questions the Planning Team is raising for your response:

1. What are the compelling reasons for creating a new conference in Indiana?

2. What is the picture of what a new conference would look like?

3. How will our congregations be organized and connected in the future?

4. How will clergy relate to one another?

5. Are there patterns of finances which will enable us to be better stewards?

6. What are the essential needs of our pastors and their families which a new conference must provide?

7. How should we relate to our many United Methodist institutions here in Indiana?

Certainly this list of questions is not exhaustive, and I am sure that the Imagine Indiana Planning Team will be raising other questions later, but this is the list for now. The Team invites your response, and I indicated my willingness to issue the invitation on their behalf.

We have lots of questions, and together with God's guidance, we can seek the answers.

Bishop Michael J. Coyner
Indiana Area of
The United Methodist Church
"Making a Difference in Indiana
and around the world."