By Bishop Robert Hayes Jr.

Ah, sleep—reluctantly we close our eyes on the day’s potential, yet regretfully we leave our slumber. Ah, sleep—we make up our mind to rise early, but our body draws us to linger in respite.

What a delightful thing rest is! Napoleon wrote: "I would not exchange it for all the thrones in the world!"

Few people I know would argue against the benefits of a good night’s sleep. Yet in our fast-paced culture, statistics tell us that a great number of us do not get the sufficient hours of sleep we need to be healthy. Let’s face this truth: Our bodies are like coils, and after a long day of work, of dealing with the daily challenges thrown our way, many of us get so wound up that we seldom take enough time to fully unwind.

When the lights go out and you pull the covers over your weary frame, have you ever wondered what God is doing while you’re asleep? Have you given much thought to the idea that God needs us to rest in order to do God’s work?

Let me explain.

The Psalmist declares that we belong to a God who needs no sleep. At all times God is wide-awake, busy at work in us and all around us. A popular Jewish belief is that God did not actually need the seventh day to rest, but only to "survey" what had been created.

If the Creator is a 24-hour God who watches over us by day, what happens during the night? I surmise that God is busy at work, shaping and molding our lives in ways we cannot comprehend or understand. I believe God literally needs for us to "be still" and "get out of the way" so His work can continue.

God molds our lives

Let me share the story of Sir Herbert Von Herkomer to better explain what goes on at night when God is at work. It is a charming tale about an artist of the 19th century.

It seems that Herkomer’s father was growing old and feeble. Because of the increasing difficulty in taking care of himself, he went to live in the home of his distinguished son. He, too, had worked as an artist, and to pass away the many hours while his son worked, the father asked for clay to mold and model.

Yet each night, because of his physical frailty and failing eyesight, the old man put away his work in despair. He was not as good as he once was. Because he could not make the pieces as he wanted them to be, he went to bed very sad and disappointed.

But after the lights went out and the old man fell asleep, the son secretly worked on his father’s clay.

In morning, his father would look at his work from the previous day and—not knowing another hand had touched it—would exclaim delightedly, "Why, this isn’t so bad after all! I’m still pretty good. Maybe I’ll keep trying."

And he did. Each night the son reworked the clay, and each morning the old man awoke with a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of value and worth.

In many ways God works like this in our lives. We are the clay, and God molds us even while we sleep.

Long after we close up shop for the night, one of the proven ways our brains function is to continue processing the thoughts we held in mind before we went to sleep. Many times we awake in morning to realize we have solutions to problems we could not resolve the previous day.

You may say that is the benefit of a good night’s sleep or of giving oneself time to see things from a different perspective. But in my opinion, God kept working while we slept.

When you run up against a wall, unsure what you should do, the wisest advice I can give you is this: Turn it over to God before turning in. Place that challenge in God’s hands during the night.

You can be assured that it will be in God’s care, and if it can be solved by morning, God is certainly the One to solve it. God can and will mold your prayer and your wishes within God’s will, just as Herkomer molded his father’s clay.

What a comfort to know I am the child of God, who is at work even as I sleep! I have confidence to face the day because I know God watched over me all through the night as well.

What about you? Are you tensed up, having trouble sleeping? Have you tried hot chocolate, sleeping pills, counting sheep?

Try counting on God! Any time of day or night, God’s ear is inclined to you. God can dress the sky each night in the glittering array of stars and moons, and can bring up the sun each morning at a precise moment. Be reassured God can work in you and on your problems even while you sleep.

Sleep well tonight, dear friends. All you need for tomorrow will be taken care of tonight!

 By BISHOP ROBERT HAYES JR.

As I glance at my calendar today, I realize another summer of lofty plans is fading quickly, gone before those plans had a chance to bloom. What became of the day-long fishing trips I meant to take? And I see on a shelf those five books I had hoped to read.

Where did the time go? I had such good expectations for carefree moments this season. Looking at my calendar today, I feel a sense of loss and, yes, I am even glum about the workweeks to come.

Sometimes we dread returning to the familiar tasks that await us. Perhaps sometimes you ask yourself, as I do, questions such as these.

Is there anything that can ease the pain or numbness when I don’t feel like returning yet again to those tasks?

Is there any word that can give my weary soul a lift?

Yes, there is such a word for today. In the Bible I find the encouragement I need at such a time. I commend the words to you also.

That word comes from the pages of one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament—Isaiah. This man of God discovered a great truth when he observed how we get spiritually tired and depleted in our daily tasks.

When we work for the food that does not fill us up, and we labor for that which does not satisfy us, we are working for all the wrong reasons. Life is more than food and money. If there is no point, no meaning, and no direction to our labor, then we are caught in an endless cycle; our efforts lead us nowhere.

Isaiah found there is a direct correlation between God and how we spend our time and what we do for a living. Unless we bring God into our daily routines, regardless of what we do, nothing will be accomplished.

We commit a grievous error if we confine God to our sanctuaries and houses of worship, thinking God is only interested in matters of the spirit.

God is a working God! After six days of labor, God had designed a world that must be cared for and looked after, and that is where we come in!

Read God’s great commissions and revelations in the Bible. God was made known to the working people of that day—the shepherds, the farmers, the soldiers, the fishermen, and tax collectors of that time. In fact, God’s greatest commission was given to a carpenter!

God still is made known today through our labor. God comes to us in our fields and factories, schools and shops, homes and offices—wherever we toil and work. According to the writer Elton Trueblood: "God may care more about factories and offices than about church buildings, because more people are in them more of the time."

It is unthinkable that God would care little or nothing about that which occupies most of your days’ time and attention.

There should be no conflict at all between your vocation and your allegiance to God. Today I urge you to see that whatever work you do—as long as it is honorable and constructive—can be viewed as ministry. For if you are performing your job with the God-given talents and energies endowed by your Creator, then you are at work in God’s vineyard.

Every Christian should know, with the deepest conviction, that the work in which you are engaged is God’s purposeful will for your life. We are partners with God in those now-dear familiar tasks, and what an exciting perspective it is to see ourselves laboring alongside God in the creative works of earth!

Picture yourself as a laborer with God, giving your best, and you will realize the holy purpose and meaning of your work. You will see what you do as beneficial not only to humankind, but also in cooperation with the Divine scheme of the universe. Thus the work that you perform will be known truly as work done "unto Christ" (Ephesians 6:5)—and the attitude and aptitude that follow will enable you to become proficient and proud in your vocation.

Isaiah reminds me that my routine work is filled every day with holy purpose. I will follow his advice because, when I sense God’s presence, my weariness leaves me and I again take up my work, with a renewed sense of the splendor in ordinary living, and with a renewed conviction that God is with me every day of the week.

Here, then, is the cure for the fatigue and boredom of routine labor: Understand that whatever you do, you will find God in it! God makes Himself known in so many ways. All you need to do in those weary moments is open yourself to take notice of the wonders that God so often sends your way every day.

"You are the light of the world!" (Matthew 5:14)

Not long ago, I read an intriguing article about a primitive district in India where people still use the type of simple oil lamps used when Jesus walked this earth.

Inside a temple in that district, a huge brass railing hangs from the ceiling, with many arms that extend to the floor. These arms have slots that securely hold a hundred or more of those little lamps. Until the lamps are placed into the brass structure, the temple remains dark.

The article described the arrival of people to worship at the temple in the early dawn and late evening. They brought their small lamps to guide them along the dark roads and, when they arrived at the temple, they placed their lamps in the slots. The dim interior grew brighter and brighter as each worshiper put into place his or her lamp.

When all the slots were filled, the temple was ablaze with light.

The worshippers at the temple brought physical light in order to receive spiritual light for their souls. In so many ways, you are just like those villagers for you, too, need to bring light so that you find the true light of your life—Jesus Christ!

Even though you attend church in a setting where the quick flick of a switch likely will illuminate any room, this story from India spotlights a deeper lesson. When you bring the "light" of anticipation, eagerness, and expectation to a church service, most often you will encounter the risen Christ.

So many times people think the minister carries the responsibility for the service, but the congregation has just as much to do with worship as any minister! Each time a pastor steps into a pulpit, every person should be joyfully awaiting the light of God’s Word to shine on their dark souls. They should be expectant, listening for what the Word has to say individually to each of them.

Instead, the shadow of a spiritual chill causes a cold shiver in the hearts of the worshippers at too many churches.

That’s why it’s so important to bring light to find the Light! If you at your church—if people of every church—will do a few simple things as you come to worship, you will shine brighter as you light the world for God. What a tremendous difference it will make!

Let me suggest:

• First, come prepared—When you go to church, go prepared! So many people make no preparation at all for worship. Begin on Saturday night to be in readiness for Sunday morning; read Scripture or the Sunday school lesson. Then just before you leave home, meditate or say a prayer for the church, the pastor, or the people you will encounter.

Arrive on time! Take your Bible; turn to the suggested Scriptures for the service as soon as you get to your seat. Forget about your dinner plans for after the service—focus on being fed the spiritual food you so desperately need.

• Second, come seeking—Going to church should be a deliberate attempt to withdraw from the world and its confusion in an effort to find peace and revitalization.

We should go to church seeking God’s guidance for the week ahead of us; we should come seeking the peace only God can give; we should come seeking answers to the problems that face us daily. The Gospel of Luke assures us that, if indeed "we seek God, we will surely find God!" (Luke 11:9)

• Lastly, come determined to give—Many times people tell me that they go to church to receive. Certainly we want to receive the gifts of the Spirit. But I’ve found that what you receive in worship is directly related to what you are willing to give!

The person who goes to church only to get will, in the end, get nothing. I urge you to go determined to give your interest, your prayers, your devotion, your gifts and tithes, your sympathy, and your time and witness. The success of any gathering is always dependent on the people who are prepared to give themselves to the fellowship of the occasion.

You may hear people declare they have stopped going to church because they didn’t get anything out of the service.

You might well ask them: "What have you tried to give to the service in loving devotion and in humble service to those you come in contact with?"

Just as that temple in India glowed with the lamps of the worshippers, so is every church service illuminated by those who bring light to find light.

Furthermore, when the villagers take their lamps from the slots at the end of the temple service, the light helps guide them home in the dark. Are we any different? In my journey of life, I’ve discovered there is only One who can give me the light I need to make it down the dim and dark roads I must travel. His name is Jesus! Bring your light to find the Light that illumines the World!

Bishop Hayes, center, receives a DVD gift, a recording of the 2010 Memorial Service from the Texas Annual Conference. The recording contains the ritual roll-call that included his late father, Robert E. Hayes Sr., a clergyman in that Conference. Texas’ and Oklahoma’s annual conferences ran concurrently, and both memorial services were held the same evening. Bishop Hayes fulfilled his duties at the Oklahoma event while other family members attended the ceremonies in the Houston area. Joseph Harris, left, and Craig Stinson presented the gift on behalf of all the people of the Oklahoma Conference.

By Bishop Robert Hayes Jr.

I bid you greetings, grace, and peace in the matchless name of our risen Lord and Savior!

It is truly amazing to me that already I have served almost six years as the bishop of the Oklahoma Annual Conference and the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference (OIMC). I am grateful to God for sending us here and for allowing us to be in servant ministry alongside you.

Already there are people speculating about what will happen two years from now, when my current four-year assignment concludes as your episcopal leader. Let me be as clear as I can about my future and this annual conference. When the Jurisdictional Conference convenes in 2012—in Oklahoma City—the assignment of bishops is considered for the next four years. I declare this to you: If I have the endorsement of the Episcopacy Committee for both this Conference and the OIMC, I will ask to stay in Oklahoma through 2016, to culminate my ministry career in two conferences I love dearly.

I will make that request based upon the work that still must be accomplished here. We planted seeds of possibility and hope through the adoption of our Strategic Plan for this conference two years ago. We initiated a strategy to examine and enhance how we build healthy congregations; to plant new faith communities; to identify, recruit, equip, and send forth spiritual leaders. We agreed to hold ourselves accountable as we reach out to more people, more diverse people, and younger people.

I believe if we remain faithful and "follow the plan," as our 2010 Annual Conference theme suggests, the results truly will transform every place.

It has been a productive, fruitful year. I want to highlight some of it for you.

• Despite this time of national economic scarcity, the Oklahoma Conference has done more than survive—we have succeeded in doing even more with less! We will continue to do all we can to be good stewards of what you entrust to us. In comparison to other conferences across the denomination, Oklahoma has fared extremely well.
• Another shining example of fruitfulness that I want to affirm is our Volunteers In Missions ministry. Congregations engaged in missions seem to better understand their purpose and reason for being. This ministry literally has the power to transform the lives of those who are serving, as well as those who are being served. In February I traveled to Liberia with a team of volunteers. Unemployment in that nation is estimated around 85 percent; the average salary of a United Methodist clergyperson is $10 dollars a month. Last year our annual conference collected an offering of $30,000, and I am delighted to inform you the money for Liberia will go to:

—drilling 20 new water wells, at a cost of $200 each;

—$10,000 to supplement salaries of those pastors who only earn $5 a month; and

—the major portion of the funds will be used to build a elementary school.

• I have created a new position within our VIM program: coordinator of mission projects in Bolivia. This position, including salary and benefits, has been totally funded through private donations, not from our Conference budget. Rev. David Stephenson will be based in Tulsa, traveling to Bolivia regularly. Having gone to Bolivia, I saw firsthand the tremendous investment the Oklahoma Conference has in this struggling nation. It seems fitting to have a person giving full-time attention to the multitude of mission projects we have there.
• Our fruitful relationship with Oklahoma City University also continues to deepen and prosper. OCU offers tuition-free education to Oklahoma United Methodist clergy, their spouses, and other dependents. I know of no other college or university doing that! OCU is truly our school and our relationship with it has never been better. Join me in congratulating President Tom and Brenda McDaniel for their outstanding leadership, as they near retirement. Likewise, welcome Judge Robert Henry as the university’s new president, and his wife, Jan, who take up their new roles in July.
• The continued progress of the Saint Paul School of Theology at OCU is yet another glowing achievement. The dean, Dr. Elaine Robinson, was invited recently to speak to leaders of several denominations about the possibilities of training (their) candidates for ministry. That tells me the creation of this seminary has an appeal to other denominations eager to effectively train and prepare individuals for ministry. In 2011, we will celebrate the first graduating class from the seminary.

These are just a few of the positive signs that lead me to believe we are bearing fruit for Christ.

One issue consumes me at this time. It goes to the very heart of who we are and what we will be in the coming years.

For more than a year, you have heard me speak on the issue of how much it costs for a seminary education and how much debt our pastors are bearing when they finish their required studies. Our denomination’s research shows it is common for pastors to owe tens of thousands of dollars in seminary debt as they graduate and enter service at lower-salaried churches.

If we are going to recruit, equip, and send out the best pastors to fill our pulpits, then we must change the system of how we go about educating them!

The Methodist movement has always placed special emphasis on training and educating its clergy. We were literally birthed on a university campus—Oxford—and, as early as 1789, the first church publishing house in America was established by the Methodist Church to supply preachers and Sunday schools with Christian literature. (Page 13, Book of Discipline)

I announced last year that, with the help of the Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation, we would establish an endowment fund to address this issue of seminary debt. We have done that. The Leadership Investment Fund (through) Education—LIFE, as we call it—is the best investment we can make for the future of ministry in the Oklahoma Conference.

A national study by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership revealed that 48 percent of all United Methodist clergy elders are older than 55. The percentage is alarmingly small among young adult candidates for ordination as elders. At this time, only about 5 percent of provisional and ordained elders are younger than age 35.

What these statistics point out is this: Gifted and qualified young women and men desiring to go into ministry can’t afford it!

The church is poorer because we cannot attract talented individuals into a system that demands an education, but does little or nothing to help pay for it.

I intend to devote a great amount of time to building up the resources of the LIFE fund, and I ask you to share this appeal in each of your churches—and with anyone who may unite with us in this concern.

At our Bishop’s Retreats for all clergy in September, applications will be given to every clergy member seeking assistance to repay what they owe for their seminary training. We will compile those applications, assess the scope of need and, hopefully by the middle of next year, begin paying off those debts—freeing our pastors FROM these financial burdens and FOR the wonderful ministry to which God calls them.

I have seen firsthand how Oklahomans stand together to face all kinds of challenges. I recall us reaching out this year after tornadoes and hailstorms swept our state. A May letter from UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, stated that the people of the Oklahoma Conference had given more than $613,500 for relief and recovery in response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

When there is need, Oklahoma United Methodists respond. The matter of seminary indebtedness is a financial crisis that cannot go unaddressed.

We have the capacity to change the system and, with our success here in Oklahoma, the entire Church will stand up and take notice. Power is in our hands and in our pocketbooks. We will act because, as Eugene Peterson translates Paul’s letter, "God doesn’t want us to be shy with God’s gifts, but bold and loving and sensible" (II Timothy 1:7).

I unflinchingly proclaim to you that God has given all we need to face the challenges of doing ministry and missions in a world trying to find its way. God has called us to make a difference and equipped us to claim victory in the name of Jesus Christ.

We must answer God’s call boldly. If not now, when? If not us, who?

May God’s blessings be with us as we bravely continue marching to Zion!

(View the full speech by Bishop Hayes online. Go to www.okumc.org  and click "OKVideo.")

To join the bishop in support of the LIFE fund, use the form

By Bishop Robert Hayes Jr.

Look closely at the words of Charles Wesley’s hymn "And Are We Yet Alive." You will discover that it is a song written for people who gather. It speaks to the joy of being united in fellowship with one another, of difficulties and obstacles that have been overcome, and of the ever-present love that will continue until we join our Lord in the heavens above.

I’m sure that when this song was written in 1749 Wesley did not realize it would become an anthem of sorts for people called Methodists. All around the world, this great hymn is sung at annual conferences in praise and tribute to God who has been faithful all along our journey.

This will be the song we will sing, following that tradition, in just a few days at the historic Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa, as the gavel strikes and we call into session the 167th session of the Oklahoma Annual Conference, May 30-June 2.

That thought produces goose bumps as I think about the heritage that is ours as United Methodists.

Even before our country had a Declaration of Independence, the first conference of Methodist preachers was held—in Philadelphia, in 1773. At that conference, 10 ministers pledged allegiance to John Wesley’s leadership. They inaugurated a system of regular conferences for preachers, a system similar to what Wesley had instituted in England.

This led to the notable Christmas Conference of 1784, held at Lovely Lane Chapel in Baltimore, Md. The next year, the Church published its first Book of Discipline and adopted a quadrennial General Conference, "the first of which was held in 1792; drafted a Constitution in 1808; refined its structure, established a publishing house, and became an ardent proponent of revivalism and camp meeting." (United Methodist Book of Discipline, 2008, page 11)

Every year as the date nears for our Annual Conference, my excitement builds as I look forward to this very special gathering.

A reason for being

The theme for our meeting this year is: "Following the Plan—Faithful Witness, Transforming Presence." It is an obvious reference to our Strategic Plan, which was adopted two years ago. The Plan is the tool we use to hold ourselves accountable as we in Oklahoma seek to fulfill the mission of our denomination: "To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."

The reports shared at the Annual Conference will examine the ways we have carried out ministry throughout the past year, as well as set priorities and goals for the coming year. In essence, our Strategic Plan is a constant reminder of who we are and why God has placed us here for such a time as this.

Our keynote preacher for this year is Bishop Thomas Bickerton, who is episcopal leader of the Pittsburgh Area (Western Pennsylvania).

For our denomination, Bishop Bickerton has been spearheading "Nothing But Nets," a major effort to provide bedding nets in Africa to help prevent the spread of malaria.

The program has been so successful that The United Methodist Church is implementing an even more expansive program: "Imagine No Malaria." He continues to carry a key role.

Bickerton is a dynamic leader and preacher to welcome into our special time of fellowship at Tulsa. His outstanding preaching and genuine Christian spirit will inspire and challenge us.

He will speak at the opening Memorial/Communion Service on Sunday evening (May 30), and at the Service of Commissioning on Monday evening (May 31). On Tuesday evening, it will be my joy to deliver the sermon during the Service of Ordination sermon.

Internet tools open doors

Everyone is invited to these worship services. And this year, if you cannot personally attend our gathering at Boston Avenue Church, you can be a part of the activities by using the Internet.

This year our Communications Department is making it possible for anyone with access to the Internet to view the activities of our conference as they take place. You can watch live as the worship services and business sessions are conducted. The process is called live streaming.

Previously, only 1 percent of the total membership of the Oklahoma Conference has been able to experience firsthand this annual faith gathering—the joyful worship, supportive fellowship, the growth in knowledge and insight about our ministries. This year at Boston Avenue, this technology creates an opportunity to reach thousands of United Methodists across Oklahoma and beyond. You will find instructions online at www.okumc.org.

What you can do

Perhaps you are not a delegate to the annual conference. Perhaps you cannot attend in person or watch online.

Whatever your location, I ask you to do something for me. I am urging each and every United Methodist to pray for the success of our annual meeting. Your prayers will go a long way toward ensuring a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led gathering.

In just a few months I will complete my sixth year as your bishop!

I’m excited about what has taken place in Oklahoma. I’m even more excited about what will take place in the days and months to come. In whatever way you can, I invite you to share my excitement as we celebrate an ending and a new beginning as the people called United Methodists who gather to thank God for the journey!

By Bishop Robert Hayes Jr.

The disciples saw firsthand the miracle of that first Easter morning. But what if they had kept to themselves all they had seen and heard? There is another part to this timeless Christian story.

The disciples faithfully carried forward the Message from that day. Without their continuing witness, the church would not be here now.

Yes, our Easter Sunday celebrations have concluded for another year. But our transformational work is not done. On the church’s liturgical calendar, we are moving through the seven Sundays of Easter and onward to Pentecost Sunday (May 23), marking the birthday of the church.

There is no better time than now for you and me to focus on the other side of Easter. What we must do as followers of the Risen Lord is what those first disciples did: Go out and proclaim boldly the significance of that first Easter morning. Let us tell what we today have seen and heard.

Let me share with you how we can best go about the task.

The stimulus

One of the biggest problems we have in witnessing is our inability to convince other people that we know the Christ we serve.

Others look at us, at how we live. They can see clearly when a person does not know anything about the Master he or she claims to serve.

To tell others about this Risen Savior, you must have firsthand experience of encountering him. Acts 4:20 declares, "We cannot keep quiet about what we’ve seen and heard." Therefore, in order for you to witness to his death and resurrection, Jesus has to be alive in you!

In this day and age, it is not enough to cultivate a Christian personality. No longer is it sufficient to be a good example. Nor can we simply talk about this wonderful Savior and expect to lead others to Christ.

It is now necessary to live the Christian life. You and I must be willing to demonstrate those things that will produce a well-rounded Christian and person and, in doing so, we ourselves will be changed.

For Christians, we witness today by

1) what we are,

2) what we say, and

3) what we do.

The early followers of Christ were so vociferous in their witnessing that the New Testament word for witness—matureo—was transliterated into our word martyr, meaning one who dies for his or her faith.

Dear friends, the other side of Easter demands that we "go and tell" the story of this great victory for us.

Go and share the story in the same way Mary did at the tomb. Go without hesitation, just as Cleopas and the other disciple did when they broke the bread and discovered that it was the Risen Lord who had walked with them as they traveled. Speak up when the opportunity presents itself to tell people how Jesus changed you and how available he is to anyone who seeks him!

J. Ralph Grant tells about a monk in the Middle Ages. His name was Martin of Basel. He came to know Christ as his Savior, but he was reluctant to confess his faith openly.

On a piece of parchment, he wrote his confession of faith: "Oh, most merciful Christ, I know that I can be saved only by the merit of thy blood. Holy Jesus, I acknowledge thy sufferings for me. I love thee! I love thee!" But after writing that confession of faith, Martin removed a stone from the wall of his chamber and hid his confession. It was not discovered for more than 100 years!

About the same time, Dr. Grant wrote, there was another monk also named Martin. He, too, discovered the great truth of the Risen Lord and of justification by faith but, unlike Martin of Basel, he confessed his faith publicly. He declared, "My Lord has confessed me before men. I will not shrink from confessing him before kings."

And that’s just what Martin Luther did! On Oct. 31, 1517, he nailed his confession of faith, called the Ninety-five Theses, on the bulletin board of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. And thus began the Protestant Reformation.

How will your witness rally others to our Risen Lord? You may not ignite Reformations, but you can change one person at a time with the news that is too good to keep. And you yourself will be changed as well.

"O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise,

The glories of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace!

My gracious Master and my God, assist me to proclaim,

To spread through all the earth abroad the honors of thy name."

("O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing," by Charles Wesley, is No. 57 in The United Methodist Hymnal)

"Politics: Activities associated with government." (Encarta World English Dictionary)

By Bishop Robert Hayes Jr.

I seldom use this space to address matters of politics. My entire ministry is spent trying to bring people together; I don’t seek to create discord with topics that can leave people feeling separated and angry at each other. I’d rather spend my time and precious space in these newspapers on promoting the Kingdom of God and sharing words of faith, hope, and love, as contained in the Gospels.

Politics tend to divide us. Surely in this country each of us has the right to voice an opinion on any subject and every action of government—people have died to defend that right of free speech. But when I don’t believe as you believe, when you think your way is the only way to solve problems, we can become divided.

Yet an issue has come up that is so volatile I believe I must address it in this space today.

The U.S. Congress has been embroiled in a debate about health care reform. You know how heated and controversial this subject has become throughout the nation. Several weeks ago, a health care bill was signed by the U.S. president.

Upon passage of the bill in the House of Representatives, Rep. Nancy Pelosi spoke to Congress in her role as Speaker of the House. Her comments included, "The United Methodist Church supports this legislation."

United Methodists from all over America responded in a variety of ways when she said that. Some were delighted to hear our Church was apparently giving its support to the legislation, while others were dismayed. Many began asking questions of the denomination’s leadership. Some of you have contacted your pastors, district superintendents, myself, and other leaders of the Church in Oklahoma.

Who authorized such a statement? What bishop or committee gave permission to say that? What’s going on within The United Methodist Church?

Your questions are certainly legitimate. You have a right to know what our denomination speaks about this issue.

Thus I want to use this controversy as a teaching moment. I want to help all United Methodists—regardless of your stance on the subject—understand what the Church says about health care.

One voice:

The General Conference

The General Conference is the only entity that speaks on behalf of our denomination. There is no one person or one agency authorized to issue statements on behalf of the Church. The General Conference most recently met in 2008 and will meet again in 2012.

The United Methodist Book of Discipline and The Book of Resolutions contain our Constitution, Doctrine, General Rules, Social Principles, and other vital information that governs our denomination. These two books are printed every four years, after the session of the General Conference.

To understand our Church’s stance on health care and other issues, you must begin with these two books.

At the 2008 General Conference, a Theological and Historical Statement on health care was approved. It states: "The United Methodist Church is committed to health care for all in the United States and therefore advocates for a comprehensive health care delivery system that includes access for all, quality care, and effective management of costs." (Book of Resolutions, pg. 352)

A statement about health care in the Discipline includes a Biblical reference: "In Ezekiel 34:4a, God points out the failures of the leadership of Israel to care for the weak: ‘You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured.’ As a result all suffer. Like police and fire protection, health care is best funded through the government’s ability to tax each person equitably and directly fund the provider entities … We believe it is a government responsibility to provide all citizens with health care." (Book of Discipline, pgs. 117-118)

These make clear that the Church strongly endorses health care for all citizens, but not specific legislation. This stance was put into writing decades ago. U.S. political debate about health care goes back 100 years, to the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. Even earlier, United Methodists believed that providing health care to others is an important duty of Christians. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, developed ways to offer medical services at no cost to the poor in London.

Bishop Janice Huie of the Texas Conference recently wrote, "The General Board of Church & Society is the agency that has the authority to advocate (for) public policy consistent with the values and statements adopted by the General Conference and found in the Book of Discipline. It is my understanding that Speaker Pelosi’s statement actually referenced advocacy from the General Board of Church & Society on behalf of health care." (Cross Connection, the Texas Conference newspaper, April 2)

Bishop Huie, who also has served as president of the Church’s Council of Bishops, explained, "Over the years, The United Methodist Church, acting through the General Board of Church & Society and its predecessor bodies, has been involved in a number of issues" that were controversial at the time. Among those: child labor legislation, temperance legislation, civil rights legislation, disability legislation, anti-gambling legislation, and anti-pornography legislation.

The preface to our Social Principles, contained in the Discipline, says it well: "The United Methodist Church has a long history of concern for social justice. Its members have often taken forthright positions on controversial issues involving Christian principles."

Huie also points to a posting by Paul Brown, a graduate student at Duke University, on the UMC Facebook site: "Sisters and brothers, our unity is grounded in Jesus Christ—not in the details of health care reform. As a church that includes both Hillary Clinton and George W. Bush as members, we are free to disagree on various social issues, but we remain united in one Lord, one faith, and one baptism."

May it be so.