Dear Pastors,
The Northeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops issued the following pastoral letter today. While I know that many of you and those in your congregations are praying regularly for the upcoming special session of the General Conference either on your own, through the Praying Our Way Forward initiative at UMCPrays or through the 40 Days of Prayer launched in our Western Pennsylvania Conference, I hope that you will consider this request to lift the special session in prayer during worship this coming Sunday.
From the Bishops of the NEJ:
We bid you grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
During the Northeastern College of Bishops meeting, January 28th – 30th, we your Bishops prayed for the Church and in particular the clergy and laity of the Northeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church.
As the Special Session of the General Conference in St. Louis, MO, February 23-26, 2019, is just days away, we invite each congregation and every member to join us in even deeper and more fervent prayer. We seek your prayers as the delegates receive and act upon the report from The Commission on a Way Forward and corresponding petitions. Along with the Apostle Paul, we pray that the “God of hope will fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope in the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13 CEB).
Please lift this session of holy conferencing in prayer in each of your churches this Sunday and throughout the week. On Saturday, February 23, the General Conference will dedicate the entire day to prayer. This will be available through live-streaming (umc.org/live) and we invite as many as possible to pray along with the Conference delegates, Bishops and attendees.
We are confident that God will work all things together for good as God’s people are faithful in prayer and obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit. As John Wesley said, “Best of all, God is with us.”
