General Conference opens with hope
Personal ministry makes disciples
UMC formally admits Ivory Coast
Madam President, Mama President
Church retains stance on human sexuality
Pain and protest: A Good News response
Young people: a church to call home
Doubts arise following cellphone gifts
Sometimes a cellphone is just a cellphone
Deeds, not words, make disciples
Former abortion clinic owner shares story
U.S. Christians don't feel persecution pain
Moved by the "water and the Spirit"
Church key to fighting AIDS crisis
Episcopal address focuses on hope
General Conference tackles global issues
Points of order, points of grace
CONFERENCE COMMENTARY
United Methodist teambuilding: Acevedo
Looking to the future with hope: Hamilton
Priorities transcend differences: McCurry
The dilemma of 3 Simple Rules: Reisman
COLUMNS
Editorial Reflections on the 2008 General Conference
RENEW Women's Network Aftermath
Culture in View To Be a Friend of Caspian
Next Generation Responding to Speakaphobia
The Great Commission Brokenness
From the Hear Prison Praise
The United Methodist Church in Côte d’Ivoire, the largest regional conference of the worldwide denomination with almost 700,000 members, has received its full rights and responsibilities during the 2008 General Conference. As a result, United Methodists in the West African country, which has only two delegates at this General Conference, will receive significantly greater representation at future assemblies.
“We are today fully united in the church,” said Bishop Benjamin Boni, leader of the Côte d’Ivoire Annual Conference, “and members in Côte d’Ivoire share together fully with others in The United Methodist Church.”
With 677,355 members, the Côte d’Ivoire conference becomes by far the largest in the United Methodist Church. By comparison, Virginia, the largest regional conference in the United States, has 341,264 lay members.
The French-speaking Methodist Protestant Church of Côte d’Ivoire became autonomous in 1985. It was founded years earlier by British Methodist missionaries.
“The church is a worldwide community, but after becoming autonomous we felt separated, cut off and turned in to ourselves,” Boni said, explaining why Côte d’Ivoire Methodists want to join the denomination.
“This is an historical occasion for The United Methodist Church,” said Bishop Janice Riggle Huie of Houston, immediate past president of the denomination’s Council of Bishops. “I am excited to welcome the Côte d’Ivoire Annual Conference as a full partner. We are connected with a bond that cannot be broken.”
She noted that the Texas Annual Conference, which she leads, has a close and active partnership with Côte d’Ivoire. Huie said the Texas-Côte d’Ivoire partnership is a reciprocal one. It initially involves health ministries—initially mosquito nets used in malaria control. It is expected to grow to include education and communications.
“It is a fully equal partnership in which both give and both received. We in Texas have much to learn from our friends in (the Ivory Coast). They know how to grow churches, are forthright in proclamation of faith and know how to community with people. They practice personal and social holiness, establishing hospitals, schools and communications outlets. They know that Christ changes the whole person, not only the soul,” she said.
Elliiot Wright is the public information officer of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
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