We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
Peter Scholtes, 1966*
A Call to Stand Together
Please support the Mountain Sky Area
Vital Congregations Sustentation Fund
With the election, consecration, and appointment of Bishop Karen Oliveto this summer, the Western Jurisdiction crossed a new threshold in our search to live into being the church we believe God is calling us to be – a church embracing all of God’s children and empowering every follower to fully live into their God-given vocation. Those gathered in Arizona felt the Spirit at work as they decided to elect and consecrate our denomination’s first openly lesbian Bishop. In doing so, we pledged to stand together and support one another in this continuing work.
We now invite you to stand with us supporting congregations and brother and sister pastors in need. We seek your prayers and your monetary gifts.
As we crossed the threshold, there has been stress in some of our most theologically diverse congregations. Some have lost members. Others have had members withdraw their financial support. We believe theological diversity is critical for the vitality of The United Methodist Church. We seek to help our churches as we live into this new future. All our churches throughout the Mountain Sky Area play a vital role in witnessing to the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their communities. We remain committed to all churches in our area.
That is why the Mountain Sky Area is creating a Mountain Sky Vital Congregations Sustentation Fund to provide churches with short-term financial assistance as we move toward the day when God’s hopeful vision of all being included in The United Methodist Church becomes fully real. This fund is especially needed where a pastor’s compensation is at risk. Allocated funds for equitable compensation support will be exhausted before the need is met. And, importantly, by Discipline, equitable compensation funds cannot be used for part-time pastors in the same situation.
The Yellowstone Conference will hold the money donated to the Mountain Sky Area Vital Congregations Sustentation Fund. It will be administered by the Cabinets of the Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain annual conferences in conjunction with the Treasurers of the Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain annual conferences and the Western Jurisdiction.
Your help is needed!
As committed workers in God’s field, we invite you to stand together with us through your financial support of this fund. Tax-deductible contributions should be sent to the Yellowstone Conference Office, PO Box 20335, Billings, MT 59104 (checks made to Yellowstone Conference, noted for the MSA Sustentation Fund). Online donations can be made on the Yellowstone Conference website: http://bit.ly/MSASustentationFund.
We thank you for your support.
Yours in Christ,
Yellowstone Conference & Rocky Mountain Conference Cabinets
First elected delegates of Western Jurisdictional Conference:
Jeffrey Kuan
Jim Nibbelink
Emily Allen
Jan Nelson
Dan Hurlbert
Cedrick Bridgeforth
Marie Kuch-Stanovsky
Mary Huycke
Doug Palmer
Kent Ingram
Tyler Amundson
Rosie Rios
Don McCammon
Carlo Rapanut
Jo Anne Hayden
Donna Pritchard
*Copyright, F.E.L. Publications
