Churches challenged to be Welcoming Congregations
100% welcoming

As dean of the Cabinet, the Rev. Kim Cape, McAllen District superintendent, made a stirring challenge to the annual conference with these words: “Friends, we’re dying!”
She cited the fact that for the second year in a row, we have had a net loss of membership across the conference.
“Two years in a row is a trend,“ she said.
Now you might want to argue with that statement or consider it an exaggeration, but I hope it gets your attention anyway. Her report on behalf of the Cabinet got my attention about that loss of membership in a new way.
In addition to the dean of the Cabinet, Jay Brim, the conference lay leader, extended a similar challenge. He called for more churches to become “Certified Welcoming Congregations.” This designation is earned by churches that participate in The United Methodist Church’s program of Igniting Ministry for the purpose of learning how to live up to the “Open Doors” portion of our national slogan: “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.”
Cape claimed that if 50 percent of the congregations throughout the conference became Welcoming Congregations, it would make a difference in reversing any membership trend.
Brim made it easy to begin taking a look at how welcoming our congregations actually are with handouts he distributed to lay members.
Let’s go all the way in the Corpus Christi District. Let’s have 100 percent of our churches earn this designation.
On Saturday, Sept. 24, Doug Cannon, conference communications and public witness director, will be here to conduct a workshop from 9:30 a.m. to noon at a central location in the district. He will introduce the Welcoming Congregation material to us and give us practical information that we can take back home and use to earn this designation, and more importantly, to open our doors to offer Christ to all.
I know what you’re going to say. “We are already a welcoming and loving congregation. Everyone can tell that when they visit us.”
I guarantee that 100 percent of the churches in our conference would make that claim. If that’s true, then why are so many of our churches stable or dying? There’s a disconnect somewhere.
I’m intensely proud to be a disciple of Jesus Christ serving through The United Methodist Church. I want others to experience what I have experienced as a United Methodist. I care about whether or not my children and grandchildren will have the option of being United Methodists in the future. I hope you feel the same way.
Make plans now for your church to be represented Sept. 24.