Whenever anyone says, these are the “Ten commandments of…” you are about to read decisive and constitutional ideas that are foundational for something that is very important and strategic to success and healthy relationships. Quite a number of years ago, I wrote a piece about pastoral transitions which I want to share with you now. I have changed the names, but the principles are still the same. How many of these commands will you be able to fulfill in the coming months?

As I reflect on my journey with this incredible church family, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for the time we have spent together. When I began my role in September 2019, I could never have imagined the challenges and triumphs we would face as a community. From navigating a global pandemic to overcoming immigration hurdles, we have truly witnessed the power of grace, support, and unwavering faith.

Throughout these years, your continuous and selfless support has been a source of immense strength for me. Your kindness and compassion have made all the difference, and I am deeply grateful for each one of you. It is with a full heart that I extend my thanks to you all.

The pandemic brought unprecedented challenges, yet it also revealed the depth of our resilience and unity. Together, we adapted to new ways of worship and connection, ensuring that our faith remained a beacon of hope and love during uncertain times. Your commitment to staying connected, even when physical distance was required, is a testament to the strength of our community.

Navigating immigration challenges was another significant aspect of my journey with you. Your unwavering support and encouragement helped me through some of the most difficult moments. Knowing that I had a community standing with me made all the difference, and I am eternally grateful for your prayers, understanding, and assistance.

As my time with you comes to a close this July, I am reminded of the incredible impact we have made together in our surrounding community. Our efforts to extend the love of Christ beyond the walls of our church have touched countless lives. Yet, there is still so much more to be done. The needs of our community are great, and our values and love are more crucial than ever. I urge you all to continue prioritizing outreach and direct impact. The love of Christ, which surpasses all human understanding, is a powerful force that can bring healing and hope to those in need. By reaching beyond our doors, we can make a lasting difference in the lives of many and embody the true essence of our faith.

Although, I am excited about pursuing my dream of a career in conducting and education. This new chapter is as dreamy to me as the work I have done in our community and ministry. I have never seen it as less significant. I am equally passionate about working with all of you as I am about conducting a professional orchestra or teaching at a major university. This dream fuels my spirit, just as serving our community has done.

I am also sincerely excited about the future of OHFUMC. New beginnings may seem scary or confusing, but I already know they will allow for fresh talents and ideas to come through and take the congregation to a new era. I can already see a lot of amazing possibilities and beautiful work by all of you. Don't panic, God is with us.

In closing, I want to thank you once again for the wonderful years we have shared. Your support has been a profound blessing in my life. Let us continue to be a beacon of hope and love in our community, never forgetting the importance of our mission and the power of our faith.

With heartfelt gratitude and love,

Sebastian Serrano-Ayala

PS. If you want to keep an eye on my whereabouts feel free to follow any of these links I keep consistently updated, there are a few musical adventures planed for the summer.

Greetings beloved church family! What a joy to be able to address you once again in this format. Some of you may recall that in 2019 I was elected by the lay members of the PNW Annual Conference to be a Reserve Delegate to the 2020 Jurisdictional Conference. That also meant being a part of the combined General/Jurisdictional Delegation from the PNW Conference. Of course, that commitment ended up being four years longer than any of us anticipated!

In November 2022, there was a special session called of Jurisdictional Conference in Salt Lake City, UT, in which we elected three new bishops, including our bishop, Cedrick Bridgeforth. At the time, I shared with you about the experience of being a part of that work. But, General Conference was not able to take place until this year.

Our PNW Conference is relatively small compared to many Annual Conferences, therefore we only have two seated voting members to General Conference (one clergy, one lay). We have one of each reserve and then on to Jurisdictional Conference delegates, of which we have five each. Finally, our conference has three Jurisdictional reserve delegates of each, though because of required postponements, we are down to two reserve clergy and one reserve lay member (me!). Because we are so few in numbers, our Conference made the decision to send all our main JC delegates to General Conference to be observers in legislative committees and help our seated GC delegates.

Starting on April 23rd, we were finally able to gather as a global body to hold the postponed 2020 General Conference (yes, in 2024) in Charlotte, NC. Because I am a reserve delegate to Jurisdictional Conference, I had not planned to attend. However, four days before the conference started, I was informed that another lay member of our team was unable to attend, and I was invited to go in her place. Wow, talk about short notice! Recognizing this was an opportunity I may never have again, I said yes to attending the first week of General Conference.

Our PNW Delegation had many conversations about our values and focus for General Conference over the last five years. A big focus came down to the Three Rs: Regionalization, Revised Social Principles, and Removal of Harmful Language.

Regionalization means that the United States would become its own region, allowing us to adapt certain parts of the Book of Discipline (the book that outlines the law, doctrine, administration, and organizational work of the UMC) to fit our ministry context. Central Conferences (areas outside of the US, including Africa, the Philippines, and Europe) have already had the ability to adapt the BOD for their contexts. With regionalization, Central Conferences would become regions as well. Ultimately this allows a global church to be a part of the same body, but not restricted to the context of only one part of the world. The regionalization legislation was approved at General Conference. Since it will involve an amendment to the church’s constitution, it will need ratification in each Annual Conference with at least two-thirds majority vote.

United Methodists around the world contributed to the 8-year process of updating the UMC’s written Social Principles. They are split into four sections and subsections of community: Community of All Creation (Creation in Peril, Stewardship of Creation), The Economic Community (Economic Challenges, Economic Justice), The Social Community (The Nurturing Community, Other Social Issues), and The Political Community (Government Responsibilities, Basic Rights and Freedoms). Delegates approved the revisions to the Social Principles, which marks the first overhaul of the document in almost 50 years.

For decades, LGBTQ+ persons have been called to ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church. But starting in 1972 restrictive language was present in the Book of Discipline that stated, “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching,” and that “self-avowed, practicing homosexuals” could not be ordained. That led hundreds of God-called ministry candidates to live their life in the closet, give up on pursuing ordained ministry, or leave the church altogether, feeling unwelcomed and unwanted. Many faithful Christians disagree with that stance and the traditional view that has been held up for so long. In an historic move, the General Conference delegates voted overwhelmingly to remove the harmful language in the Book of Discipline.

Our PNW delegation is excited that our main items of focus were in agreement with the majority of delegates and therefore approved at General Conference. We also recognize that not all United Methodists agree on some of these topics. These decisions do not mean that the United Methodist Church is automatically a “progressive” denomination across the board. Rather, it means that we are an open and welcoming worldwide church that includes Christ-followers with a variety of views, joined together in our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. I hope each of you will continue that journey with us.

These three topics of discussion were certainly not the only items of work at General Conference. If you’d like to read more about what was accomplished at GC, check out the resource page on the PNW website at: https://www.pnwumc.org/gc2020.

Thanks for taking the time to read my (lengthy) reflections on General Conference 2020 (in 2024)! If you’d like to chat about anything that took place, I’d love to connect with you after church some Sunday.

Erin Tombaugh
erin.tombaugh@gmail.com