United Methodism, like the early church, ministers amid its struggles and difficulties, Yrigoyen noted. Sometimes the Gospel succeeds because of what we do. Often the Gospel succeeds in spite of what we do. Tom Butcher and Dan Morley of the Desert Southwest Annual Conference were among those invited to give prophetic responses during the meeting. It's no big deal to blow people away in a drive-by shooting.
Violence is the result of the fact that life is taken so lightly.
Deer said she hoped that racism and greed would not survive into the new millenium. Kathy Thomas Sano, staff executive for the National Federation of Asian American United Methodists, ticked off a list of dreams, including effective ways to be in ministry with changing ethnic populations in the United States and greater collegiality with United Methodists in other countries. The global issue emerged as a significant concern during the event. The United Methodist Church has 8.5 million members in the United States and more than a million in Africa, Europe and the Philippines. Participants expressed concern about a perception that United Methodism is a U.S. church with overseas appendages.