Boyette said Jones had been part of the 2020 gathering that produced a statement outlining a vision for what became the Global Methodist Church, but they had not discussed any potential role for the bishop within the denomination until after Jones retired.
The bishop was “very insistent on observing those appropriate boundaries,” said Boyette.
Jones maintains he provided a process that allowed clergy and local churches to make “a genuine discernment.”
“And I provided high quality, accurate information that helped people see what was going on,” he said. “For example, I said the United Methodist Church is going to be moving in a progressive direction over the next several years. The only question is how far will it go and how fast? I was criticized for telling people that, but I believe it’s the truth.”
The Global Methodist Church’s nine provisional annual conferences and districts are now holding convening gatherings. By the time its three Texas conferences — Mid-Texas, Great Plains and Eastern Texas — finished meeting earlier this month, Jones said they had ordained about 120 new clergy and received a number of United Methodist clergy, who can transfer their credentials to the new denomination.
It’s difficult to build something from scratch, the bishop said, but he believes the Global Methodist Church has a lot of potential.
“It’s exciting to be in a community of people who are focused on worshipping passionately, loving extravagantly and witnessing boldly. I love that mission statement and look forward to being a part of it,” he said.
At the same time, he wishes the best for the denomination that was his home for so long.
“They can reach people that the Global Methodist Church will never reach, and that’s a good thing.”
This article originally appeared here.
