Beyond These Walls Conference Propels Missions

By Paul Lawler

The Global Methodist Church recently served as the primary sponsor of the Beyond These Walls Conference, drawing over 600 participants from the United States, Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa to the campus of The Woodlands Methodist Church in the Houston, Texas metroplex.

The conference featured speakers, Dr. Jerry Kulah, Dean of the Graduate Program at the United Methodist University in Liberia, Rev. Dr. David Platt, Senior Pastor of McClean Bible Church in Washington D.C., and the popular author and communicator, Danielle Strickland. Mark Swayze and a dynamic team of musicians and vocalists led worship.

The conference included a series of TED style talks wed with workshops in evangelism, church planting, discipleship, and gospel-centered community development from many of the finest practitioners from around the world.

“The conference was just a taste of what the Global Methodist Church aspires to be,” said Ms. Cara Nicklas, Chairwoman of the GM Church’s Transitional Leadership Council. “The blend of different languages, cultures, and the challenging speakers made this one of those conferences that will continue to pierce our hearts and fire our imaginations for years to come.”

As the conference reached its conclusion on Saturday, the Global Missional Partnership Team of the Global Methodist Church announced it is in the process of building a web-based missions portal called the Wesleyan Network for Global Mission. The portal will serve to equip local churches on a global level in fulfilling the Great Commission through identifying apostolic leaders, equipping in best practices, and aiding local churches in becoming Great Commission congregations by fanning the flame of Scripture informed, Christ-exalting, worship-based prayer.

The portal will serve as the entry point for mission organizations and ministries to apply to become official partners of the Global Methodist Church, will operate in the heart language of respective cultures, and will eventually serve as an active archive of “best practices” in evangelism, discipleship, church planting and mission in respective regions of the world.

Mission organizations and ministries that become designated “global strategic partners” will be fully vetted and meet the criteria for partnerships with local churches that seek to engage in mission throughout the world. The Global Methodist Church has made the conscious choice of not building a top-heavy hierarchical denominational structure for world mission. Thus, the establishment of global strategic partners will maximize the optimization of resources reaching the front lines in regions of great need throughout the world.

While the Wesleyan Network for Global Mission portal is a work of the new, Global Methodist Church, the information and resources it provides will be made available in order to serve the entire pan-Wesleyan movement.

“The passion for global missions was palpable throughout the conference,” said the Rev. Keith Boyette, the GM Church’s Chief Connectional Officer. “We go from strength to strength as new local churches join us to make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.”

You can learn more about the Global Methodist Church by exploring its website. 

Rev. Paul Lawler is the senior pastor at Christ Church in Memphis, Tennessee.