A Worldwide Work Crew

One of the issues debated at the 2008 General Conference of The United Methodist Church concerned constitutional amendments intended to help us move into becoming more of a worldwide church rather than a U.S. church with foreign outposts. These amendments--23 of them altogether-- have been sent for consideration to the Annual Conferences around the world. I was a strong supporter of these amendments, but I will not be surprised if the amendments do not receive the needed 2/3 majority.

In the meantime, the worldwide church is a reality, or at least it was for our work crew at the Zimunya Skills Training Centre the week of July 27 to 31.

Some of us flew thousands of miles to be there for a few days of work. Others of us walked several kilometers to get there each day. Some of us rode in a private omnibus to arrive at the site. Others of us rode in the back of a pick up truck to get there.

We were American, and we were African. We were skilled, and we were unskilled. We were male, and we were female. We were young, and we were--not so young! We were tall, and we were--not so tall.

Some of us knew exactly what needed to be done at the building site, and others of us didn't have a clue. Some of us spoke English more fluently than Shona fluently, while others of us spoke Shona more fluently than English. Some of us were familiar with hard work, while others of us discovered surprising aches and pains after just a few hours of moving bricks. And yet we were a crew--a team.

We moved bricks together, making neat stacks where they were needed. We shared work gloves with one another. We took "breathing breaks" together. We shared "beverage breaks" together. We took a "sugar cane break" together. We talked together. We laughed together. We looked to the future together. We became friends together.

The worldwide church? It was there at the Zimunya Skills Training Centre the last week in July with a worldwide work crew. And the rest of the church just needs to catch up.