“You can make a difference.” I’ve heard that phrase a lot throughout my life, and I’ve often wondered if I truly can make a difference as just one person. I’ve never gotten involved in legislative change in either the United Methodist Church or on a political level. I’ve been amid, maybe a little scared, but I’ve also thought whether I could even move the needle for change.
In the fall of 2023, I began to get involved with a group of young United Methodists who were beginning to work on some legislative ideas for creating a more robust parental leave policy for clergy in the United Methodist Church. This work began after Bishop Carcaño’s trial in September 2023, in the California-Nevada Conference, which included some challenges for a clergywoman’s maternity leave. Over the course of these last few years of Zoom meetings and heavy theological and political work, a proposed legislation has been written and put together to propose to United Methodist Conferences across the denomination to increase parental leave for clergy to thirteen weeks, which includes live birth, adoption, and foster care (which had not previously been recognized). I’ve been working on this for a few years now, attending Zoom meetings across the connection and working to propose this policy in the Iowa United Methodist Church for this year’s Annual Conference held in Des Moines on June 13-15. I’m nervous and excited to see where things land on the voting floor at Annual Conference this year. I’m now serving a term on The Commission on the Status and Role of Women from my work on this legislative proposal. (COSROW works for the full inclusion of women in the life of the United Methodist Church.) Our team at COSROW welcomes your prayers as this important proposal will be voted on at Annual Conference this year.
I’ve never done anything like this. I’ve learned a lot in the process about the legislative system in the United Methodist Church, and I know that whether this passes this year or not, that I am making a difference, and you can, too! –
Pastor Kristina