Support UM News on World Press Freedom Day: Give to help sustain and expand the storytelling capacity of UM News. Your donation today will transform information into inspiration and ensure we can continue sharing stories of God’s work in the world through The UMC. Help us reach our $10,000 goal and keep this vital ministry fair, faithful, trusted and free for all!

You Are Not Alone

Tampa, Florida, May 2, 2012—World Council of Churches General Secretary Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit addressed the 2012 General Conference of The United Methodist Church, lifting up the ecumenical movement as a way forward together for Christians beset by days of fear and uncertainty.

“You have affirmed that making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world is your mission,” Tveit said, referring to the theme of the General Conference. “You do so amidst many unknowns….This call to costly discipleship and mutual accountability is an ecumenical call,” he said.

Offering his sermon during a worship service that celebrated ecumenism, Tveit said he heard a “new ecumenical affirmation of mission” while traveling recently in the Philippines. “We need mission in and from the many margins,” he urged, “where Christ reveals himself in the reality as it is.”

At the margins, he indicated, he has heard the “painful and powerful” testimonies of those who face oppression. “As disciples of the church,” he said, “they offered a prophetic word for justice and peace against their fear, through grassroots advocacy, educational programs, and common prayer.”

Dr. Tveit called on Christians around the world to accompany Christian minorities in the Middle East, stating that without this presence, “the conviviality among peoples from different faiths, cultures, [and] civilizations, which is a sign of God’s love for all humanity, will be endangered.”

He spoke of the World Council of Church’s Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine/Israel and said it is meant to “encourage all in power to see and change what is the reality of so many ordinary people in their daily life: Occupation, fear, harassments, even violence. We cannot speak about balance where there is no balance, when one part is occupying, and another has been occupied,” he said.

“Jesus, who walks on troubled waters, would have us work together all the more as Christians and also with those of other faiths to calm the seas of the world,” Tveit said, referring to the day’s gospel reading from the book of Mark and lifting up the “essential kernels of the gospel—justice, peace, and love.”

Dr. Tveit underscored that while we may not fully understand the mystery of Christ or how to advance his love in the midst of uncertainty, we can do something. “The common journey causes us to recognize that we can move before knowing everything,” he said.

“What we do know are the words of our Savior to us as we struggle in the boat together, ‘Take heart, it is I; have no fear!’”


Like what you're reading? Support the ministry of UM News! Your support ensures the latest denominational news, dynamic stories and informative articles will continue to connect our global community. Make a tax-deductible donation at ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Subscribe Now
Social Concerns
Bishop Julius C. Trimble. Photo by Tessa Tillett for the Indiana Conference.

Love demands compassionate response, prophetic witness

United Methodists have a long history of advocating for the needs of others. Today, that call continues.
Theology and Education
Cliff White. Photo courtesy of the author.

Why our church is in trouble

United Methodist leaders should stop pursuing ideological goals and instead focus on making disciples of Jesus Christ, says a longtime church member.
Church Leadership
Anna Riddle. Photo by Heather Gaydeski Photography.

Carrie Parrish's legacy holds lessons for today

A trailblazer for women clergy in The United Methodist Church, Parrish championed equality and fought to tear down barriers in her day.

United Methodist Communications is an agency of The United Methodist Church

©2025 United Methodist Communications. All Rights Reserved