“The early church proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ in a diverse world. We, too, must be passionate and fruitful through the power of the Holy Spirit, as we engage the multicultural context of our own time. — Paul Leeland

The Next Step

We believe this is a particularly important time for the United Methodist family to identify leadership committed to our Wesleyan heritage of balance with passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We turn to Paul Leeland as our nominee because we see him as one who teaches the doctrines of our Church, who knows and embraces our Discipline, who offers a prophetic voice with a pastoral heart, and who participates in leading us in our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

“My great-grandmother encouraged me to read the writings of E. Stanley Jones once I shared God’s calling upon my life,” Paul recalls. “In one of his devotionals, E. Stanley Jones ended the daily reading with this prayer: Lord, I don’t need to see the whole journey; I just need to see the next step.”

“This prayer has become a cornerstone of my ministry, my partnership with others, and my baptism. It is also my prayer for The United Methodist Church; we just need to see the next step. May we truly be obedient and faithful in following the Holy Spirit as each step unfolds.”