The General Conference of 1992 reclaimed the Creator’s vision by asserting that the mission of the church is to be “discerning, unrestricted, and all-inclusive: wise and visionary in formulation, global in focus, and including all persons in God’s world.” The same year—nearly three decades ago—The United Methodist Church faithfully birthed the Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry as part of God’s scandalous and enigmatic actions to reaffirm the inclusion of people from diverse cultural identities, family traditions, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, and political affiliations.
The legislation submitted to General Conference by Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry is not only a confirmation that God is “making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” but also a roadmap to continue that discerning, unrestricted, and all-inclusive vision as we move on to new realities and dynamics of the third decade of the 21st century.