Bishop Graves and the Cabinet are living into the discipleship priorities differently these days. With a commitment to preparing congregants and pastors for cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments, we recently sent a team of three leaders to the Facing the Future 2025 Conference presented by the General Commission on Race and Religion. 

One of the presenters and leaders of the conference was our very own, Rev. Dr. Stephen Handy, pastor of McKendree UMC and District Superintendent of the Urban Cohort District.  Dr. Handy, along with healthcare executive Michael Pope, led a workshop focused on “Strengthening Intercultural Competency In Congregations.” 

The TWK team of three, led by Rev. Dr. Cynthnia Talley, is currently working within the Red River District on a pilot project to help us improve our processes and approaches to cross-racial, cross-cultural appointment making. We are grateful for all of these leaders and the extra time, learning, and leadership they are offering to help us prepare for the future! 

Below, Rev. Sharlet Panhalkar, offers a reflection from her experience.

I often reflect on the purpose behind my writing and strive to connect with my audience. This connection is crucial because it allows me to share my experiences and insights in a way that inspires hope. My prayer is to uplift my clergy friends who bravely navigate the challenges of discrimination while they continue to serve diligently in ministry and various professions. Through this sharing, I hope to breathe life into their struggles and affirm their contributions.

Women in ministry face numerous challenges. It is through our shared narratives that we find the courage to disrupt and dismantle various forms of -isms in our society. One of the helpful ways is to find support groups, resources, and opportunities to empower Cross-Racial Cross-Cultural ministry (CRCC). I am very grateful for our TWK Conference for giving me the learning opportunity to attend the Facing the Future 2025 Conference, organized by GCORR (The General Commission on Race and Religion).

I wanted to share a brief reflection on my recent experience at the Facing the Future 2025 Conference in Los Angeles, CA.

The conference was a wonderful opportunity for renewal. I particularly valued the spirit-filled worship, transformative workshops, honest conversations, and the healing sense of community. It was especially grounding and supportive to be surrounded by nationwide ethnic clergy friends within our United Methodist connection. We shared a common space to process the shared grief through different workshops, bible study, prayer, praise, and worship.

We were revived and refreshed to celebrate our diversity and the vital ministry we bring in cross-racial and cross-cultural ministry.

We were grounded in the image of “Familia” – an embodiment of siblings in Christ. This year’s theme was centered around the scripture from 1 Kings 19:7-8 (AMP)  Then the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched Elijah and
said, “Get up, and eat, for the journey is too long for you without adequate sustenance.”

Rejoice in God’s presence and in the joy of ministry.
Recenter your soul and calling.
Revive with strength and clarity for the journey ahead.

Reflection on Time in the Cave:

Ministry often leads us to spend time in a metaphorical cave, where we may experience feelings of thirst, personal sorrow, isolation, or burnout. This environment can be challenging and isolating us from the support we need to refresh and renew our soul. A cave can be the place of deep darkness, a crisis of faith, or it can become a sanctuary where one experiences oneness with God and finds complete surrender. Darkness cannot conceal the spirit of God, for even in the deepest gloom, God’s presence shines through. After all, the cave is part of the Jesus Resurrection story—a symbol of the transformation that comes after the darkness. It is a passage we must journey through, but we are not meant to go alone.

As pastors, we occasionally find ourselves navigating the challenging depths of ministry life, similar to traversing caves that help to refine us. In these moments, God dismantles our protective barriers—those achievements and successes we often cling to for validation. These experiences compel us to confront and surrender our pride, jealousy, and tendencies toward comparison, guiding us toward a deeper surrender to God’s restorative ways.

In moments of fear and solitude, it is essential to remember that God is present in our caves, providing care and support. These caves, often perceived as burdens, are actually gifts that offer transformative experiences. They allow us to find joy, regain our focus, and rejuvenate our spirits.

Beloveds, God calls us to plant the seeds of our “Being” within our communities, nurturing the soil, enriching the ground, and allowing His love to flow through us into deep darkness, fostering new life in the souls entrusted to us. As we engage in this labor, we will undoubtedly face challenges like birth pangs for childbirth, yet we hold onto the promise that God will accompany us, affirming His presence as our guide. We go into the world in the name of the One who calls us a beloved mess to see the beloved messiness in others.

All are welcome in the life of the United Methodist Church; it is the heart of who we are as United Methodists.

And so we go with a renewed sense of Being, Belonging, and Becoming as a person who God has called me to be.

All Glory be to God.

Rev. Sharlet Panhalkar

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