Where is the United Methodist Church going in the next 25 to 30 years?

This is a question which I received from a member of the congregation earlier this year.

This is a great question, which I am not sure that I am equipped to answer fully with all of its implications. I will answer where I hope the United Methodist Church is going in the next 25 to 30 years, which may not be where it actually goes. My hope first of all is that the UMC continues to be faithful to God's call. I believe that the particular way of understanding faith as United Methodists is a way that will continue to produce fruit in God's kingdom. Every day when I am at church, I pray for renewal within the United Methodist Church, spiritual revival in the state and for Resurrection to be faithful to her vision, mission and journey. My hope is that the United Methodist Church will continue to rediscover and renew the practices of John Wesley and the early Methodists - meeting in small groups, a fervor for spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, and a flexibility in using whatever means are necessary to make disciples of Jesus Christ and "spread scriptural holiness across the land" (John Wesley).

What do you think?