LAKELAND — The Florida Conference’s local Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR) ministry is in the beginning stages of redefining its focus and mission.

Representatives from the group met July 2 at Ebenezer United Methodist Church in Orlando with Florida Conference staff members to discuss the status of the group and its direction for the future.

BMCR is the denomination’s African-American caucus, with local groups across the denomination and representing nearly 300,000 black United Methodists. It was organized in 1968 as a forum for black Methodists to define issues and develop strategies for change within the now 8.4 million-member United Methodist Church. It aims to empower black Methodists for effective witness and service; involve them in the struggle for economic justice; and expose racism at all levels of the church, including its agencies and related institutions, according to a recent United Methodist News Service article.

Key issues highlighted at the Orlando meeting included BMCR being classified as a part of the Florida Conference Council on Ministries, being the body to bring forth minority church issues, promoting diversity throughout the conference and holding churches accountable for their actions.

BMCR will meet Sept. 13 at Riverview United Methodist Church in Tampa in hopes of building on the momentum established at the Orlando meeting.

The group is reviving itself much like the Ethnic Local Church Concerns (ELCC) ministry has done in recent months. BMCR has been criticized in the past for having a purpose and goals that are vague and lack action and direction. Now that the group has met and worked through those issues, its members are optimistic about BMCR’s future.

After the meeting, BMCR President Lawrence Barriner said the group is ready to move forward.

“We want to be the catalyst for shaping the denomination,” said Barriner, who has been a member of the organization since 1991. “We need to have a firm foundation that we can grow on, have goals and objectives that can shape the Florida Conference.”

Calvin McFadden said he envisions BMCR being viewed as a viable caucus in the United Methodist Church and recognized as one of the voices for people of color.

“I do think that BMCR is still needed,” he said. “However, I would like for the local BMCR to come together in the spirit of love and unity and develop some concrete goals, projects and initiatives for supporting and strengthening the Black Church.”

It’s possible BMCR could partner with the Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century initiative, which has established 25 Black Congregational Resource Centers in the United States to organize and train resource teams of laity and clergy.

New Life Community United Methodist Church in Jacksonville is the designated site within Florida for Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century.

Cedric Lewis, director of community development at New Life, said the purpose of the program is revitalizing and transforming black churches.

The New Life church, led by the Rev. Candace Lewis, is seven years old and has a variety of ministries and programs, with more planned in the coming months. A group of 26 people from around the country visited the church to learn more about how it has achieved its goals.

Cedric Lewis said the churches participating in the seminar entered into a covenant with New Life to use its models and information. The relationship will also provide emotional and implemental support to the churches so they are not alone in their ministry endeavors.

“We began partnerships with the churches that came,” he said. “We will follow up with the churches in six months and then again in a year. By churches looking at us, we are demonstrating this can be done. We’re not doing things from a textbook. We’re showing churches how to reinvent themselves.”

Lewis said just as churches are reinventing themselves to find their place in a changing society, so must BMCR.