Should we care (and does it matter) that the Indiana UMC’s headquarters will be relocating to a suburban corporate business park?

It looks like the Indiana conference of the United Methodist church (my conference) is moving their headquarters to a business park.  Not A  good decision.

What kind of message does it send for a church to be headquartered in  a corporate business park?   What does it say that the Bishop moved his offices out of the city and into the suburbs?

I understand that the new statewide conference needs more office space in one centralized location. I have no problem with that.  I just don’t see Jesus, the early Christians, or John Wesley basing their movement in a privately owned business park, disconnected from neighborhoods and culture.

Indiana needs the United Methodist Church to have a bold and prophetic voice. I strongly believe that is how our church will survive and thrive.  Speaking out for the hungry and sick.  Visiting the prisoners. Caring for creation. Rebuilding our urban core and rural heartlands.

The vantage point of our conference staff won’t be any of those places.  The view from the new headquarters will feature acres of soulless business parks and an interstate, located in one of the richest zip codes in the state.