Ready to Get to Work!

On Wednesday morning, we were greeted at our tables with our Daily Christian Advocate. (You can find your online copy here, under General Conference Business.) This is a book, printed on newsprint, that is published each day with news of what important things were determined the previous day. Since there are 13 committees and each delegate can only sit on one committee, it is critical that the Daily Christian Advocate keep us all up to date on what is going on in each committee. That way, if you have concerns about the way certain legislation is being treated, you can create a strategy to work around a committee’s decision. (i.e. The new rules state that, if a petition is defeated in committee, you can resurrect it on the floor if you have 20 voting delegates who are willing to request it.)

Which brings us back to - The Rules. Sadly, Wednesday's DCA did not contain a full copy of The Rules, because they had not been adopted. So we returned to the Convention Center Wednesday with high hopes that we could move on this item quickly.

First, I am glad to say, we opened with worship. Bishop Peter Weaver preached. He quoted from the 1st Episcopal Address that was ever given in Conference, when Bishop McKendree admonished Methodists to “Do everything as in the immediate presence of God.” It’s worth taking some time to read that line again. Good thoughts. We also read Wesley’s Covenant Prayer, along with an updated version for our General Conference, which was pretty cool.

We also had a flash mob descend upon us for World Malaria Day. Kind of creepy, but also cool. 

Then, we had two more presentations. The first was the Laity Address, delivered by Betty Spiwe Katiyo of Zimbabwe. She reminded us that the ministry of the laity is a “front line” ministry because laity have access to areas the clergy do not. “Somewhere along the way,” she said, “laity became consumers of religion. And this is not the way it should be.” She then gave a challenge: if each lay person in the UMC brought just one person to Christ each year, the world would be transformed!

Finally, we had the Young People’s Address. The theme was “Charged, Rooted and United.” One of the speakers was a young woman from the Philippines who had to attend via video, since her visa to travel to the U.S. was denied. Both speakers were inspiring, as were the young people on the videos who shared how their faith kept them charged, rooted and united. My favorite quote from the address was, “How would you respond if God asked you, 'Have you done what I asked you to do for my people?'" Another highlight was a young woman who works with children. She said, “I tell them stories from the Bible because if you just say, ‘God loves you,’ they can’t always understand that.’” Young people are less likely to throw out words and phrases with a blanket expectation that they will mean something simply because they have been proclaimed. Finding purpose and meaning in what we do and say is important, and I am grateful for this reminder.

John Wesley is in the house!

After three positive, uplifting addresses, we had to get back to the business of The Rules. Truly, a veil should be drawn over the proceedings, which threatened to postpone indefinitely any proper start to our Conference! All hope for a quick resolution of our problem died when the first amendment was proposed. Remember the 24 hour rule? Well, how are we supposed to begin Conference if we can’t adopt the rules because we have to wait 24 hours to vote on them? What a mess! 

Finally, thankfully, Don Underwood from North Texas stood up and proposed that we suspend the rule that said we couldn't suspend the rules so we could suspend the rules and get on with the vote. Brilliant! The Rules then passed handily (yes, the original Rules that we began with the night before. Sigh.)


Ready to move on to committees!