Apr. 29, 2004    News media contact:   General Conference  Newsroom * (415) 3256080*   {GC04013}

NOTE: Dawn Hand, the communications director of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church and a lay delegate to 2004 General Conference, will offer her thoughts during the two weeks of General Conference in Pittsburgh.

By Dawn Hand

PITTSBURGH (UMNS) - Welcome to General Conference! 

This is my second time at General Conference as a delegate, and I worked at the two prior to Cleveland in 2000. Being a "veteran" is not any easier because, while you may have a better idea of what to expect, it's still the same amount of work. We face a long journey over the next two weeks, sitting in plenary sessions and going to meetings. It's a daunting task because the decisions we make are not for ourselves but for the entire church, and that puts a lot of things in perspective.

Every four years, people come together as delegates and observers, thinking this will be the most poignant General Conference yet because of the important issues that we face.

For example, the "Connectional Table" presentation by the General Council on Ministries and the General Council on Finance will warrant a lot of discussion.

This time the budget will be a huge issue because of our churchwide economic situation.

The problem for me is that we look for cutbacks and we talk about stewardship in lean times, but never in times of plenty. So we have created a theology of scarcity. At the same time, we have a wealth of resources that are available to United Methodists. As long as our church agencies are faithful to what has been entrusted to them, then people will have more respect for the whole budgetary process.

When I vote on budget issues, as a conference staff person I look at how it will affect my annual conference, but as a local church member, I look at how it will affect my local church. We have to remember that the local church supports the general church. When we're adding millions to our overall budget, you have to wonder how the local church will respond. Not very favorably, I think.

Homosexuality will always be a hotly contested issue before the church. We live in such a sexually oriented society that any items related to sex will command a lot of attention.

We've talked a lot about the international delegates' visa controversy, and I'm still very concerned about those delegates who struggled to get here and those who are not here. I just feel like the whole process creates a General Conference that is highly slanted toward the U.S. delegations.

While some issues may create anxiety, I come to General Conference with a desire to discern God's will, and to prayerfully consider the tasks before us. It's an awesome responsibility that we hold for the church, and one I don't take lightly. Before I left home, my church prayed for me and for all our delegates.

The pastoral letter, released Monday by the Council of Bishops, sets the right tone to guide the church. We have some tough decisions ahead of us, and I'm grateful to the bishops for their leadership. If we stray from our reasons for being here, we can reflect back on our purpose and re-center ourselves.

Our opening worship was phenomenal! The ushering in of the Spirit was quite moving for me. As the woman carried the symbolic Holy Spirit, we felt the Spirit spreading throughout the assembly. Bishop Ruediger R. Minor's message was powerful; I hope we will heed his words.

I love the blending of cultures and the concerted effort to make sure all of God's people were represented. I think this is what heaven will look like. We all come from different cultures and perspectives and blend together in a way that honors God.

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United Methodist News Service
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