Duncan McMillian
Monday, April 28
Today was an exhausting day in lots of ways. There was a plenary session in the morning, a chance to meet the jurisdictional episcopal nominees at the lunch hour, and an afternoon spent in legislative committees. Paul Leeland did a terrific job today describing what type of bishop he would be, if elected at the Jurisdictional Conference in July! All of our delegates are excited for Paul, and we pray God will bless the journey he and his wife, Janet, are presently making. I believe they would covet your prayers, too! The long day ended about 11:20 with the close of an evening plenary. Rest will be important in pacing ourselves for these several days.
Sunday, April 27
As today I completed my time on the floor of General Conference, I was left with the sense that I had been a part of something very important. Several other alternates also had the chance to sit with our delegation; I believe they would agree that it is quite an honor. The legislative committee (Church and Society 1) I worked with for several days finished its deliberations and decision-making today. Our total petition count was 151, and I enjoyed working on a smaller sub-committee. Significantly, our committee allowed for minority reports to the plenary session. I look forward to hearing about these when the legislative committee report is made.
Saturday, April 26
A relationship has been forged between the members of our sub-committee. I feel blessed to have met new friends from West Angola, South Indiana, and many other places around our global church. One of the impressions General Conference has left on me is this: we have a strong connection with other UM's around the world. Ours is truly a connectional church!
Friday, April 25
The highlight of the day for me was hearing a bishop from Africa preach at the morning worship service. Through an interpreter, he spoke about putting into action the principles of our life in Christ. Also of great significance for me was the continuing work of the sub-committee on Church and Society 1, as we went through petitions. Some we rejected, others we modified, and then passed them on for consideration by the larger (full)committee.
Thursday, April 24
The Episcopal Address as well as the Laity address were well-received by the body. A special highlight was the first-ever Youth and Young People's Address, given by six persons from around the world. Committee work began with the election of officers and the division of each group into sub-committees to review proposed legislation. I enjoyed sitting in for Ben Adams on the Church and Society 1 committee.
Wednesday, April 23
What a great honor to represent the NC Conference at General Conference! I enjoyed having a chance to speak on the floor of the conference; Bishop Huie complimented me for keeping the session straight through the offering of a point of order. The opening worship service was one I will never forget. It was inspiring in every possible way - music, proclamation, and sacrament.
Patricia Archer
May 3, 2008
Thankfully, I'm home in Wilmington tonight. About 11:30 p.m. last night, General Conference finished all of its business and then concluded with a time of worship led by the new President of the Council of Bishops, Bishop Gregory Palmer. Bishop Palmer reminded all of us that the way for us to be in ministry for God's Church is through the power of the Holy Spirit. It's hard to believe that General Conference is over. We began preparing for these days in Fort Worth nearly a year ago. Delegation meetings, sub-committee meetings, Committee meetings, petitions, reading, amendments, Daily Christian Advocate, Advanced Christian Advocate, calendar items . . . all language that filled my mind for some time and now it's over or is it? Actually the work is just beginning. The United Methodist Church 's expanded mission statement is the call of the Church - "to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world". The call is not only corporate but individual as I take seriously God's leading in my appointed ministry setting. In closing, thank you to all of the laity and clergy of the NC Annual Conference. I have appreciated your support and your prayers as I've served as a delegate. It will always be one of the highlights of my ministry life. Thank you for the opportunity to represent the NC Annual Conference . . . . and now to sleep. I never knew that I could exist on such little sleep! Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the power of Your Spirit in the United Methodist Church !
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Today I thought: heaven must be a little bit like General Conference. I don't mean the "business" of the Conference, even though it is worship work. It's the diversity of people, music and expressions of worship. The global nature of the United Methodist Church gives me a glimpse of the diversity of heaven. I've worked in legislative committee with folks from all over the world, I've served communion with a bishop from Africa and I've been blessed by the Hope for Africa Children's Choir. What a blessing they are! Their smiling faces, so filled with the joy of Jesus, moved me to tears as they sang. We are in the midst of studying important legislation for the Church. Today a petition, written by the NC Order of Deacons, passed the full General Conference. It's so exciting to think that we have been part of this political process and have actually changed the Book of Discipline. I'm thankful that folks are praying for General Conference. We have a long way to go to finish by Friday. Keep praying! Lord Jesus, may you find us faithful as we all serve You through the church!
Sunday, April 27
The General Conference is deep into committee work now and with thanksgiving, I can say that I have witnessed "holy conferencing" in a powerful way. As our sub-committee has worked with petitions dealing with chargeable offenses, we have prayed together, cried together, disagreed with one another and most importantly, allowed everyone to have a voice as we've listened to one another. Our opinions are very diverse but it has been in the listening that I've seen God move. Last night was a time of very difficult discussion and then voting. After adjournment, some of us gathered to talk with 2 observers of our legislative process. It was one of those moments when you sense God's presence in a powerful way as we shared our diversity of opinions. As one woman told me today, one of the ways that the Church gets through these hard issues is to listen to God and listen to one another. O Lord, may we listen to Your voice and to each other as we faithfully serve you.
Friday, April 25
I LOVE the music of General Conference. What a joy to praise God in the diversity of our music! Mark Miller and Marcia McFee, our worship and music directors, are leading us with a variety of music - traditional hymns, orchestra, contemporary music, African drums, gospel - all leading us to experience God in new and old ways! Today has also brought the beginning of the "hard" work of General Conference. I am serving on the Judicial Administration committee, specifically a sub-committee that is working with petitions related to chargeable offenses (paragraph 2702 - for those of you with a Discipline). My reaction by lunch today was "oh, no - what have I gotten myself into?" By 10:00 p.m. - the close of the day for our sub-committee - I thanked God for "holy conferencing". The guidance of the Holy Spirit was evident as even in our disagreements, our sub-committee respectfully listened to one another. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for being our Guide. May we continue to have discerning hearts and minds as we work for Your Church.
Thrusday, April 24
Centering in the bread and cup of the table.listing high voices of praise in song.seeing old friends and making new friends.so began my first day of General Conference 2008. I'm so thankful to have this opportunity to serve as a delegate to the General Conference for the first time. During opening worship on Wednesday, it was my joy to assist in communion. Twenty-three deacons in full connection gathered around the communion table, offering the elements for consecration and then taking the bread and cup to the Bishops who served the gathered people of God. What an awesome experience! As I hear the messages of hope in the stories of mission and ministry-hope possible because of the power of Jesus Christ-I am thankful to be a Christian in The United Methodist Church.
Beth Hood
May 3, 2008
After a year of preparation and two full weeks of worshipful work, the delegates of the NC Conference are home! We arrive fatigued from the schedule but hopeful for the future of our denomination. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been apart of this significant season in the life of our church. In the months and years to come we will discover the impact of this gathering of United Methodists from across the globe. We have much to celebrate, while acknowledging our growing edges towards faithfulness. Thank you for all the support that many of you have offered. I was blessed with cards, emails, and daily phone messages lifting me, our delegation, and the whole process in prayer. What a blessing to be connected to such a loving community and strong members of the body of Christ!
Wednesday April 30
Today we voted to add wording to the membership vows one takes when joining the United Methodist Church. Now persons will be asked if they support the UMC with their prayers, presences, gifts, service, and witness. Unfortunately our witness today in the Conference was a wounded witness as we discussed issues that often divide us. The issue of homosexuality presented itself in several petitions before the group. Our present wording & stands was up held. Regardless of where one stands it was a sad day because there were those among us that were hurt & disappointed. There were peaceful protests as individuals stood outside the Convention Center wearing signs of their grief. Among the crowd that lined the entrance into the building were two men wearing black sheer veils in front of their faces, as a witness of their state of mourning. Continue to be in prayer for our efforts to be engaged in Holy Conferencing, where we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and strive for unity among the body of Christ.
Tuesday April 29
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, addressed the Conference today. She is a product of the United Methodist Church, attending United Methodist schools and participating as a member of the church. She expressed gratitude to our denomination as we have served as an agent of encouragement and strength to the people of her country. According to her, economic and social relief continue to be greatly needed. Therefore we should steadfastly work to eliminate poverty and equip leaders that we might transform the world for the sake of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. We are making a difference!
Monday April 28 th
Through word, witness, and worship, God was glorified and people were inspired. Bishop Ernest Lyght, of the West Virginia Conference, delivered a rousing sermon on Jesus' parable of the man who knocks on the neighbor's door at midnight asking for bread. He challenged us as the church to wake up, get up, and offer the world the fresh Bread [of Life]. Elizabeth Cumbest, a high school student from Mississippi, sang during a special worship service remembering the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. Cumbest shared with us one of several songs she has written and produced for a CD, whose proceeds are benefiting the MS conference's Seashore United Methodist Assembly, which was totally destroyed. The need for reconstruction is overwhelming, but the size of the project hasn't stopped this young woman from doing her part to raise $45,000. What a fabulous model of Christian discipleship and mission! The best part of the day, in fact the best part of the Conference so far has been the Hope for Africa Children's Choir. Words can not capture the ways in which this group of children touched our hearts and brought tears to our eyes. These boys and girls are students of the Humble United Methodist School in Uganda, started to serve children from war ravaged areas and homes affected by HIV / AIDS. Between the ages of 6 and 12, the youngsters dazzled us with their bright smiles, joyful dance moves, and powerful Christian witness of presence. Our United Methodist connectional support has provided them hope in the midst of their poverty and potential despair. They are worth every dollar.
Sunday April 27th
The delegates of the General Conference have been the recipients of radical hospitality. Inside and outside of the Convention Center, hundreds of United Methodist volunteers have greeted us with smiles, needed materials, and helpful instructions. Downtown businesses adorn their store fronts with signs that read "Welcome United Methodist General Conference Delegates". Colorful street -pole banners welcoming delegates in eight languages line the streets. Folks have been so gracious. Moving around the building, standing in meal lines, and sharing bathrooms with over a thousand people can test one's patience. Yet grace has abounded! There is no question that this event is undergirded with prayer. In addition to all the prayers offered by people back home, prayers are lifted up in a variety of places by a variety of people. Five chapel areas with symbols of our Christian faith are available throughout the Conventions Center . Eucharistic Chapel, The Chapel of the Cross, The Chapel of Our Servanthood, The Chapel of the Word, and The Chapel of Remembrance provide areas for personal reflection, meditation, scripture reading, and discernment. I so appreciate the gift of prayer incorporated in our time together. It reminds us that we need to hear God's voice and not the voice of our personal preferences or agendas.
We have been meeting in our Legislative Committees for several days now. I feel as if I am building community with those I did not know just a few days ago. We have reflected together about the duties, responsibilities, and opportunities of bishops and superintendents. We each come with a perspective that is greatly influenced by our experience. Those of us in the southeast see things differently from those United Methodists in the northeast and west, where the number of United Methodist is in great decline. Throughout our time together we had to set aside our personal preferences and ask what was best for the cause of Christ and His church. We struggled with petitions related to the tenure of bishops, the term of the district superientendent, and the retirement age of bishops, as well as the need for congregations to have training to prepare them for cross-racial appointments. We attempted to be sensitive to the needs of all of those who sat at the table as representatives of the church. I think we succeeded.
Saturday, April 26
Today we began working in our Legislative Committees. I am assigned to work in the Superintendency Committee. I was pleasantly surprised at the spirit of cooperation and graciousness among the delegates. I don't mean to imply that all 59 members of the committee agreed on everything. As you would expect there is a wide-range of perspectives. Yet I sensed a commitment to embody John Wesley's three simple rules: Do Good. Do No Harm. Stay in Love with God. The Superintendency Committee is comprised of several non-United States delegates. I am learning so much from them. In fact we all could learn from them. At one point we reflected on a petition that focused on the need for congregations and pastors to receive training to better prepared them for ministry in cross-racial appointments. Delegates from Africa and Mongolia were perplexed that such a petition was needed. They reported that this is not an issue within their annual conferences. Pastors are appointed to congregations without regard to race. In return, congregations and pastors do not refuse one another based on the color of their skin. Any pastoral leadership that is faithful and fruitful is embraced and celebrated by local congregations. Perhaps one day, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the same can be said of United Methodist Churches in the United States .
Friday, April 25
Today was filled with inspirational messages, setting the stage for our time of legislation and discernment. There were several highlights for me. Among them was the first ever, Young People's Address, which revealed that we have some insightful and spirit-filled young people in our denomination. These young men and women told their stories of faith and challenged us to live a future of hope now. Rebecca Farnum, a young woman from the West Michigan Conference, asked us to "listen to God, listen to each other, and watch God work". It sounds like good advice to me. As ministries were featured, a 7 year-old girl named Catherine was introduced to the assembly. Catherine has raise $40,000 for the Nothing but Nets Campaign that provides bed nets to protect children in Africa from developing malaria from mosquito bites. If a 7 year-old can raise those kinds of missional dollars, with so much passion and joy, surely we adults should be able to do the same.
Thursday, April 24
My first day attending my first General Conference can be summarized with the word “WOW!” It was amazing to worship with 6,500 participants of all different ages, races, nationalities, and ethnicities. Yet we all had a common love and purpose. We love the Lord Jesus Christ and we long to make disciples for the transformation of the world. With the help of the Holy Spirit and a commitment to unity, there is no telling what God might accomplish through us in the coming days. Watch out world!
