United Methodist Reporter Blog

It's never too soon for a General Conference theme

 The Commission on the General Conference has selected the theme for the United Methodist Church’s 2012 General Conference. Drum roll, please…and the winner is: “Make Disciples of Jesus Christ to Transform the World.” (I hope the graphic didn’t give it away.)

Sound familiar? It should. The theme echoes the church’s central mission of the United Methodist Church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

This is neither a coincidence, nor a product of a brainstorming meeting cut short. Instead, this clever alignment intentionally makes the conference more than a one-time event and more so a part of the ongoing ministry of the church.

“We sensed that people across the church are longing for clarity about our mission, and we believed that the theme of the General Conference should reinforce and celebrate that mission,” said Jim Harnish, a member of the commission and chair of the committee responsible for the theme and logo. “We hope that the Spirit of God will use this theme to unite and energize our people to fulfill this mission and enable us to set clear priorities for the use of our resources.”

Pretty clever, right? It gets better…

It turns out the logo is more than just a Clip Art graphic. The cross represents the presence of Jesus Christ at the center of the church's mission. The circles extending from the cross express energy and movement into ministry in the world and the bright sun and blue water representing Tampa, Fla. as the conference site. Also, the imperative verbs “make” and “transform” underscore the urgency of the mission and call for active response.

That’s good stuff.

The 2012 General Conference is scheduled for April 24-May 4 in Tampa, Fla., and the official conference website is expected to be up and running by early fall—so, mark your calendars and book your flights!

For a more detailed interpretation of the theme, click here.

 

Amendment results, or not?

In this season for Annual Conferences throughout U.S. United Methodism, we're quite possibly more connected than ever (see my post from Friday). And we're seeing differences among the various annual conference gatherings.  The big one I've seen so far has to do with reporting the vote tallies surrounding the proposed amendments to the church's constitution.

Last week, Kansas West Annual Conference voted, but no results were announced.  Bishop Scott Jones of the Kansas Area tells me that both Kansas West and Kansas East are following the same protocol they followed in 2005, last time amendments were up for ratification: neither Kansas Conference is announcing vote totals until other Conferences have voted.

Conversely, the Texas Conference posted the results of their balloting today.

I haven't heard what every individual Conference has chosen to do, but I know several will be following Kansas' lead on this one. Knowing that our current denominational structure is modeled after the basic structure of U.S. government, it would make sense to hold the results until all the polls have closed, so to speak. Apparently, it's up to each Conference. 

It will be interesting to watch the process unfold over the next few weeks.

More Amendment videos

Several years ago, Thomas Friedman's book The World Is Flat made a big impact on the business world, and on some of us in the church, too. The flattening of the church has become more evident in the last couple of years, and most recently through new postings on YouTube.

Last week staff writer Bill Fentum, who did tons of research for his story on the UMC constitutional amendments up for ratification by this year's Annual Conferences, posted a blog entry linking to a few videos. Since then, I've become aware of a couple more, both made by clergy and geared toward Amendment One:

Jim Bankston of the Texas Conference introduces Bill Taylor and his son Dawson, who share their personal story (a rather uncomfortable one);

And Sam Powers of the Oklahoma Conference presents his stance on why we should ratify Amendment One.

They're both worth a viewing if you're still thinking about what your vote will be. There are others out there now, too (check the "Related Videos" sidebar at the links above), but these are the ones I have watched in their entirety.

'New UM Hymnal' group on Facebook

I'd heard about it a while back, but today marked the first time I've visited the "New United Methodist Hymnal" group on Facebook (just search that phrase and it'll pop up).

A sampling of the discussion topics: Hymnal - Good; Hymnal - Not-So-Good; Tempo; Projection Version; New Hymnal and the Economy; Amens at the End of Hymns; Inclusive Language About God. 

I'm pretty sure that where two or three United Methodists are gathered, there will be at least four opinions.  But the cool thing about Facebook in this situation is that it levels the playing field a great deal more than was possible 20 years ago. Diverse opinions can be heard more easily. People who think a new hymnal is a waste of money have the power to say so, and to have upwards of 900 other people see their words. And those who can explain some of the rationale behind the decisions made for hymnals current and future can do that, too.

That said, I'm pretty sure I saw a comment on there from someone who got on Facebook just to ask if there was a way to participate in the discussion without being on Facebook. The short answer: no. True, we can't hear absolutely every voice through one medium. But I'm impressed to see the level of interaction that's taking place.

"What Amy did on summer vacation -- er, General Conference"

A couple of months ago my husband came home from a church committee meeting and said someone had asked if I'd be writing anything on General Conference for the church newsletter.

So, while I haven't had an official request, I've been pondering the idea. I kept pondering until after Jurisdictional Conference was over -- because, well, shouldn't I include that, too?  Besides, it was a convenient procrastination tool until last week.

Why the procrastinating?

One more General Conference post...

Okay, really. General Conference ended weeks ago, yes. But you never know what kind of sustaining impact a ten-day event will have upon a person. Take this unlikely example:

These are two of the three tote bags given to me at General Conference: one commemorating Higher Education Night, the other a Cokesbury/Abingdon promo that contained some free books and stuff (and the GC logo is on the other side). When I got them, I thought, "Great, what am I going to do with tote bags?"

But, as you may be able to see from the (sugar free!) chocolate syrup, box of tea and bag of mixed greens protruding from the top, we are now using these totes as environmentally responsible grocery bags. We did come home with two of the plastic kind, but we avoided at least four more of 'em because we brought our own sturdy bags.

So, now I won't be thinking "Great, another stinkin' tote bag" whenever I receive one. Instead, I'll store it in my car for my next grocery run, and see it as a small way to boost my level of active care for creation by leaving some plastic bags on the rack. (Thanks, Steve, for prompting this direction of thought.)

Tornadoes and other ways to lose one's home

Another round of tornado activity blew through the South this weekend. Thankfully, UMCOR is already on it (and you can help).

I spotted an AP story on the UMPortal's Yahoo! feed covering one community in Oklahoma that may not be allowed to rebuild. The federal government was already in the process of buying out the residents because of the town's status as one of the worst-polluted Superfund sites in the nation.

When God blessed humanity and instructed it (us) to "subdue" the earth, I'm not sure this was the result we were supposed to achieve.

I don't know that we need a task force to study absolutely everything, but I am thankful for the one that will examine global warming and look for ways we can care for the earth. We haven't all created Superfund sites, but there's room for everyone to improve the way we treat God's creation.

Post-GeneralConference Stress Disorder?

In the newsroom yesterday afternoon, we had some talk about what to call the after-effects of General Conference. One of the options was PGSD, or Post-GeneralConference Stress Disorder. It doesn't really hold a candle to PTSD, but the similarities are there. Some of the symptoms we've observed, both in ourselves and in delegates and others who worked at General Conference:

• Fatigue. That one's easy to spot.
• Illness. I talked with a fellow delegate this morning; her voice was not its usual perky timbre. She had to miss out on a business trip she was supposed to take this week, and we know several other delegates who legislated themselves sick, too.
• Nightmares. Some of us news staffers had bad dreams before GC. Others are having them now that it's over.
• Significant impairment in social functioning. I totally lost it the other night when a fellow choir member described the UMC as "in turmoil." (Sorry, friend. I'm sure the sleep deprivation had something to do with it. But I still maintain that we are not in turmoil. Do some more reading, mmkay?)

So, we are looking forward to a weekend of relaxation more than we usually would.

Anybody else dealing with this stuff?  Do share...

General Conference Blogpile

So as the dust settles in Cowtown, what impressed you about General Conference 2008? What did you learn? What will you never forget? Did any experience change your mind about something? What are we going to do now that we’re done with General Conference ("Go to Disney World!")? How would you change General Conference if you were dictator?

Our news staffers kick things off after the jump.

GC: Press pass advantage!

Well, I finally put my press pass to good use today: I showed it to John Gordon to avoid getting put on camera.

Since I'd successfully wrangled my way out of it and he was looking at both of us, my friend the Rev. J.J. Whitney graciously agreed to do some talking. Check her out at the "Daily Delegate" video in Windows Media or QuickTime. She gave a far better wrap-up than I could've. She is a preacher, after all; I'm more comfortable typing for an audience.

There's lots more I could blog, but I'm not quite sure how to approach it all. I'm thankful that I let myself sleep in just an extra half-hour this morning after a rough day yesterday. I'm even more thankful that a dear friend who has been known to leave a comment on this blog drove over from the North Texas Conference. Thanks to her, I went all day without having a cookie. She brought me healthy food for breakfast (enough to share with our delegation), went with me to find a quiet spot for lunch, and provided spiritual sustenance, too.

I'm checking out of my hotel in the morning before worship, and I get the impression we won't be adjourning as early as the original schedule indicated, so I'm not sure I'll have time to do a blog entry again until I get home, or perhaps until I'm back into the swing of things in the Reporter newsroom on Monday. But I know I'll be reflecting on the experiences of General Conference 2008 continually.

A Future with Hope. May it be so.

GC: Day of pain

Well, after the experience of singing in a General Conference choir started off my day, I guess it could've only gone downhill from there.

And boy, did it.

Everybody's probably thinking of one thing right now, and yes, that whole "h-word" experience is on my list. That's not what I'm referencing here, though. The big disappointment is how let-down I feel to have worked so hard on a membership petition in Local Church committee, then to have no amendments proposing changes to it from the floor, only to see it rejected by a 51% to 49% vote. And my delegation is sitting so far back that I felt like I never even had a chance at getting the presiding bishop's attention to speak in favor of it (or to give my more eloquent neighbor the opportunity to do so).

We have agreed, as a body, not to use the language of war with each other (motions are never "defeated"), so our voting outcomes are all framed in terms of adopting an item or rejecting it. But as I sit here in front of my laptop past midnight yet again, examining my own thoughts and feelings, I can't really think of another word to describe my mood right now.

I feel defeated.

GC: The fatigue wall

I hit the wall yesterday. Could. not. blog. There just wasn't energy enough for me to turn on the computer after I got back from plenary session last night.

For lunch today, I had a nap. Food-wise, I've had some handfuls of trail mix, but beyond that, I'm running on cookies and coffee. Yeah, we're so very health-conscious around here...

There are some things I still haven't checked out, like the prayer room and the Journey to Inclusiveness exhibit, which I know Robin enjoyed. I'll try to catch those this evening.

We've reached some controversial issues on the plenary floor today. It's uncomfortable to discuss this stuff. We're never going to agree as one body on some of these things. But as much as the non-confrontational part of me would like to table certain items indefinitely, the faithful thing to do is to keep working at staying engaged in holy conversation, allowing dialogue to continue.

Phrase I'm officially tired of hearing now: "Live/living into."

Okay, back to plenary in 20 minutes...

GC: Snippets of Monday

I absolutely must get some sleep, so this entry is super-quick:

• I was on my way to lunch with a group of folks when I realized I had too much to do on my lunch break to actually go to lunch, so I turned around and went back to the convention center. Wound up having cookies (thanks, Central Texas Conference) while I did other stuff I needed to do. Also, I realized I was feeling uncharacteristically introverted and didn't want to talk to anyone, so I guess GC really is getting to me. (I'm as extroverted as they come. Ask anyone.)
• Attended the first of two rehearsals for the under-40-ish choir that will be part of Wednesday morning worship. Second rehearsal is tomorrow. We're singing a Mark Miller original that isn't yet published. Exciting!
• Speaking of choir, heard TWO fantastic choirs today: the Hope for Africa Children's Choir brought me to tears -- it's amazing what these kids have been through, yet here they are, rejoicing mightily -- and the choir of students from United Methodist colleges and seminaries at the Higher Education dinner.
• Other than the musical parts, my word of the day: Laborious.
• Text message from Gavin: "watching General Conference online is like watching CSPAN for united methodists"... this statement holds way too much truth. Only I was inside it. There was no computer from which I could walk away.
• At one point, we were actually debating an amendment to an amendment.
• We are more than halfway through General Conference 2008!

That's it. I'm going to bed. Really.

GC: Tour of Foods, Caption Contest

It's a really short tour, but I wanted to share...

Stop one: The General Conference fortune cookie I received as I entered the convention center Saturday morning.

Click on the image for a larger view if you can't read the text. It's a promo for giving to the UM Global AIDS Fund.  There were several different messages in the cookies, all with the same goal. (Plus, they scored points for giving me another cookie.)

The second item of interest was one I spotted during a walk-through of the "world's largest Cokesbury store": Commemorative General Conference sauces.  Why yes, here's a photo. Because I was having trouble believing it.

Just as I was taking the shot, I saw a clergy delegate friend walking by. We began to analyze the reasoning behind the marketing of this particular item.  She wondered if the sauce for buffalo wings would work for both left-wing and right-wing use.  I guessed that the whole package could serve to accentuate any heated debate that might emerge during plenary.

So, if you'd like to enter the caption contest for the General Conference hot sauce combo, please leave your entry in the comments!

GC: Committee work, DONE!

Well, at least my committee, Local Church. Which means I get time for a nap tomorrow... uh, today.  I hear it's the last chance I'll have a chance to rest until we adjourn on Friday.

I was all set to write a rant on how unbiblical it is for the General Conference to not have any Sabbath time, and then I get some surprise Sabbath.  Not everyone will have that luxury, though, because not all of the committees are finished handling their petitions. So, pray for all the sleep-deprived folks over here, please.

GC: From a blogging page

I found this reflection on GC page David MacDonald's blog this morning, and thought it well worth sharing:

People are beginning to buzz about what's happening to the various pieces of legislation coming before the committees and the conference. One thing I've noticed here in Fort Worth that was not evident in Cleveland is the distinct feeling that people actually want to have a civil discussion. Sure, there are nutters on both sides of every issue that want to have it their way or no way, but you'll have that. What I've observed on the part of the delegates this year is a concerted effort to make sure that everyone's voice is heard, that fairness takes precedence over politics, and that the Spirit of God is felt in everything they do. All this makes me believe that there must be "a future with hope" for our Church.

I've found it to be true in my subcommittee. I pray that the desire for holy conferencing continues.

Off to my delegation's morning meeting....

GC: Long day, good day

My day started at 5:15 a.m., and has lasted so long that it's now tomorrow. 

Highlight reel after the jump... including my surprise lunch companion.

GC: Fellow blogger, Communion table, Connectional Table

Today's General Conference highlights are many.  I only have time to share a few:

- Young People's Address is getting rave reviews. Mary will have a full story on it for the Reporter.

- Met fellow blogger Rachel, pictured here, a reserve delegate from the Tennessee Conference.

- Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher did an amazing job with the Episcopal Address.  All the bishops had a role. They sat surrounding the delegates, and the address was interspersed with the Communion liturgy, which they all led together. Oh, got a closer look at the Communion table built from trees at Gulfside Assembly: 

- Finally found me some cookies. Four years ago in Pittsburgh, they were handing them out everywhere you turned. This time around, there appears to be just a single area near the Main Street entrance.

- Got to see my Walk to Emmaus sponsor (also known as the head of the North Texas delegation, and executive secretary of the Connectional Table, too) be a General Conference rock star. Together with Bishop Hopkins, she gave a great presentation on the work of the Connectional Table and the Four Areas of Focus.

Now, I have to get ready for my first legislative committee session. I really hope we get out as early as they said we do (11 p.m.).  I have to get up at 5:15 tomorrow to make 6:30 worship rehearsal.

GC: Women's Orientation

Today I had lunch, orientation, networking, meditation and litany with other female delegates to General Conference at an event sponsored by GCSRW. We were invited to sit according to our legislative committee assignments so we could get to know those we'll be working with most closely over the next few days. My committee, Local Church, had three full banquet-size tables of people present.

A quick pic of three Local Church committee members taken after the luncheon: me, the Rev. Gail Ford Smith of the Texas Conference, and Tara Thronson of the Southwest Texas Conference. We didn't happen upon anyone from Northwest Texas, Central Texas or Rio Grande, so we couldn't get a shot of our whole state, but we were happy to be at an otherwise geographically diverse table. We had all five U.S. jurisdictions represented, plus an ordained elder from Sierra Leone.

Our meditation (read: shorter than a sermon) was delivered by the Rev. Dorothy Watson-Tatem of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. (Can she ever preach!)  And, we had inspiring music provided by DeLyn Celec, who had even composed lyrics especially for us to sing today -- to the tune "Beach Spring," one of my favorites in our current hymnal (think "Wash, O God, Our Sons and Daughters").

Now it's time to head back down to the Convention Center to find my spot, meet up with others from my delegation, and get ready for opening worship...something I've been eagerly anticipating ever since I spoke with the worship directors earlier this year.  Back then, I got chills just reading a description of how this thing will start...

GC delegate: the fine line

Being both a lay delegate to General Conference and a member of the news staff of the United Methodist Reporter, I'm walking a special kind of tightrope as we go into General Conference.

As an occasional writer for the paper (really, I'm no journalist; that's why they call me the "digital community builder"), and a full-time employee, I can be considered part of the media. I thought it might be helpful to lay bare the line I'm walking:

- During GC2008, my primary role is as a delegate. I don't know whether it matters to our readers, but I'm taking a fair chunk of vacation time to serve in this capacity.

- I'll be blogging General Conference, along with several others from the Methoblogosphere. And while it's a way of sharing a perspective that is mine only, it will appear on my employer's blog.

So, there may be parts of the building where I don't know whether to wear my delegate badge or my press pass, but I can assure you that on the floor of General Conference, it's no contest -- the delegate badge has it. I've been a United Methodist and a Christian far longer than I've been a news staffer, and a news staffer didn't get elected to the delegation. A United Methodist layperson did.

On Sunday, my congregation surrounded me in prayer, spiritually and physically -- the laying on of hands and everything. I go forward carrying the weight of those hands, and feeling their support, too.

Next time I blog here, it'll be from Fort Worth.

(I'll let you know how the cookies are.)

General Conference is really happening: a rookie's perspective

Folks are already in Fort Worth -- including Robin, who liveblogged from the Council of Bishops meeting in this blog's previous post. (And, by the way, isn't Goodpaster one of the greatest clergyperson surnames you've ever heard?)

They're baking the cookies by now. I'm taking some trail mix in an effort to be health-conscious, but I'm guessing I'll be fueled almost exclusively by cookies for the first several days. I'm sure I'll tell myself how well a cookie nourishes the soul.

On my calendar, I've highlighted where I need to be when... a dinner, a luncheon, a training session, a crack-of-dawn rehearsal on the day I help lead worship.

I'm praying for peace. Peace among various caucuses and interest groups, peace among committees, peace within each delegate. Blessed are the peacemakers, right? And can I get an Amen on the peace that passes all understanding?

I'm praying for focus. Focus on Christ, focus on the tasks at hand, focus on the four areas of focus, and focus on our mission.

I'm praying, and my small group is praying with me, for stamina, discernment, and joy during General Conference. Right now I'm having a hard time seeing the joy, so especially for joy.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Is the important stuff just boring?

I've been noticing for a while now that bloggers I follow (read: mostly Methobloggers) tend to have a good amount of fun with each other on lighthearted posts, a great deal of discussion on controversial posts, but very little dialogue on overtly spiritual posts.  I've seen some really nasty debate over doctrinal nonessentials in one online community in particular.  Yet, when somebody gets serious about matters of faith, comment boxes stay empty, or close to it.  Andrew Conard has done a series of thoughtful posts on the Trinity this week, and has received a total of three comments.

It got my attention this morning, in particular, because of a post by one of my favorite yarn-spinners, UMPortal featured blogger Questing Parson. His story today involves an in-person gathering where the same thing happens -- obviously, it's not unique to the blogosphere.  Do matters of the soul, of relationships laid bare, just plain scare us?

What is it about important stuff that keeps us quiet, noncommittal?  We know better... don't we?  Is it that we don't know how to respond, that we don't care to respond, a little bit of both?  Or something else entirely?

Cringing as I hit the 'Publish Now' button...

Oh, my. Two months until General Conference, and here we go.

Dean Snyder, pastor of Foundry UMC in Washington, D.C., is challenging the spirit, and possibly the letter, of church law as laid forth in the United Methodist Book of Discipline. Need I type the "h" word?

The news broke late last week, and really hit the Methodist blogosphere over the weekend. Of course, we will be mentioning it in our next print edition, which is sure to generate some angry letters (you may have heard of our "Shoot the Messenger" series: stories that anger people by their mere existence, even without any kind of opinion rendered by our publication).

So, dare I share my perspective?

Blogging workshop reflections

Last week at the UMR Editors' Conference, I led a workshop on blogging (dubbed "Virtual Coffeehouse" in keeping with our theme, Something's Brewing). I had a list of attendees ahead of time, so I was able to use the amazing powers of Google to find out about their blogs--if they existed--and their blogging habits. Then I used what I knew as launch points for conversation.

The results were interesting. One person maintains a handful of blogs as a way to work around a website that doesn't meet his needs. Another is just beginning to experiment with church-related blogstuff, but told me about his own blog after I revealed my not-so-secret Methoblogger identity. And someone else is reluctant to blog because he's considering running for public office someday (not a bad reason to stay away from the blogosphere, I might add; here are some more).

Now, some may say blogging is "so 2004" (thanks, Doug Pagitt), but they're also still doing it themselves. I know plenty of folks who still see it as a helpful relationship-building tool.

One of the relationships growing out of leading the workshop is a potential new guest blogger for the Reporter blog. We'll see how that develops in the coming weeks. I do know we will be interested in having a few extra keyboards tapping away for us around General Conference time.

A Healthier Way of Doing Things?

Apparently United Methodist clergy people aren’t the good bets, actuarially speaking, that they once were.

At the General Conference briefing in Fort Worth this past weekend, a session on health and wellness reported that the ranks of people insured by the denomination are showing up as “worse-than-average” for problems like obesity and metabolic disorder.

The reason?

General Conference getting even more political?

Tuesday night I received a heads-up that anyone phoning from Conquest Communications to survey me as a General Conference delegate had not been asked to do so by the United Methodist Church. We were told that a press release would be forthcoming for clarification.

Wednesday, the Reporter office received the press release. Not a whole lot of information--it didn't list the survey organization's name--but enough facts to let delegates know that something odd was afoot.

Thursday, we received the transmission of Rich Peck's UMNS story. And then, over at the Methoblog, Jay Voorhees confirmed that I wasn't the only one thinking that it might be a push poll (scroll down to "Political push polls" at that link to read a famous example). I'd already shot my mouth off to that effect, but wasn't sure anyone else thought it was plausible.

Nobody's saying who initiated this exercise, but regardless of who's behind it, the very idea of the UMC getting this politicized is disgusting.

Tomorrow I'm going to an event focusing on Holy Conferencing. I pray it'll get the bad taste out of my mouth, at least for a while.

UM Ordination: a Baptist's perspective

Once again over at the Methoblog: John the Methodist has shared his friend Jeff the Baptist's thoughts on our ordination process. Interesting to hear it from someone "on the outside."

And, speaking of being on the outside, Will Deuel suggests over at his blog that we use Refrigerator Cleaning Method #2 on the ordination process. Sounds like a plan to me.