Unusual Business

Today is a day that is primarily taken up with business. I must admit that I arrived at the session a little later than usual and missed the great music that has been a part of each day's opening. Bishop Ernest Lyght of West Virginia was the preacher. While it took him a little while to get wound up, he preached an excellent sermon. There was a time for a recognition of what response the Church has made following the destruction to the Gulf coast by Katrina as well as a recognition that there is much work that still needs to be done. There are still thousands of persons in FEMA trailers because there is not sufficient liveable housing available. We still need many work teams and funds to assist in this work. There will be another offering in August this year to assist with reconstruction of churches and parsonages which cannot be done with UMCOR funds. A young adult woman wrote a beautiful song that summed up her feelings after living through Katrina. She was here to sing that song for those assembled. It was obvious that it moved us.

Following this presentation, we moved to elections for Judicial Council, the University Senate and Trustees for John Street Church in New York City. The big news is that Kathi Austin Mahle was the first clergy elected for three vacancies on the Judicial Council. I was sitting two seats away from Kathi when she was elected. Needless to say, she was glowing after being elected on the second ballot. Rod Wilmoth was elected as a clergy alternate. In the opinion of this writer, the delegates moved the Judicial Council back to a more centrist position through its elections today. In addition to Kathi, the other clergy elected included Belton Joiner a retired clergy from North Carolina and Bill Lawrence, the dean of Perkins School of Theology. The two lay persons elected were Angela Brown of California-Nevada Conference, an assistant district attorney and a retired Commander in the US Naval Reserve, and Ruben Reyes, an associate justice of the Philippines Supreme Court.

Two other celebrations occurred today: the 60th anniversary of The Advance and a presentation of the Hope for the Children of Africa Choir. This group of young people from Uganda was brought here by the South Georgia Conference. They electrified the General Conference – delegates, bishops, staff and visitors – not only with their music but their finely tuned choreography as well. They will provide music for tomorrow’s opening worship. I understand the largest Cokesbury store in the world (the temporary one set up here in the convention center) has a CD of theirs for purchase.

The remainder of the day was spent dealing with legislation. It was anticipated that Bishop Dyck would be presiding over this evening’s session. We arrived following dinner to discover that the Committee on Presiding Officers had asked Bishop Warner Brown, who had presided over the afternoon session to continue in the evening session because there was unfinished business that would be best if the same presiding officer continued through that business. We anticipate seeing Bishop Dyck in the chair at a later time.

Today was a day of business, but it was not usual.