Headed for the barn

Although there have been times in the last ten days when it was so cold in the Ft. Worth Convention Center that it may have felt like a barn (an empty one) in March in Northern Minnesota, this is not my sense. Instead, because we are on the last day of General Conference things are picking up speed. Rules have been changed to allow for fewer and shorter speeches prior to voting on an item. I think all of us are ready to come home although the wonderful warm weather would be nice tucked into our suitcases in place of the clothes that are being put there. Work began today with great music and preaching once again. Music came from The Festival Choir of Christ UMC in Sugar Land, TX, St Luke Community UMC Choir in Dallas, the Mark Miller Worship Band of greater New York/New Jersey and Dr. Eugene Lowry and his jazz piano. In addition, Tongan UMs from across the country gathered and formed a choir who sang the invocation, a Tongan tradition. The preacher of the day was Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of Mississippi who preached on the theme of The Release of Hope! If there was no other witness for the global church in which we participate, it would be through the rich worship experiences we have had here.

The morning session, presided over by Bishop Tom Bickerton of the Pittsburgh Area, focues on financial legislation. Although there were several items that were brought forward that asked for funding outside of the budget preparation process, the items that General Conference decided needed to go forward were able to be incorporated into the budget as proposed so that there will not be the need of annual conferences to adjust their budgets from the amounts that were tentatively given out by GCFA earlier this spring. In essence, the budget was approved as it was presented.

The afternoon session, presided over by Bishop Charlene Kammerer of the Richmond Area, spent the first half of the afternoon deliberating over whether or not to affirm our membership as a denomination in the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. By a margin of 52% to 48% the delegates voted to continue as a full and sponsoring member of the organization. The body also expressed support for Taiwan, no change was made regarding a clergy responsibility around issues of homosexuality, amended the definition of family, passed a resolution regarding evolution and intelligent design, rejected removal of some of the chargeable offenses, rejected marriage and covenants between same-sex couples. A couple of these resolutions may have been adopted during the evening session. (I failed to draw a line in the list when I went to dinner!)

The evening session was presided over by Bishop William Hutchinson of the Louisiana Area. Two historic decisions were made during the evening session: deacons have been granted sacramental authority either through permission of the district superintendent or the lead pastor of the church, and laity may now distribute communion elements previously consecrated by a pastor in areas where there is no pastor to distribute the elements on a reasonably regular basis. This is intended to be used in remote areas or areas where there is a great shortage of clergy. There are parts of Alaska where there are UM groups that have not had communion for many years.

At 9:45, with all calendar items limited to one speech for and one speech against with a limit of one minute per speech, there were still 40 items left to be considered. The body is operating under an 11 pm deadline for completing business so that closing worship may begin. I’m not sure what items remain so I don’t know if there are significant items left to be considered. It appears that as many as 100 delegates have left and about half the bishops are no longer on the platform. Everyone I see, including myself, is suffering from sleep deprivation. It isn’t bad enough for us to be hallucinating, yet at least!

As we began the day, it was noted that the legislative committees have been upheld 98.6% of the time. It appears that this high percentage has continued throughout the day and is probably a little higher by now. Over the last three or four days there has been bidding going on over a basketball to raise funds for Nothing But Nets. It appears, if all bids are paid, the General Confernce has raised more than $300,000 which translates into 30,000 bed nets to protect children from malaria. The highest bid is $50,000 which Bill Gates, Sr. promised to match with a contribution from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. During this day since we convened fourteen hours ago, 1,000 children in Africa have died from malaria.

I’m going to post this blog now. Sometime later this weekend I will post a wrap-up blog entry that is more reflective than I can be tonight or when things are happening so quickly on the floor. All I can say is that your Minnesota delegates and the reserves here have taken their task very seriously and have done us proud!