Good day dear friends.
I am set to go to General Conference as part of a committee that puts the Book of Discipline together. For those of you who aren't United Methodist, every four years, delegates from around the globe gather in a place to vote on what goes or leaves the Book of Discipline (BOD). The BOD is our book of law in a matter of speaking. There is a year-round agency that works with an elected committee to select the places where we meet as a General Conference. The GC meets usually in the spring, this time around late April (23rd thru May 2nd). Given the size of the conference many cities are quite interested in welcoming us. There are roughly one thousand delegates, spouses, sometimes children, media, general agency folks, the world's largest Cokesbury (our official United Methodist store that for the ten days of the conference sets up floor space that rivals most Best Buys or Circuit Cities), bringing the total of those with the GC to about 7,000. The city that is hosting us this time is Fort Worth, Texas, just up the road from us. It is interesting that the area where most of the GC will take place used to be called "Hell's Half Acre," a site of ill repute (see http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=2789379&ct=4710975). In trying to woo the GC, a lot of promises were made, as you can imagine, and one of them was that a huge Sheraton with 2,000 rooms would be completed right across the street from the FW Convention Center. Wouldn't you know it that the news just came down that the Sheraton will NOT be ready in time to have that block of rooms for UM delegates. Did someone say panic?
There are all sorts of plans being made, with each delegation attending scrambling to find off-site rooms, and the GC folks are promising a regular shuttle service between the conference site and all the hotels and motels in town. Indeed, the scene is Biblical. There is no room at the inn, because the inn is still under construction.
There are all sorts of plans being made, with each delegation attending scrambling to find off-site rooms, and the GC folks are promising a regular shuttle service between the conference site and all the hotels and motels in town. Indeed, the scene is Biblical. There is no room at the inn, because the inn is still under construction.
I sit with the delegation as we make plans for General Conference. While I am not a GC delegate, I am a Jurisdictional Conference (JC) delegate. JC meets in the summer after the spring meeting of GC. This time around we're meeting in Dallas. I believe Dallas is ready for our group. It was fun to hear different ideas about what to do, where to stay. Someone had a church member who owns a lakefront cabin not far from Ft. Worth that could sleep four comfortably, eight as well, though they didn't say "uncomfortably." Someone suggested renting a suite with two bedrooms in the Hilton, which may become or is, the official hotel for the GC, our conference's suite for resting, meeting, planning, etc. That was until someone remembered those are expensive. Darn! But what was interesting to hear and we'll be reading more about this later, are those folks who live in FW who are willing to let folks stay with them as their guest for the ten days. That takes a lot for those families and individuals who are willing to provide hospitality as the Bible teaches.
Growing up in the Spanish language conference, The Rio Grande Conference, our youth retreats were done in that way; youth who attended say a conference in Austin from Houston or San Antonio were housed with a family willing to take youth for the weekend. That was always an adventure for both the host family and the youth staying with them. It was at an Austin meeting of the youth, that the son of such parents took three of us guys from Houston to his house without first consulting with his parents. We couldn't hear the full "discussion" with "Junior," but the hushed tones did carry some expression. It all worked out. No telling what Junior had to suffer in the days after we left... but that's another story.
What we can do is to be in prayer and fasting for the business of the General Conference. Delegates will be voting on important policy of our church. Pray the God's Holy Spirit guide each delegate and each person participating or observing the conference in ways that glorify God.
What we can do is to be in prayer and fasting for the business of the General Conference. Delegates will be voting on important policy of our church. Pray the God's Holy Spirit guide each delegate and each person participating or observing the conference in ways that glorify God.
PRAYER: Loving God, guide us and those we've mentioned in this article to faithfulness and fruitfulness. May we always be guide by You. We thank You for Your love, in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
