In plenary this morning, we decided not to pass #Rule44. I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed that we won’t get to use the process, but even more disappointed that so many didn’t know what the process was. And I’m not talking about the content of #Rule44… I’m talking about the information about how it would be implemented.…
The Body of Christ
we are the church
A (mostly) unbiased, detailed explanation #Rule44 #umcgc
Tonight, I was trained to be a small group leader if Rule #44 passes and I had a lot of questions answered. I shared my perspective in another post, but thought it might be helpful to share the process as taught tonight by Terrance This is the process we would actually use if Rule #44…
Hi, I’m your small group leader AKA why I’m voting for #rule44 #umcgc
I started my day at 7am with the Committee on Reference and when everyone else was done for the evening, I joined a group of 50+ folks for a three hour training session for a process we might not even choose to implement. I’m exhausted. It was a 14 hour day and I’m spent. So…
Faithful. Kind. #UMCGC
This afternoon, as General Conference opened with worship, I was moved by the many first languages echoing through our space… One audible witness to the immense diversity of context, theology, and experience in the room. As we approached communion, and partook of the bread and the juice, I returned to my seat and prayed. And…
Dirt, plants, and hope #gc2016
In the Scriptures, Jeremiah buys a field as the Babylonians are on the doorstep. It is a symbol of hope, promise, and faithfulness. The Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land. – Jeremiah 35:15 One of the last things on my to do list…
Representation
In various ways, the question of representation is present in our culture and in our conversations at General Conference this year. In the midst of a contentious election season, the election of delegates to conventions represent the votes of the people often means a skewing of the actual vote tallies. For example: Mr. Donald Trump…
Legislating Trust #gc2016
I serve on the Rules of Order Committee for our Iowa Annual Conference. These rules are basically the organizing and structural principles that guide our shared work and life together – both within our 3-4 day conference sessions and for the rest of the year. We’ve been working hard to clarify and “clean up” the…
Thoughts on “UMC: Revisiting Human Sexuality”
Today, I saw an article by Rev. Dr. Steve Harper, the former Vice President and Dean of the Florida Campus of Asbury Theological Seminary called “UMC: Revisiting Human Sexuality.” He writes about a topic that has arisen at every General Conference in my lifetime… and will again in May. My only experience of this discussion at…