 Annual
Conference 2005 Report: Day 2
Inspiring Day 2
Each day here at Annual Conference has options for special meals.
You can see the list on the second page of the registration form
on the RMCUMC.org web site: http://rmcumc.org/COI/ac/ac2005/RegistrationFormBack.pdf
This day began for me (and for my partner Maggie, a hospice chaplain
and probationary clergy member of RMC) with the breakfast with Extension
Ministers. These are the ministers who "extend" the ministries
of the Church "beyond the local church." The settings for
these ministries include prisons, hospitals, hospices, seminaries,
the armed forces, and districts of the Conference. This breakfast
was hosted by the Board of Ordained Ministry through clergy member
Gordon Benesh, the liaison to this group. The program was mutual
sharing and discussion of the various ministries, the commonalities
and differences, and the ways that the Conference and the ministries
may be mutually supportive in carrying out the ministries of the
Church.
The clergy went into executive session to handle the membership
issues, such as those candidates who were being recommended for commissioning,
those probationers recommended for ordination, those retiring, etc.
Though I wasn't in the room we in the laity ssession heard rousing
renditions of famous Wesley hymns.
The laity session included self-introductions of the Board of Lay
Ministry and an address by Kent Millard, the Conference lecturer.
His inspiring message was based on the story of Jesus being rejected
at Nazareth, and that line in the story which explains that Jesus
didn't do any miracles there because of their unbelief.
Dr. Millard's focus was on beief as a prerequisite for miracles.
He told stories of his childhood, his alcoholic father, and the miracle
of his dad's change through AA. He told how his family began going
to church and about the warm welcome they received from the local
Methodist church, and how he fell in love with the church that day.
Cynicism is the opposite of faith, he said, which means the belief
that no change for the better is possible. Faith is the belief that
with God, all things are possible. He told the story of First UMC
in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where one Palm Sunday they called "Miracle
Sunday" they raised $210,000 to pay off debt from a church expansion
project. Part of the buildup to that Sunday was the witness of members
who told about miracles in their lives. They got a check from a Lutheran,
and prayers from a Baptist congregation -- in some ways a miracle
right there!
But for him, what happened in people's faith is what really mattered
in that experience. "It's not about the size of the church,
but about the size of our faith; believe that with God, all things
are possible. It's about our faith, trusting in the power of God
to work in our lives." He had us all share what our passion
for ministry was and what miracles were needed in our congregations.
Following that discussion, several persons stood up to share the
miracles in their own personal lives.
An offering was taken for the Rod Anderson Scholarship fund for
the continuing education for laity. A short video featured photos
and music about lay ministry in "Growing the Church." Conference
Lay Leader shared her vision of the theme of "Come to the Well" which
is one way that the church can grow through images of refreshment
and mission.
A special luncheon sponsored by the Conference Board of Global Ministries
featured Bishop Ott, who told how he came to the conviction as a
Christian. The women of the church at his local church were the ones
who were key for him. He pointed out that those in that old TV show "Mission
Impossible" responded because 1) the task was worth doing; 2)
it was the right thing to do; and 3) they were asked. That's how
missions become possible. He challenged the group to 6 tasks: take
at least 25 special mission Sunday offerings; balance every prayer
request that centers on the local congregation with one for those
whom we do not know; sing the songs of mission, not just the ones
which are individualistic and self-centered; phone a missionary at
two administrative council meetings per year; designate 7 persons
who will carry on regular e-mail correspondence with missionaries;
and deliver any special Advance offerings (work it out with your
Conference Treasurer how this might happen).
Bishop Ott told a story that happened at the Johnstown, PA, flood
some years ago when UMCOR set up its relief work in a Catholic church
and hung the IV bottles on the cross in the sanctuary. The priest,
after recovering his composure, said, "well, isn't the cross
supposed to be life-giving?"
And finally, missions have to have a component of justice as well
as service: work to find out why so many are in poverty, why so many
teeth are decaying, why so many lives don't have what they need.
And work for change.
The afternoon Conference session opened with another learning time
from Kent Millard, focussing on vision as a picture of a preferred
future. But the vision was not what we think or want, but what
God wants. He told how in one of the building projects there was
an even split between two options and how he came to understand
that fear was holding people back, that listening was going to
be the key to resolution, and that there would be a sign that the
decision was right. In this case they covenanted to let go of fear,
to listen until they could articulate the other's point of view,
and the sign was a unanimous decision at the end.
The appointments were read for Wyoming and Utah and a presentation
on Rocky Mountain churches of transformation. There were 27 churches
who had received at least one member by profession of faith; who
had baptized aat least 1 new member; who supported the wider mission
of the Conference 100%; who had additional benevolence giving that
exceeded 5% of total church expenditures. These churches were named
(the list will be in a fugure post).
Balloting on the referred Constitutional Amendments from General
Conference was taken.
The discussion on AC22, Relocation of the Conference Office revealed
a hardworking board of trustees who looked at a number of options,
and were proposing the sale of the current land and buying another
building in another part of town with the proceeds and renovating
it to fit our needs. An amendment that this be seen as temporary
and that a feasibility study with Iliff for relocating back to Iliff
land was defeated. The proposal carried with a large majority.
The consent calendar included the following petitions for adoption
(exact details of the amendments and content of these petitions to
be on the Conference web site by next week at least):
AC01-05; AC07-13; AC15-16; AC20-21, AC24, AC30-31.
AC23 was not approved. AC14 was discussed, and a count vote was
taken. It passd by 69%. The rest will be discussed tomorrow.
A video and skit presentation by Kerry Greenhill and Brian Riecke
introduced the body to the Bishop's Initiataive on Young Adults.
Lyle Hamilton, clergy from Yellowstone, presented an invitation
for laity and clergy to join Bishop Brown in travel over Paul's Fourth
Missionary Journey, scheduled for November, 2006.
Appointments for the Sunshine district were read before adjournment.
The young people of the conference invited all for pizza and worship
in the form of a love feast, with all gathered in small groups. There
were Wesley hymns, scripture, and six testimonies from the young
people about their faith. Each small group then shared their own
experiences and discussed what they heard. An offering to benefit
the World AIDS Fund was taken, in the context of I Corinthians 12,
which suggests that we all have AIDS, since one part of the body
is suffering. Two rousing songs sent us forth to serve.
The Church and Society Network sponsored a coffee house for discussion
of a number of issues of interest, such as homelessness, native American
Indian concerns, war, etc. Members of Cameron Church in Denver provided
music.
Ben Roe
Information Administrator, RMCUMC
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