[RMC News] [2008 General Conference RMC News] April 26th Two Stepping In Texas Report

[Strickland, Skip]

[2008 General Conference News] Two Stepping in Texas Written Report for April 26th


Two Stepping from Texas
General Conference 2008
Fort Worth, Texas
Walter “Skip” Strickland &
Olon Mulford Lindemood
 
Saturday, April 26, 2008
 
The Announcements at the end of the morning Plenary session included 

“the table.”
 
This time the table announcement was on the lighter side of information.  The Secretary of the conference said, “the Table at the center of the conference is a sacred table that will return to the Mississippi Church that built it.  We are asked to not write checks on the top of the table.  The wood is soft and there will be a lasting imprint of your signature and the amount of your check!”  The body laughed heartily!
 
Earlier in the morning two things took place that I would like to acknowledge:  First, Bishop William Hutchinson offered a sound byte from the worship experiences of his own childhood.  In the moment of baptism at the end of a worship service what are your thoughts?  “My, my, my.”  Or do you say, “Yes! Indeed!”  The spirit is challenged to work in the traditional UMC as we know that there is a sacred moment when Church worship service is to over!  If there is a baptismal need at the end of a worship service we can see ourselves and neighbors shaking our heads and whispering, “My, my, my!”  The reality of the new day of transformation will bring a new spirit at the end of a worship service that will stand and say, “Yes! Indeed!”  We learned those principles often in the Small and/or Rural congregations that were and early backbone to the faith. 

Second, during the Rural Life Celebration at General Conference, Rev. Don Ford (Local Pastor and Associate Member of the Rocky Mountain Conference), of Pagosa Springs, Colorado had a time at the microphone.  His voice was strong and crisp as he offered witness and testimony to the power of faith communities when leading.  Pagosa Springs, UMC has assisted the community in forming Restorative Justice forums to assist the community in becoming more.  As a Rocky Mountain Conference we can be so proud of the ways we individually and communally offer witness to the vitality of the United Methodist Church.
 
NOW 
 ARE YOU READY FOR CONTROVERSY?
 
As the reports of Legislative committees began to be shared in the gathering of the Western Jurisdictional morning meetings, potential paranoia began!  ONE EXAMPLE of an impact filled piece of legislation would be: “Each Jurisdiction would be responsible for funding their own bishops.” The ramifications of such a choice would mean that currently the Western Jurisdiction could afford 3.2 bishops instead of the current 6 that we have. “ What will happen this summer?” becomes the whisper. Do we have to shift to 3 Bishops immediately instead of our plan for 2012 that would be back to 5 Bishops? The sub-committee on Superintendency has already offered an initial recommendation for no decrease in the number of Bishops.  Now 
 If you have read closely, there is no way just yet to understand the recommendations apart from each other at this stage of the conference.  We do not know yet
 so we keep listening / voting / assisting with the legislation to keep Episcopal Leadership in the west.
 
ANOTHER EXAMPLE centers on the language for Human Sexuality.  Legislation options begin to offer three options.  First, no change in the language, “Gay, Lesbian, and Transgendered lifestyles are incompatible with Christian Teaching.”  Second, eliminate all references to this statement.  Third, a legislative compromise to move the church that says, “We agree to disagree in these matters.” Again, it is to early in the to tell what will happen.
 
Thus, when Skip and I are asking each of you to know that the inspirational time at General Conference is absolutely knee bending awesome! 
But as the legislative moments continue it is time to pray.
 
NOW PRAY, PLEASE!
 
Observations by:
 
Olon Mulford Lindemood
Assistant to the Rocky Mountain Conference Director of Communications, Walter “Skip” Strickland. 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.rmcumc.org/pipermail/rmcnews_rmcumc.org/attachments/20080428/a49500ee/attachment.html