This past week was the 2nd Annual Conference of our new Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church. I have to admit that I have not looked forward to this week. I am not one for nit-picking at documents Committees have spent hours praying over and working on. Nor do I care for the tension that surrounds resolutions, some of which I still have not read. I do look forward to meeting new Pastors and hearing about their churches, catching up with old friends – you will always see Ron Bowersox on day 1. But I go out of obligation. Obligation to my position at Asbury, and this year obligation as our Lay Member to Annual Conference. And as Conference started on Wednesday and Thursday it was playing out just as I expected. But then Friday came.
The vision team and the cabinet of the Annual Conference had worked diligently on a proposal for rethinking our # of District Superintendents and also the way they are used. Their presentation started and it was the perfect blend of knowledge and vision for trying some thing new. After all the statistics they shared about our constant decline I would have been surprised if the proposal did not pass. It was in the moments after their written prayer of Confession that you heard evidence of the Spirit at work during our hours of Holy Conferencing. From that moment forward all of Conference just seemed different. There was a glimmer of hope again. But that wasn’t all that our Bishop and Cabinet had planned. Pastor Adam Hamilton from Church of the Resurrection would start speaking late Friday afternoon on Leadership followed by a presentation on Worship Friday evening. He was authentic, challenging and direct with us.
Driving home Friday night Jeff, Ginger and I had the most transparent conversation I have been part of in a while. Each of us stepping forward to own places we have failed in the areas Adam addressed. Committing to changing and holding each other accountable for at times burying the gifts God has given us to do ministry. For me the night was still fresh on Saturday morning. I remember looking up into the sky as I waited for our 7am trip up to Messiah and thinking – God I know you still want me to move forward but I am terrified. You see up until this week I had convinced myself that I was called to be a Pastor but Not in the United Methodist Church. I simply wanted no part of the obligations that held.
Saturday morning we arrived at Messiah and we were once again challenged by Adam this time his presentation focused on Mission and Evangelism. But for us it seem that this time it was not so much about the church, it was much more personal. He shared some of his story with us and how that story affected his ministry. He shared his views on marrying those who are not members of a church and his process for pre-martial counseling. All the while challenging our own marriages and relationships. Challenging our acceptance of ALL God’s children when they enter our doors on a Sunday morning. Adam closed with a prayer very familiar to Methodists – the Weslyan Covenant Prayer. But you see my breathe was taken away, the tears just rolled down my face. I knew that God was leading this Conference in His direction and He was still calling me to be a part of it.
We left Messiah today re-energized, more passionate and with a deeper willingness to do whatever it takes to accomplish the mission laid out before us. This year writing a report of the business updates of Conference may simply not be enough to share with our congregations what happened on these historic days for the Susquehanna Annual Conference – To God be the Glory!!
Life in Christ 