General Conference starts today!

We've arrived in Fort Worth and this evening at 5 PM CST, the 1,000 delegates of the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, along with guests, friends, interested people and others will begin 10 days of worship, celebration, and legislation in what many see as a General Conference that will build the overall direction of the church into the future.

Many issues abound at General Conference and I will try to share what I see as a I serve as a marshal.  I will let you know more about what I am doing.

My roommate for General Conference is David MacDonald from Niles, Ohio.  A pastor who will be ordained an elder this June at the East Ohio Conference.  David will be serving as a page.

Texas is much warmer than Pennsylvania or the Wyoming Conference!  We have been sweating a bit so far as temperatures yesterday were in the high 80s.

The issues are many at this conference, including proposals concerning creating regional conferences, changes in understandings of ordained ministers, sacramental rights of deacons, local pastors, whether to publish a new hymnal, and many other issues.  Petitions for the General Conference were filed with the General Conference secretary and each will be given its due process.  

Worship and the leading of the Holy Spirit through Holy Conferencing will be what delegates strive to do at this conference.  I hope that you will pray with me for the work of the Holy Spirit on the delegates and attendees of this conference and that their work reflects the love and grace of Christ.  

Grace and Peace, 

Bob