Bishop Reports from General Conference

BY WPAUMC NEWS | April 23, 2008

Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton posts daily reports from General Conference 2008 on his blog The Journey Continues . The reports are also posted on this site daily. General Conference began with opening worship at 6 p.m. April 23 and runs through May 2. Here are the Bishop's reports in reverse chronological order, with the latest first.

General Conference Day 6

April 28, 2008

I witnessed “A Future with Hope” today at General Conference! We have made much out of the fact that our church is declining in all categories. Yet, in the midst of decline there are signs of hope that are all around us if only we look up and take notice.

There have been serious attempts to emphasis & employ a “Holy Conferencing” model for our plenary sessions here. That plea for love and grace to be the drivers of our work seems to be working, even though the twelve plus hours of plenary sessions each day is only beginning. We have witnessed a cooperative and congenial spirit among the delegates. Could it be a new day?

Today I saw “A Future with Hope” when the Africa Children’s Choir from Uganda sang.

Their energy and joy was contagious! This choir of 23 “orphan and vulnerable” children was organized by the East Africa Annual Conference. Many of the children wereorphaned during the more than 20 years of civil war that ravaged Uganda. Suffering in mud huts crammed tightly together, the children were taken in, loved, given life AND renewed hope. They represent the reason I work so hard to get mosquito nets to Africa. Their life blessed ours today. Yet, they could not have done that had they not been valued, loved, protected, and saved.

Today, as witnesses of the hope they have been given, these 7-to-12-year-old children are giving back to us what they have received. Their hope is evident in the smiles on their faces, the spring in their dances, and the joy in their songs. When I met themearlier in the week at a “Nothing but Nets” event, they swarmed me with a massive hug and constant “high fives.” They bear the hope we so desperately need.

Once again I found hope in the midst of people who live far less privileged lives than we do. Today I found it in a group of children whose favorite song is “I am a fan of God!” In the midst of our privilege and abundance we could use a good dose of spontaneous, spirit-led praise of God. In the midst of our decline and uncertainty, can we find renewed hope – a hope that can only come from the heart of God to the hearts of people like you and me?

Today I saw “A Future with Hope” at General Conference. I found it in the midst of a long day of petitions, motions, and amendments. I found it when our business was interrupted by the children. I found it when Jesus came into this arena and blessed our lives.

Today, there is “A Future with Hope” all around us. I pray that you can find that hope wherever you are today.

The Journey Continues, . . .

General Conference – Day 5

April 27, 2008

Some people seem to thrive in the spotlight. We have been meeting now for five days and

there are a certain number of people who seem to love to secure the microphone. It’s also interesting, sitting where I sit now, to watch the body struggle to stay on task. Many questions concerning trivial matters are raised that consume time and take us away from the heart of our discussions. Shepherding a large group like this without being offensive and insensitive is quite an art form.

Today we heard another excellent sermon, this one from Bishop Minerva Carcano. She talked about Jesus and the Gerasene demoniac and discussed modern day outcasts: immigrants who are dying in the desert, those who are suffering from poverty even though we thrive with in our abundance, and those who are paralyzed by fear. It’s kind of like the those at the microphones at General Conference – some dominate the floor, while others struggle to find the way to have their voices heard. There are over 1,000 delegates here – all elected delegates – all with the same rights & privileges – all God’s children. Yet, I still hear people referring to the delegates from Africa & the Philippines as “the foreign delegates.” And I still notice that many of them feel out of place and disenfranchised. They are here but have we really included them? They are elected just as the US delegates are, but do they feel any sense of welcome or hospitality?

We are a work in progress at this General Conference. There is an undeniably good spirit in this place. People are working and praying and finding a way to laugh. It’s been a good week so far.Yet, just as with our human family, this family needs to continue to work toward a greater sense of inclusiveness, a stronger extension of hospitality, and a deeper acceptance of all God’s children. Outcasts? Not in the kingdom of God and I pray not at General Conference. Come to the microphone, one and all. We need your voice. It is an important part of who we are! You are welcome and needed here!

The Journey Continues, . . .

General Conference – Day4

April 26, 2008

Today began with one of the most stirring sermons I have heard. Bishop Bill Hutchison, Louisiana Area, gave a wonderful message about “coming to the water” to remember our baptism. He correctly named the formalized and stiff nature of the church which often squelches the spirit in our midst, a spirit that invites people into a relationship with Christ.

Following the sermon, confirmation students from local churches in the Central Texas Annual Conference took pine sprigs, walked among us, and blessed us with the gift of water as a re-affirmation of our baptism. It was a powerful moment as we watched these new, young Christians moving in our midst. It was a blessed morning!

Yet, not long after morning worship, a large group of persons in the back of the auditorium raised their cards in an attempt to secure the floor. When recognized, they attempted to make a motion that we lessen the length of time we spend in worship and hearing presentations that tell us the story of the church. Their request was out of order and not formally recognized, yet their desire did signal something to me. We are a church that is possessed so often with formalism and business rather than creating a posture which makes us available to the spirit of Christ moving in our midst. Many delegates here just want to get on with the issues and the business of the conference.

While that is important, it fails to recognize how necessary it is to actively seek the presence of Christ in the midst of our business. In a cost saving measure, the General Conference has been reduced by two full days, effectively eliminating the break in our business over the weekend. That break, in years past, enabled delegates to seek rest from the daily routine of 8 a.m. beginnings and 11 p.m. or midnight endings. The break enabled delegates to see the area, worship in local churches, and renew their spirits. It has always been valued and needed.

Yet, this year, we continue meeting into the weekend with exhausting days and wearying nights. You can see it on the faces of the delegates, those elected to be fresh and alert enough to shape the future of the church. We are a church that is often more concerned about saving a dollar than we are in making an investment in the spiritual and physical health of our leaders. I have always employed the philosophy that you have to spend money in order to create and enable effective ministry to take place.

Yesterday I had an amazing opportunity to address the General Conference concerning the “Nothing but Nets” campaign. It was World Malaria Day. As a part of that address I walked into the aisle and invited the delegates to consider what it might look like if they bought bed nets during that session. In a spontaneous movement of the body, delegate after delegate came to the center table and placed their offerings in support of the campaign. Those gifts are now up to $14, 750 among the 1,00o delegates and hundreds of visitors!

Yet, shortly after that presentation, I was approached by someone in the office whose first

words to me were, “You know, you just broke the rules of the General Conference and threw the financial people into a mad frenzy to collect and count the money.” He was serious. My reply was simple, “The affirmation of this body speaks for itself. In just a few moments we just saved 1,450 children’s lives in Africa. I’ll disrupt this General Conference every day if I can get that kind of response.”

We are a church that is often more concerned with rules and regulations that make us feel

comfortable with predictability. We are a church that emotionally desires the leading of the spirit but practically cannot find a way to just “let it happen.” I am a person of hope, a glass-half-filled kind of guy. I remain that way today. But today, I invite you to join me in prayer. Let us pray that we might find a way to lighten up enough to recognize the gift of the spirit in our homes, our local churches, our areas, and, in these days, at the session of General Conference.