General Conference wrapped up its business late Friday night after approving a more than 60 petitions and resolutions in less than a day. Over 1300 decisions were made on various legislation items during the 2008 GC session. Closing worship was led by Bishop Palmer.

Friday morning, the General Conference legislative statistician shared that 98.6% of all petitions approved by the legislative committees were eventually approved by the entire General Conference. That fact indicates how influential legislative committees are in shaping the United Methodist Church. I also discovered the power at the hands of legislative committee chairpersons. They do more than properly guide the committees through the process; they also set the agenda as to what legislation is brought to the floor of the entire General Conference and when it is presented. I realized that when I observed how the items regarding the Worldwide Nature of the Church were guided through the committee meetings and then the plenary sessions. Most clergy and laypersons do not read the Book of Resolutions or the Discipline, but UMs should realize these decisions shape the policies by which the General Church operates, makes public statements AND spend apportionment money. Looking back I realized that most delegates were harmless as doves, but not very wise as serpents in dealing with these important matters. Others came prepared to control the legislative process, and they did. If we want to have a greater influence upon the UMC regardless of our positions on matters, we need to be more politically astute….not mean-spirited, but clever and prepared.

The budget for the General Church (for 2009-2012) was set at $642 million. That represents a 4.8% increase, or 1.2% per year. I was impressed with the financial analysis presented in determining how this figure is realistic, especially in light of an anticipated 8% loss of membership in the next 4 years.

One of the most inspiring experiences of General Conference was the response to Bishop Bickerton’s offer to “auction” off the basketball he used to illustrate the “Nothing But Nets” effort to provide mosquito nets for beds in areas affected by malaria. The nets cost $10/net, and at last report, Bishop Bickerton had raised over $428,000 in gifts and pledges from the delegations. I am sure that will be over $500,000 by the time he leaves Ft. Worth.

Here are a few other decisions made by the General Conference as we concluded business at midnight on Friday:
· The UMC will continue its relationship with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.
· A vote to re-define marriage to include same-sex relationships was defeated 70-30 %.
· Deacons were given sacramental privileges as defined in their ministry settings.
· A strong statement opposing the death penalty in Texas was approved.
· The official mission statement of the church is now “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” (I have trouble with the restrictive prepositional phrase as the purpose of making disciples).

Final thoughts
In many ways, this GC demonstrated how the UMC is trying to keep a delicate balance between an anxious, progressive constituency and a concerned, conservative membership. On one hand, there are those who are influenced by a liberation theology that believes that the UMC is US-centric and too exclusive re its policies on homosexuality and decision-making. Their hope is for the authority of the church to become more localized (regional) and the structure to be more flexible. On the other hand are those who hold traditional values re sexuality, marriage and the structure/authority of the church. They hope the UMC will maintain the historic positions that set clear, definite standards for church membership, ordination and the Social Principles. We have lived in this tension for 40 years during which time we have lost almost 25% of our membership, i.e., there are fewer members numerically and percentage-wise in the USA today than in 1968.

Frankly, I do not know how the UMC can live with this tension indefinitely. The amendments re the “Worldwide Nature of the Church” must be approved by the annual conferences (aggregate 2/3 vote required by the 2012 GC). Following that vote, I have no doubt that there will be Regional Conferences in place by 2013. When (not if) the USA becomes a regional conference, the traditional values in the US UMC will be replaced by the progressive agenda shortly thereafter. The result of that will be . . . whatever.

I have enjoyed offering these reports, thoughts and comments with you for the past two weeks. Thanks to all for logging on and especially to those who offered comments as well. Let us continue to trust God and pray for our Church and particularly for each other as the Lord shapes, leads and guides us into His future. Stay tuned!

Yesterday was exhausting. Today was discouraging. Yet, before I get into that, let me share some good stuff that happened today at General Conference.

One of the celebrations today was the 100th anniversary of the General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits. This fund that provides clergy health and pension support began with $213,000. Today, the assets are over $16 billion. The GBPHB is one of the ten largest pension funds in America. That is a great story, and it gets even better the older I get.

Bill Gates, Sr. (not “Bill, Jr” the founder of Microsoft) shared his vision and passion about wiping out malaria in our lifetime. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $5 million to the UMC to help launch the Global Health Initiative to combat malaria and other curable diseases around the world. Mr. Gates said our partnership with his foundation is a good fit because we see the entire world as our parish.

Good news for local pastors! The right to vote on delegates to General Conference was given to local pastors who have completed the Course of Study and have served at least two consecutive years prior to elections. I’ll share more details on that later.

Walking up to the Convention Center today, we were met by individuals who were lying on the sidewalk inside chalk lines, symbolizing persons who have suffered from spiritual violence. During our morning recess Conference leaders allowed a 15-minute witness/demonstration from the Lesbian/Bi-sexual/Gay/Transgender/Queer (LBGTQ) group on the Conference floor. Music, readings, prayers, witnesses and pictures of gay children were offered by the participants. Afterwards, 12 of our Bishops met with individuals from LBGTQ to discuss fairness and justice issues in light of the decision of the GC yesterday to retain language and certain prohibitions of homosexual persons in the life and ministry of the UMC. It was disturbing at several levels, but that was the intent. A bolder demonstration had been planned, but the Conference leaders and local police guided the group in a different way.

That experience, coupled with the vote to recommend 23 amendments to the UMC constitution to move toward regional conferences all across the connection, grieved my spirit. Again, this is not an issue of who wins/loses votes on the GC floor. Rather, I sense that we have had front row seats in the dis-uniting of the United Methodist Church. A carefully orchestrated and executed plan to de-centralize the church into regional conferences has been put in place. What concerns me most is that I do not think most of the delegates understood what they approved.

Simply put, a study committee has been approved to propose a worldwide design for the church to the 2012 GC that will create similar church structures in every region of the world. On the surface, that sounds OK, but in reality, the end result is that every region (including the USA) will have the authority to determine its own ministerial standards, social principles and other Disciplinary matters. Under the most radical plan, the UMC in the USA will become 5 regions rather than jurisdictions. The Study Committee supposedly has no immediate plan to make the USA a regional conference or conferences. Presenters denied this was the intent, but I know better. I served on the CONFERENCES legislative committee for the past week and observed firsthand how focused (and prepared) this group is in making their plan a reality sooner than later. One of the amendments states, "There shall be regional conferences" - not may be, but shall be.

I’ll share more of the reasons for this radical shift in the structure of the church and what impact this will have upon the UMC, but to use some country vernacular, “We just bought a pig in a poke.” In two years (2010), every annual conference will vote on these amendments. A 2/3 aggregate vote (the total vote of all annual conferences) is necessary to approve these changes.

That’s enough of my “venting” tonight. The Church is always a work in process, and I am a project God needs to put in some overtime to shape up. Our theme, “A Future with Hope” is something I want to believe. Yet, I’m concerned tonight that our attempt to be more accommodating of one group in the church will drive many more others from our ranks. Stay tuned.

Mercy. Where do I begin? This has been quite a day, one that we anticipated – and if we’re honest, dreaded – from the time we were selected for this responsibility at General Conference. I’ll start with the “easy” stuff.

We heard a wonderful presentation on the development of Africa University where over 2,500 students have been educated over the past 16 years. With the annual inflation rate over 200,000% (you read that correctly), the school has remained debt-free and continues to provide quality education for students, 49% of whom are women. That is a remarkable story.

A Social Litany (companion to the Social Creed written in 1908) was approved without the Trinitarian language as some requested. Let me know what you think of it as it becomes available.

From now on, we need to say that we will “uphold the church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness.” Not bad, in my opinion.

The major decisions today centered on the positions of the UMC re homosexuality. From the first day of our arrival at the convention center, scores of persons wearing rainbow-colored scarves were passing out literature and candy, displaying banners, and holding pictures of their children. Some of these persons are part of SOULFORCE, a Gay Rights activist group. Others are UMC members and pastors who see this as a justice issue. Still others are parents and friends of gays and lesbians.

Here are today's decisions of the GC in brief:

· the prohibition of civil unions/marriages between gay persons in UM churches and conducted by UM pastors was upheld.
· after almost 3 hours of debate, the minority report re “Human Sexuality” which mirrors the current language of the Discipline that “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” was adopted by 55% - 45%.
· the GC rejected a petition to make church membership more inclusive by 12 votes. This motion would have required pastors and churches to receive into membership all who were willing to take vows. Without clear language, the Judicial Council ruled that pastors have the authority to discern who is ready to become official members of the church.
· a petition to remove exclusionary language re “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from applying for certification for ministry was rejected 63% - 37%.

I cannot describe how weary I am tonight after this emotionally exhausting day. After the votes began to show that the GC delegates were not going to change the UMC position on the matters related to homosexuality, supporters of gay/lesbian/transgender persons in the visitors’ section stood and sang “Jesus loves us” for about 30 minutes. No one felt “victorious” with these decisions. There are no “winners” and “losers” re this issue. I won’t try to re-hash all the arguments here, but simply point out as one delegate explained, we wonder why God has not made a clearer, easier path for UMs re this matter. Strange as it may seem, conflict and the Church have acquainted from Day One. For whatever reason, this issue (homosexuality/gay rights) is the challenge for our generation, so we must learn how to hold fast to the essentials on the one hand and respect opinions of those with whom we disagree on the other.

That’s enough for now. I think I’ll try to catch a few hours of sleep before we get back to the other 122 petitions we need to approve before Friday p.m. I’m pooped. Stay tuned.

Did you know that
· the average membership of a UM congregation is 110? (In the Kentucky, the average size of a UM church is 88)
· 4% of all Kentuckians are United Methodists
· the UMC is now in “full communion” with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America which means we can participate fully in each other’s services, liturgies, sacraments and member transfers without conditions.
· this year is the 40th anniversary of the Commission on Religion and Race. The old Central Jurisdiction (that segregated the black Methodists from the white Methodists in 1939) was discarded at the Uniting Conference of the United Methodists Church in 1968.
· Ellen Johnson Sirleaf graduated from a UM school in Liberia, earned her degree from Harvard, and in 2006 was elected the first female President of an African nation? It was a privilege to hear her speak to the GC today.

We finished with all the petitions that had financial implications tonight, only one day later than planned on the Conference agenda. Most of our time this afternoon and tonight was spent discussing the leadership needs of the Central Conferences, particularly the African conferences where the church is growing at a phenomenal rate. New episcopal leaders are needed for this emerging church, but a plan and funding will not be in place until 2013.

To my surprise, the GC voted to reduce the number of bishops in the US jurisdictions by 4. Beginning in 2013, one less bishop will be assigned to the Northeastern, North Central, South Central and Western Jurisdictions. The Southeastern Jurisdiction actually qualifies for one MORE bishop, but at this time has not requested one. These episcopal funds will be allocated to the Central Conferences where episcopal leadership is needed the greatest.

Jim Harnish has served very effectively as a pastor in the Florida Annual Conference for many years. I’ve always respected Jim and greatly enjoyed reading his books, many of which come from his preaching. I told him tonight how often I’ve thought of a phrase he used from Yates as he introduced his “Apostles’ Creed” sermons: the center that holds. I am wondering that center is that will hold this General Conference together. There is a wide range of thought about that center. Jim said that the best we can hope for is that “General Conference will do no harm.” Let’s hope so.

Stay tuned.

Quite a day today…make that “quite a LONG day today”! The highlight without a doubt was the music of the HOPE FOR AFRICA Children’s Choir. Their voices, smiles and genuine joy filled every heart and brought us to our feet more than once. Bishop Wandabula put it best on the video presentation: “No wonder they are going to be the future of our nation.” We will have the privilege of hearing them at Annual Conference in June. They also will share at Franklin 1st UMC on Sunday morning, June 1. DON’T miss these special ambassadors of God’s love and joy. Once you hear them, you will know what I mean. I also enjoyed the Asbury Theological Seminary luncheon today with Ellsworth Kalas and the Higher Education Commission dinner tonight. A group of students attending UM-related schools blessed us with their music as well.

An interesting thing happened re the Judicial Council elections. Previously this week, the Board of Church and Society registered its complaint that an unofficial caucus group passed out cell phones to delegates from the Central Conferences, attempting to sway their votes on these elections and other matters before the GC. What happened today is even more interesting. This morning, a “moderate” group put together a list of candidates and placed it on the desks of certain delegates before the election. Would you believe that every one of those nominees, clergy and lay, were elected in the exact order of that list? I asked the BCS if they were going to mention that in their next publication as well, but have not heard from them.

A couple or three other matters. The proposal from my legislative committee (Conferences) went through with a few adjustments after the minority report was voted down by less than 100 votes. A study group was given “guidelines” to prepare a report to the 2012 GC re how the UMC can live into a more global church. This petition did NOT approve or endorse a regional conference or conferences for the USA, but allows that discussion to take place. I can live with that for now. The GC also authorized a new hymnal for the church to be revealed by the 2012 General Conference. The youth/young adults questioned the need for it, but Tom Lankford’s group was given the go-ahead by the majority of delegates. And, bishops will be able to be assigned to areas until their 68th birthdays (presently, 66). Thus, their retirement age will be 72 years of age rather than 70. A petition re mandatory retirement for clergy at age 72 has not come before us yet.

If you want to respond, click on the “comments” at the bottom of this blog and a screen will pop up. Type your response in the “leave your comment” box and then hit “publish your comment.” You may need to enter the verification word that is listed there as well.

Things will get more interesting from this point on. Stay tuned.

Here are a few random thoughts after spending the Lord’s Day at General Conference:

1. I have enjoyed the various worship experiences, but I found it odd that this day seemed like all the others with the early worship gathering, presentations, a quick lunch, and then legislative committee meetings in the afternoon and evening. This year, one full day was removed from the General Conference schedule, and it seems that the spiritual discipline of Sabbath went with it. Can we really do “worshipful work” for 10 days without a Sabbath experience? All was not lost, however! I enjoyed a wonderful steak dinner and great fellowship with friends tonight at the Stockyards. Then, it was back to the Convention Center for our legislative committee meeting until 11 p.m.

2. Bishop William Hutchinson gave a refreshing, challenging and inspiring message on John 3:1-17 on remembering our baptism as “something more” that ushers us into the Kingdom of God. It was a welcome change in the midst of so much liberation theology that decries the USA as the evil empire and the US UMC as the dominant, unjust and oppressive church.

3. Most of the delegates from other annual conferences with whom I have talked seem to be so much more educated and prepared to discuss the issues than I am. I regret that we spent too little time reflecting on these serious matters as a delegation over the past year. I wish I had received more coaching from GC “veterans” who have learned how to work the process to their advantage. Obviously, leaders from other parts of the connection come prepared to do just that.
4. One revealing observation is how seriously many youth and young adults from jurisdictional and central conferences approach General Conference. For example, my legislative committee (which is considering pivotal proposals for our UM connection) is chaired by a college senior who is assisted by a 17-year old secretary. Other young people shared the “first address by youth at a General Conference” on Thursday, and it was very clear that their agenda is quite different from traditional, evangelical values. No young person from the Southeastern Jurisdiction has participated at any level of the GC as best I can tell. Conclusion: the future of the UMC leadership is being handed over by default to those whose agendas are quite different from mine.

Tomorrow, we vote for members of the Judicial Council (the “Supreme Court” of the UMC) and the University Senate (those who oversee and approve theological schools). Be much in prayer for these decisions as we seek to elect men and women who will help the UMC remain faithful to its scriptural foundations. Stay tuned.

Well, I missed writing my blog over the past two days for a couple of good reasons: (1) My roommate, Bill Arnold, has been sound asleep when I got to the hotel, so I did not want to disturb him with my pecking on this computer, and (2) most of our business was “business as usual” as we met in sub-committees (smaller groups within our legislative committees). Some folks on the Annual Conference level do not appreciate the legislative process. This experience has shown me that for good/bad, it certainly gives everyone an opportunity to participate and have voice where many would not speak before the entire Conference.

Anyway, I “volunteered” to be the secretary of our sub-committee (Worldwide Nature of the UMC). This group has dealt with three petitions that are offered after the study of a Task Force related to the Council of Bishops and the Connectional Table. The brief version of these proposals is that the UMC connection would/could/may (we spend hours on one word!) be structured by “regional” (presently, central) conferences which have the authority to determine their missional priorities as well as a variety of other matters including standards for ordination, social principles and chargeable offenses. One of the key questions is whether the US also would become a regional conference. This, as some see it, would de-centralize the power and influence of the US church and empower the church in other parts of the world. On the other hand, decisions would be more localized. Obviously, this would create local expressions of the UMC and move us toward dis-unity. Some of us are holding fast that the final word re the issues that shape our church should be at the General Conference, not regional or jurisdictional conference level. To move to 4 or 5 regional conferences in the US would create a very fractured church. The proposal coming out of our Committee would allow for a group to study this proposal for another 4 years.

I’ll have some free time tonight (Sunday) to share more thoughts so stay tuned.