Conferencing Together: A United Methodist Tradition

As Wesleyan Christians have done for over 250 years in Great Britain, the US and elsewhere, the preachers and congregants are gathering for Annual Conference this coming week. Originating with John Wesley and his first "assistants", the conferences were opportunities to go to a place apart from daily ministries to encourage one another, consider together what doctrines were to be taught and emphasized, and by what means, in addition to the routine organizational matters of the young renewal movement in England.

During our time at Conference, we still worship and pray together, fellowship, study, and complete the business of the Annual Conference. Much of the business is routine; other steps are innovations or revisions. Some resolutions address significant social controversies of our times, seeking an expression of the ethical or moral mind of the churches' leaders. Last year, for example,important proposals for full-inclusion of gay and lesbian persons in the life of the church were adopted
for consideration by the General Church in 2008. We have yet to see what consideration these will receive.

This year, other actions being considered (on which our delegates, Lou Witman or Dave Bobert, Pastor Mary Keen or I, would welcome your comments) are these:

1. Adjustments in the apportionment formula, which in our case would drop our
support to the state and general conference by about 25-33%, but would increase the costs to smaller churches by 10% or so on average.

2. A move to reduce the number of districts in Minnesota from six to five, thus reducing the conference expeditures.

3. Support for the Russian Church Initiative (our church has given over $11,000).

4. An appeal to United Methodist leaders in the Conference to begin every meeting with consideration of the impact our decisions would have upon the poor of the land. (I am a co-author of this proposal with John Darlington of Christ Church, Rochester), and our urban ministries coordinator, Dennis Alexander).

5. A proposal to offer domestic partner benefits to Annual Conference employees
(since the Conference does not make religious requirements for all of its clerical and administrative employees).

6. A proposal to ask for a vote on the question of the United Methodist understanding of marriage in Minnesota.

7. Other appeals to the General Conference (meeting in 2008) on peacemaking and war and peace study materials.

8. Election of representatives to General Conference meetings.

Please remember your United Methodist Christian sisters and brothers from all over Minnesota as they meet to pray and consider these and other proposals and appeals.
By the way, any United Methodist may write proposals to the Annual or General Conference. If you are interested, please just inquire with me or with Pastor Mary. We can describe the procedure to you.