Fort Worth bound

(If you want to know about me click “About” on the right side of the page)

The first purpose of this blog is to offer a daily account and reflection on what goes on at the 2008 United Methodist General Conference.

I am the chair of the delegation and one of six delegates from the Kansas East Conference. Starting on Wednesday morning and going for the next ten days I will:

• Attend orientations for heads of delegations and young people
• Participate in many amazing worship services
• Hear reports and discuss legislation in the Discipleship committee including a petition to authorize the publishing of a new hymnal, Strengthening the Black Church of the 21st Century, and legislation related to lay speaking, youth ministry, and the General Board of Discipleship
• Vote for Judicial Council members
• Participate in events recognizing United Methodist institutions of higher education
• Sit in plenary next to the 44th member of the delegation from the Nigeria Annual Conference.
• Spend 11 consecutive nights in a hotel room
• Pass a $600 million+ quadrennial budget
• And many many other things

Delegates and alternates have been preparing for this meeting for nearly a year. I have sent hundreds of e-mails, made and received phone calls from coast to coast, planned delegation meetings, and traveled from Atlanta where I go to college to Austin, Fort Worth, Topeka, and Wichita for meetings nearly monthly since October.

At this point as I scramble to finish papers before I leave town on Tuesday and make my packing list I feel like I am strapped in and clicking up the ascent of a roller coaster. My flight will leave Tuesday afternoon regardless, we will open with worship Wednesday evening whether I am ready or not, we will close on Friday night, May 1 whether or not the Conference is ready. What remains to be seen are the twists, the turns, and the loops.