| So far, so good! With a massed choir, pomp and ceremony, and references to transforming the world for Christ, the 2008 United Methodist General Conference opened at Fort Worth Wednesday evening (April 23). About 6,500 delegates, church officials and guests filled the convention center to share in an opening communion service and hear Bishop Janice Riggle Huie preach on the theme of the conference, A Future With Hope.
United Methodists invest a great deal of time, energy, and money in their General Conferences. The delegated, every-four-year conference is the legislative body that has the authority to change the church's Discipline, set the denominational budget, and initiate programs for the "quadrennium," (the next four years). The projected cost for this year's conference is 6.6 million dollars (compared with 5.3 million in 2004).
Of the 992 delegates 278 are from the Central Conferences. These delegates are from outside the United States. Most are from the Philippines and Africa. They are the "wild card" factor at the General Conference. While very concerned about economic, poverty and justice issues, many of the delegates are evangelical and conservative in their personal understanding of the gospel.
For the moment all seems to be sweetness and light. Today (April 24) the legislative groups will be meeting, debates will begin and Holy Conferencing will be put to the test. There is much discussion in the time leading up to the General Conference about "Holy Conferencing," a term derived from John Wesley having to do with seeking God's will through respectful conversation. So be it.
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