GC Week Two Update

Florida delegation and some of our Florida friends on the last day of Conference. 

It is finished. And we got every thing we were hoping for. 

More selfies with friends......

Justin LaRosa - we kept each other quiet during the legislative committees

Jess Scott from our delegation 

Pastor Robin and Carla from First UMC Bradenton 

Dr. Anne Burkholder, seminary professor and former pastor in our conference

Rev. David Dodge who has been working towards deacon's rights for years; the former Clergy Excellence Director in Florida when I was in the process 

Latricia!!!!!! 

Sean Pollock is the music director at New Covenant UMC in the Villages 

Rev. Andy Oliver from Allendale UMC St. Petersburg; he's a huge advocate in the church for Reconciling Ministries

Rev. Tammy is from Florida but pastors now in South Carolina. We were summer camp counselors together in college. 

Rev. Ivan Gonzalez from Florida now works for General Commission on Religion and Race 

Throughout the week I served as the videographer for our Bishop and his daily update messages back to the Florida Conference 

There were a lot of worship services with some really great elements. 

Bishop Tracy Malone is the new Chair of the Council of Bishops and our first African-American female council president 

Me with Latricia, Tiffany (from Mississippi) and Dr. Candace Lewis - we started the love train dancing in the observer section during worship that spread throughout the whole convention center 

I was glad to be able to go to worship at First UMC Charlotte with two lay members of our FLUMC delegation helping lead communion 

 Plenary sessions had historic votes and other important moments. 

The passing of the gavel 

Dr. Candace Lewis elected to the University Senate 

Some of our delegates like Molly got to speak from the platform of GC 

When the deacons were granted sacramental rites, there was a lot of celebrating on the next break. 

Rev. Leo Yates wrote the petition that was approved and Florida's Justin LaRosa organized the deacons to lobby for its approval 

We celebrated the ministry of UMCOR and they had a big solar unit set up outside one day. 

Every morning the Florida folks gathered for prayer before morning worship. On the last day, Justin got to lead us in communion! 

I got to do a lot of walking around town and there was so much cool art everywhere! 

Sunday Sabbath

It was SO nice to sleep in a bit on Sunday morning at General Conference. It was a Sabbath day, so no meetings. I got myself up in time to drive to nearby Providence UMC to hear Bishop Kennetha Bigham-Tsai (from the Iowa Conference) preach on "What's Love Got To Do With It?" She was amazing. And the choir was the same one that sang in our opening GC worship; their musical rendition of this Jewish poem I Believe was so powerful. 

Then I met many of the Florida delegation for lunch and we were able to spend some time with Bishop Ken Carter and Rev. Pam Carter. That was a special gift. 

Then I found another nearby UMC with a labyrinth - St. Stephen's. 

But the best part of the day by far was getting to hang our with our "bonus" daughter Rael. She lives not too far away from Charlotte. It's been far too long since any of us got to hug her neck. She's even more amazing now than she was as a kid. 

And look who was on her refrigerator! Our Allen Family Christmas cards and graduation announcements. 

 

GC Week One Update

Charlotte is very welcoming of our gathering! 

Love this sign in the Exhibit Hall

One of the best parts is running into dear friends and colleagues from around the connection. 

This is Rev. Pam Cahoon and Bishop Charlene Kammerer (she was the first female district superintendent in Florida and has been such a support to my ministry). 

Kris Wise (seminary student from our district; we're the only two from the SW district here this week). 

Rev. Will Clark, chair of the order of Local Pastors in Florida. I was on the DCOM when he came through for licensing and have served on the BOM with him. Amazing human being. 

Rye Standifer from Community UMC. Rye was in our youth group and in high school when elected and is a college student who works at Disney now. They are one of our lay delegates to General Conference. 

Sean Pollock is the husband of my good friend Rev. Ellen Pollock. He is the worship leader at New Covenant UMC in The Villages. 

Rev. Tracy Hunter is one of my best friends. She is one of the reasons I didn't give up on ministry when I burned out while serving a difficult appointment in Hudson. She lives in NC now, and it's been so good to hang together for color commentary during the plenaries a few days this week. 

Beautiful prayer spaces in the Upper Room. I've been walking the labyrinth every day. 

The worship services have been awesome and amazing. so much diversity in music and in leadership (liturgists, preachers, etc). On Thursday we wore black to honor victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Bishop Latrelle Easterling preached a powerful sermon as witness that day that I highly recommend watching - https://youtu.be/pod1wXu6w70?si=VKYls8VsxtxV0Ytp

And on Saturday morning I got to enjoy handbells in worship as well as a powerful sermon by Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa from Zimbabwe (who is also the president of the Council of African bishops). He called out the detractors of the UMC who would divide us and called us to joy. You can watch the worship service and his sermon here - https://youtu.be/3VzIK4pJihw?si=hmyQHpY4HmXL5Ae8

There has been lots of exciting things in the plenaries this week. Including hearing from Florida's own, Alejandra Salemi, giving part of the Young People's Address. She is a PhD student at Boston University and a candidate for ministry. You can watch here: https://youtu.be/-poe0qVxDvo?si=VFVClEEsDrq06KGy

We moved forward legislation about worldwide regionalization of the UMC. Historic! 

Bishop David Wilson became the first Native American bishop to preside over a 

General Conference session!

And our own Bishop Tom Berlin led the Saturday morning plenary session. It was heavy on Robert's rules of order as we navigated nominations to the University Senate and Judicial Council. 

I sat in on the Ordained Ministry legislative committee as an observer to learn all the BOD changes that will affect my new job (Director of Clergy Excellence, starting July 1; in addition to the job I have now). Lots of historic work done here too removing harmful language preventing gay persons from being ordained or clergy from performing gay weddings. 

Florida's own Dr. Brett Opalinski (former BOM chair) praying before a committee session. 

One of the coolest things about GC is the work of the translators. They are in the plenary sessions and every legislative committee room, ensuring that our delegates from the Philippines, Europe and Africa can hear in their native languages in real time; and that English speakers can hear non-English speakers in real time as well. As we waited for a translator to show up to the room this week, the room broke out into song. We heard Blessed Assurance in Portuguese, French, Swahili, Russian and English! What a Holy Spirit Pentecost moment.