Celebrations!
By Jim Nibbelink
Our own Bishop Carcaño shared the message with us on Sunday morning, with the theme, “Residing With Hope.” She drew inspiration from the Gospel story of Jesus’ encounter with the Gerasene demoniac. Here is a man who is an example of those people cast out by society, shunned, shamed, oppressed and even feared. He is separated from community, having no dignity or even a safe place to live. The grace, compassion and power of Jesus overcame ostracism and degradation, restoring the outcast to community. Bishop Carcaño led us to recognize parallels between the demoniac and the chronically poor and the immigrant among us. Very often, society treats the poor and the immigrant in the same ways that the community of Gerasa treated the demoniac. But there is great good news! The love and power of Jesus is not subject to or limited by governments, oppressive economic systems or immigration laws. Freedom and restoration are available through the grace of God and we are called to be conduits of that grace.
After worship, we joined in marking the 40th anniversary of the dismantling of the old Central Jurisdiction, the system of segregation that characterized The Methodist Church between 1939 and 1968. When the new United Methodist Church was constituted in Dallas in 1968, the separation of traditionally black congregations and black clergy was brought to an end.
Another celebration brought us up to date with the progress of a significant UMC program, Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century. This effort has trained several key black congregations to serve as examples and trainers to aid in the revitalization of struggling congregations. There has been measurable impact in many congregations that have been touched by this renewal ministry.
Following the celebrations, votes were taken by the entire Conference on the first of the recommendations that have passed through the Legislative Section recommendation process. We also saw the first exercise of the parliamentary maneuvers that characterize some of the debates at General Conference. If you think you know how the parliamentary process works, come to General Conference to expand your education! On some occasions, it’s easy to lose track of the purpose of a piece of legislation due to the sophisticated approaches and circuitous reasoning employed by proponents of various points of view. Stay alert and listen carefully, or you’ll be led into places you don’t want to go!
After lunch, Legislative Sections reconvened to continue processing their respective workloads. A few sections have completed their work, but most are still in the midst of discerning their recommendations on many petitions. It looks like another late night for many!
Tonight, delegates and guests were treated to what’s known as, “Area Night,” a welcome party put on by the host city and Annual Conference, in this case, Central Texas. Mariachis greeted the crowd entering the ballroom, where we enjoyed a concert by the internationally renowned Texas Boys Choir. The young men were super singers, offering a program ranging from sacred to Broadway. After the concert, we enjoyed a “Taste of Texas,” as we were invited to wander through many tables of snacks and desserts typical of this part of the world. Pralines seemed to be the biggest hit, as hundreds of the sugary treats disappeared in a flash! Some of the folks accepted the invitation to hop up on the back of a huge longhorn steer to have their pictures taken. The steer was pretty calm about the whole thing, but his six-foot span of horns kept many from coming too close! Bishop Beverly Shamana of The California-Nevada Conference mounted up, looking great in her western outfit topped by a straw cowboy hat.
Much more legislation is slated for votes on Monday, as the focus shifts from Legislative Sections to plenary activity. The pace will be almost frantic, as votes are cast, counted and confirmed on a myriad of topics in quick succession. Also on Monday, elections will be held for the Judicial Council, the church’s supreme court, and for the University Senate, the group responsible for standards among institutions of higher learning related to the United Methodist Church. Stay tuned for the results!