LEESBURG — The Florida Conference’s delegates to the 2000 United Methodist General and Southeastern Jurisdictional conferences met Oct. 2 in Leesburg to discuss issues they will deal with at the denomination’s global conference in Cleveland, Oh., next April and the jurisdictional meeting in July.

They also met to nominate a Florida Conference candidate for the office of Bishop.

The Rev. Dr. Richard J. "Dick" Wills, pastor of Christ Church United Methodist in Ft. Lauderdale, was nominated by the delegates after a time of worship, discernment and prayer, according to the Rev. Jim Harnish, chairman of the conference’s elections procedures committee and pastor of Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa.

"…each delegate was invited to record one hope for the election process and the name of a possible nominee," Harnish said. "When the cards were counted…Wills had been chosen."

Mary Alice Massey, the conference’s lay leader and leader of the Florida Conference’s 2000 delegations, said that Wills’ name was one of 10 submitted.

"It was the clear discernment of the group that Dick Wills was the person," she said. "But what a blessing to know that we have…10 others who people think have the spiritual gifts and other gifts to be bishop."

Electing bishops for the Southeastern Jurisdiction will take place at the 2000 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference July 12-16 in Lake Junaluska, N.C. Not every conference in the jurisdiction will offer a candidate, Massey said, adding the North Alabama and Red Bird conferences have already announced they will not have a nominee.

At General Conference, Wills will meet with the Southeastern Jurisdiction’s delegates to present his vision for the church.

"I understand the greatest need in our church, at this time, is for spiritual leaders. I have a clear understanding of Biblical leadership, and God has demonstrated this in my own life and ministry," Wills said. "This has been undergirded by the principle that God honors and blesses obedience. This call to obedience has been demonstrated in the church I serve by the empowerment of laity and the reclaiming of the role of pastor as spiritual leader."

The delegates also spent time discussing items they will tackle during the conferences. Massey said 19 issues have been identified, including the Connectional Process Team’s report on the transformational directions of the United Methodist Church, apportionments, guaranteed appointments for clergy, revitalizing the local church, and separation of world service and conference benevolences.