Bishop's Corner
Conference Is Coming
By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker
 In the United
Methodist Church there is a unique tradition known as the Annual
Conference. Lay persons elected by their local congregations or
districts, ordained deacons and elders, diaconal ministers, and local
and supply pastors come together from Apalachicola to Key West to
worship, enjoy fellowship, reflect theologically on the mission of the
church, and make decisions about how we shall order the United Methodist
Church in Florida.
The Annual Conference is unique, but it has an
ancient precedent in the councils of the Christian Church in the
formative first 500 years of Church history. In the ancient Church
decisions were made in a conciliar manner. John Wesley recovered the
concept of a council when the Methodist movement began in the Church of
England, but he called the Methodist council a “conference.” In
Methodism “conference” is a verb as well as a noun. We conference
together about the issues confronting the Church.
I consider it a joyous privilege to preside over
the Annual Conference. What spiritual joy fills my heart as I look out
over a large gathering of committed Christians, which represents the
coming together of the members of the Body of Christ in the unity of the
Holy Spirit.
There is an eager anticipation that we all
experience as we prepare for Annual Conference. We do not know what will
happen. Will we be open to the illumination and guidance of the Spirit
as we encounter new challenges and confront difficult problems?
Our theme for the 2002 Annual Conference in
Lakeland beginning May 28 is “A New Birth Into a Living Hope.” It is
my prayer that we shall receive the grace of God to experience a new
birth personally and corporately as we repent of racism in the Church
and focus upon the transformation of congregations to become missionary
outposts of a missionary Church. We shall come together with many cares,
not only about our personal lives, but also about the Church and the
congregations we represent, including cares about financial struggles to
pay for rising insurance costs. By God’s grace we shall make wise
decisions, and we shall make all of our decisions in the larger context
of the adventure of being the Body of Christ that is called and
strengthened by Jesus Christ, who is the Head, to accomplish his mission
to a hurting and lost world.
As the one who presides, I shall attempt to order
a respectful and open process in accordance with the Standing Rules of
the Annual Conference. Since we shall have a heavy agenda, I shall
attempt to keep the Annual Conference on schedule. I will probably make
some mistakes, but I shall submit to being accountable for my mistakes
and acknowledge and correct them wherever possible.
Before you come to Conference, please read the
First Epistle of Peter and pray for the Church. Come with hearts and
minds open to one another and to the Holy Spirit who proceeds from God
the Father through Jesus Christ our Sovereign and Savior.
|
