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British minister celebrates Wesleyan heritage
 Mallett, a physician and an ordained minister of the British Methodist Church, was the featured minister at the 2003 Florida Annual Conference Event May 27-30 at the Lakeland Center here.
Citing Exodus 14:10 Mallett called conference delegates to adhere to their annual event's theme, "To Serve the Present Age," despite the current uncertainty in world affairs. He also urged them to model themselves after early Methodists.
"In this world of shifting values, there's something irresistible about leading a radiant life for Christ," he said. "As we mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of John Wesley, I say there's a radiance that comes from being in Christ. God grant that this may be so."
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Delegates chosen for 2004 conferences
Electronic voting may have gotten off to a slow start at the 2003 Florida Annual Conference Event, but the job eventually got done and a diverse group of clergy and laity were elected to represent the conference at the 2004 General and Jurisdictional conferences.
Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker called for a centering moment of prayer before each vote and encouraged diversity across age, gender, geographic and racial lines.
The delegates elected represented from five of the conference's ethnic groups and each of its 14 districts. Of the 74 people elected 36 are women, and there is at least one representative from each of the six age categories established by the election procedures committee, including a 15-year-old who will turn 16 later this year. Clergy elected both full-connection elders and deacons.
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Poor finances could spell dark days ahead
The sun blazed outside the Lakeland Center, but an ominous cloud loomed inside as the Florida
Conference's Council on Finance and Administration (CF&A) presented its 2004 budget during the last business session of the conference's May 27-30 annual gathering.
The CF&A report painted a grim portrait for the coming year and included a request for a $1 million line of credit from a lending institution in the event of a financial shortfall. The request was granted.
"I am cautious and concerned about the health of our day-to-day operational finances," said Dr. Randy Casey-Rutland, the conference's treasurer. "...Unless things change, I think it is likely that we will need to borrow money at some point to meet our cash flow needs…"
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Prayer garden was quiet, sacred space for delegates
Amid the often hectic schedule and sometimes contentious debate that occur during Florida Annual Conference events, delegates to this year's session found a small, quiet space where they could practice forgiveness, marvel at God's creation or simply be alone to remember their Savior.
"Our goal was to create a sacred place…where you connect with God. The meeting is held in a big space with many, many people, so it's good to have smaller spaces where you're not in a crowd," said Ann Lee Earnshaw, director of spiritual formation at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Orlando and a member of the team responsible for creating the prayer garden.
This year's prayer garden consisted of six prayer chapels, each with a different theme, surrounding the prayer labyrinth. There was also a Christ center where people could focus on Jesus.
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Bishop encourages elders to be themselves
Florida Conference Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker asked the 2003 class of ordinands to play the role God called them to play, but not to lose themselves in the spotlight.
"Every one of us has a vocation in life if we can find it," Whitaker said in his sermon at the evening Service of Licensing, Commissioning, Consecrating and Ordaining May 29, the third day of the 2003 Florida Annual Conference Event.
"Our vocation is the role we are called to play. We play our roles on the stage of life, with the whole world as the theater," he said.
Stepping onto the world theater stage were 14 elders in full connection, one associate member deacon and 17 probationary members.
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