Generally ...

 

At our annual conference this past summer, I was nominated and elected to serve as a reserve delegate to General Conference and a delegate to Jurisdictional Conference.  General Conference is the legislative arm of the United Methodist Church.  Jurisdictional Conference is where bishops are elected. 

A few thoughts I have so far:

1. My status is uncertain.  Without going into a lot of detail that I don't really understand, I was elected, but I'm not sure if I am actually a reserve delegate or not.  I'm going to attend General Conference, and do the role that a reserve from my AC would normally do, but I'm not sure about the rest.  Uncertain status is unsettling.
2. I have been assigned a legislative committee to observe and report about to my delegation, so I've read the legislation assigned to the committee.  If you read my blog regularly, you may remember that I just completed a course on UM History and one on UM Beliefs.  These are coming in very handy as I read Faith and Order legislation.
3. Reading legislation from across the denomination has been eye opening in some ways.  I travel around West Virginia, and i know that WV UMs all have different theologies, and I suspected the same was true around our country.  Now I know it is.
4. Much is asked of a delegation.  We are traveling to five sites in Maryland and West Virginia in the next few weeks to meet with United Methodists in our Annual Conference for worship and conversation.  There is much legislation to read. There are many pressures (not for me, really - I don't even have a vote or a certain status (see above)).
5. I want to read more than I will probably have time for.  You should see the stack of books I have on the desk next to me.