Off to See the Wizard (or Bishop)

I am in the process of packing up my briefcase and suitcase for a trip to Annual Conference. I have good clothes and comfortable clothes. I have a couple of books to read, and some periodicals I haven't had time to read for a while. I also have the materials I received from the Conference to study before conference begins.

I am starting to get excited. Some folks are neutral about Annual Conference and others can't stand it; but there are a few, and I count myself among them, who love the time we spend in Christian Conversation, debate, and decision. This year is a "Resolutions Year" which means that we will be considering many proposals for stances on social issues. As Chairman of the Conference Resolutions Committee I have overseen the process of review of all of these proposals, and will know get to see what other people think of them. Some will pass and some will not, but everyone will have a chance to be heard.

This is also a year for our Annual Conference to elect delegates to General Conference in May of 2008. We will elect 8 lay people and 8 clergy. There are 26 lay people running for their 8 seats and 40 clergy running for their 8. It will be very interesting to see the process unfold.

There will also be programs approved and budgets to support them voted on, and the final plans for the restructuring of the annual conference will take place. All in all, I am sure that when I get in my vehicle to return home on Sunday evening, I will have been in turn, excited, bored, mad, glad, and sometimes overwhelmed. But somewhere in all of that, there will the subject matter for another blog.

See you all when I get back.

Pastor Realff