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Lost opportunities at General Conferences
By Norman H. Coleman III

The 2008 General Conference of the United Methodist Church is the third consecutive one where I have had the privilege of representing the West Ohio Conference. Each has had its significance with regard to important issues facing the denomination, and from a political perspective produced outcomes that have held us together— yet polarized. This year’s General Conference, however, left me with a sense of uneasiness. Here are a few of my thoughts and impressions.

The vast majority of the time, as expected, was spent working through the political process we have adopted to accomplish the daunting task of going through over 1,500 pieces of legislation. There were worship experiences, times for discussion, and dialogue on a small scale. Several luncheons and briefings were provided to update and allow networking among delegates. All these things, in and of themselves, are meaningful ways to carry on the business that was entrusted and set before us. What I sensed missing was a genuine willingness to surrender to the Spirit’s moving. There was plenty of strategic positioning in order to pass some legislation that upheld or established a standard that one group or another passionately believed in.

There were numerous disruptions that distracted us from our task, which made it difficult to focus, all done under the banner of “holy conferencing,” a process I have found to be often used as a means of getting heard, at the expense of those in opposition to one’s beliefs or position. Even the worship experiences could not escape the grasp of political agendas, which was often used, in my opinion, to make those with whom we disagree feel guilty.

I was hoping to spend those moments of worship lifting up the name of Jesus to the glory of God in song, in preaching, in liturgy; having the focus to be on God, for God, and to God, who is to be glorified and praised forever. Nevertheless, there were several high moments in the worship experience with its multicultural approach in its music, times of prayer, and liturgy. Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s address to the conference is one I will personally remember for years to come. The Hope for Africa Children’s Choir stole our hearts and encouraged me personally to continue to be actively involved in outreach to foreign mission fields. The presentation from Bill Gates Sr. on behalf of the Gates Foundation was another high point. I had the opportunity to spend some time in conversation with a brother in Christ who has a daughter struggling with her sexuality. At the end of the conversation we did not come to agreement, but we did conclude with a hug of two brothers in Christ’s love. That one encounter alone made the trip worth it.

So what am I trying to say? Only this, that the Spirit of God was available to us, if we had truly taken full advantage of the opportunity. With all the good things that we accomplished at this General Conference, I believe the Spirit of God would have us spend more time on how to effectively evangelize the lost in a culture where we, as a mainline church, have become increasingly irrelevant. I believe the Spirit of God would have us focus our attention on worshipping God in spirit and truth, without political agenda or positioning; lifting up Christ to the place where he would draw all to himself. I believe the Spirit of God would have us spend less time discussing that on which he has already made his decision, with regard to human conduct, and spend more time reaching out to those struggling in their life no matter the conduct. I believe the Spirit of God would have us be so moved within the depth of our souls that we would actively behave justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God as individuals in our part of the world, and not leave it to the institution we call the church.

That is the kind of General Conference I dream of in the future. Perhaps you do, too.

 

Norman H. Coleman III is a pastor on staff of Faith Community United Methodist Church in West Chester, Ohio.



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