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Personal Account of a First - Time Delegate

By William Westbrook,
2nd Elected Lay Delegate

 

It is another sunny day in Fort Worth, TX.  I really  had no idea of what to expect before my arrival last week.  I was filed with nervous anticipation.  Those feelings quickly changed to astonishment as I entered the convention center.  To see the colorful variety of persons sharing their native language and dress has been the highlight of this gathering.  You can begin to appreciate the global nature of our church and the wonderful gifts that God has shared with all of us.  Daily worship centers our hearts and prepares us for what seems to be a daunting task.  How do we engage in Holy Conferencing around more than 1800 petitions? 

               

I was assigned to the Finance and Admnistration Legislative Committee prior to arrival.  The first evening was spent selecting our leadership to guide our committee work and organizing the petitions.  Since then we have engaged in Holy Conferencing on a variety of issues. The major issues have centered around how general church funds are apportioned, the role of the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) in monitoring expenditures and of course the Budget.  The days have been long, 16 hours on average,  but the spirits have been high.Through it all I truly believe the holy spirit has been guiding us.  Our committee work is now done and our recommendations will now be presented to the whole body.

 

The theme for the General Conference is "A Future with Hope."  This gathering is certainly a reflection of this theme.   The number of Young Adults that accepted leadership roles in the various committees was extremely gratifying.  However,  their passion and love for Jesus has shown us all that the United Methodist Church does have a bright future full of hope.