Last night General Conference began in Fort Worth, Texas.  This event, held once every four years, brings together the Council of Bishops and 900 delegates (1/2 laity, 1/2 clergy) from around the world in order to seek God’s will and to set the direction for our denomination for the next four years and beyond.  We’ll meet for ten days, from 7:45 a.m. until midnight (from 10:00 to midnight are meetings that take place off-line).

5,500 guests including a mass choir of several hundred joined the delegates and bishops for  the worship service.  The service was inspiring.  A spirit of hope and excitement permeated the gathering.  The worship services and music each day are a highlight of the conference.  And I’m particularly excited that our choir and orchestra from Church of the Resurrection will be leading morning worship next Tuesday and performing in concert at the noon hour that day!

Our delegation from Kansas is sitting in the third row of the conference.  Directly in front of us is the Nigerian delegation, and behind us is the delegation from Great Britain.  Throughout the conference are old friends and people I’ve known in various settings, including many who have been to our Leadership Training.  I spoke last night with a Korean pastor who came to Resurrection for training.  Just a few moments ago a pastor from Switzerland came to tell me how his visit with us 8 years ago had been pivotal in his ministry.  He has taken four small churches and tripled their attendance during these last eight years.

My next post will tell you about several exciting visions that the General Conference will be adopting - visions which tie in closely to the things we’ve been doing at Resurrection.   I’ll also give you a report of the first gathering of the “legislative sessions” where we will be debating hundreds of petitions related to virtually every area of the church’s life.  I’m planning on posting each night before I go to bed, or first thing each morning.

Please join me and the other delegates in praying that the Holy Spirit will breathe new life, vision and renewal into the United Methodist Church!  I’ll be giving daily reports from General Conference