The best thing that happened at Annual Conference
this year was my reappointment to Campbell United Methodist Church to begin my
eighth year as the lead pastor here. I’m so happy to serve as pastor in a
congregation that really gets it when it comes to following Jesus. And of
course, one that knows how to clap on 2 and 4.
The most important thing I learned at Annual
Conference was that knowing someone really well does not in any way mean that
you will see something the same way. Some dear friends whom I know really
really well see the church camping situation really really differently than I
do. Like, befuddlingly differently. And yet they remain dear friends. I think that's probably a function of grace.
The worst thing that happened at Annual Conference
was decided by 31 votes (actually 16). We decided, following Robert’s Rules, by
a vote of 460 - 429 to NOT sell Wilderness Retreat and Development Center for
$1 to an Association that wants to keep it open and run it as a church
camp and retreat center for the foreseeable future. Here’s where we get into
the whole “seeing things differently” bit; this is how I see it:
The Missouri Conference owns four camp properties. On
Saturday, a majority (by a 667 - 425 vote) decided to go ahead and sell them
instead of waiting 2 years. Now, there is a group of committed, faithful United
Methodists within the conference who wants to assume responsibility for one of
the properties. This subgroup of the Conference asked the body as a whole
essentially this question: Okay, so you guys don’t want to own this place any
more. Can we have it?
Or as one of our youth members said so graciously from the
floor, “I believe we should give the camp sites to the people who want them.
And that's all I have to say.”
And that’s where the 31 votes (actually 16) comes in. 429 of
us said “YES, let’s compromise here. Neither side thinks this is the best
solution, but it would work.” And 460 of us said, “No. We want to sell
Wilderness and use the money to fund other ministries.” I keep thinking, if
just 16 people of those 460 had wanted to compromise instead of sell, the WRDC
Association would be making plans today for opening the camp back up.
(That leads, by the way, to the second most important
thing I learned at Annual Conference this year. Following Robert’s Rules of
Order is a terrible and graceless way to make decisions in the church.)
I am still hopeful, though. I am hopeful because there’s
another Association in our Conference called the Jo-Ota Methodist Association,
who are highly organized and skillfully prepared. They asked the Conference if
they could buy Jo-Ota for $120,003 (I think - someone correct me if I’m wrong).
In seven annual payments, the Jo-Ota Association will pay the Conference $1
year one, $1 year two, $1 year three, and then $30,000 for each of the next 4
years to purchase Camp Jo-Ota. And the Conference said a clear and decisive
“YES” to this proposal. We didn’t even have to count votes on that one.
And so now the sale of the Wilderness property will be
decided by the Conference Trustees, and I see no reason the Wilderness
Foundation could not propose a plan, learning as much as possible from
Jo-Ota’s, for the purchase of the Wilderness Retreat and Development Center. It
would then be up to the Conference Trustees to decide if they would show grace
and offer a compromise, honor the narrowly divided minority voice of the
Conference, and perhaps model the “permission-giving” attitude that comprises
Chapter Five of the book “Just Say Yes!” by Bishop Robert Schnase.
I truly hope they do. I would love for more and more young
people to be able to encounter God’s grace there in that sacred
place. You see, I voted to give Wilderness to the Association because I know
it’s not about my preference. It’s about the mission of the church to make
disciples who are changing the world for God’s sake. The mission happens most
effectively when our connection is equipped with the resources necessary to
make it possible. And I believe with all my heart that Camping/Retreat
facilities in natural settings are some of the most important resources by
which our mission happens.
(To my knowledge, there are not similar Associations forming
around Camp Galilee or Blue Mountain. That may change, so we’ll just have to
see what happens.)
The most exciting thing that happened to me at Annual
Conference was my election to serve as a delegate to Jurisdictional Conference
and as the first alternate delegate to General Conference. I went to
Jurisdictional Conference four years ago and really enjoyed it. This time
around, the Jurisdiction will be electing a Bishop who may very well be
assigned here in Missouri, so our work will have a bit of added importance.
And I am very eager to be a part of General Conference this
year for the first time. As the first alternate, I’ll be a part of the
delegation and have a chance to absorb everything that’s happening. Although I
won’t sit on the floor, I will be there for the whole event and learn all there
is to learn. I’d love to be an actual delegate - maybe sometime in the future.
In the meantime, I’ll be there to learn as much as possible about how that
gathering works.
The most fun thing that happened to me at Annual
Conference was winning the door prize in one of the workshops I attended. I got
a Kansas City Royals AL Champion pennant to hang in my office! Woo hoo! Okay,
so I didn’t really “win” it; Jen used it for an illustration and she didn’t
want to keep it and she knows I love the Royals so she gave it to me. But
still.
The most meaningful moment of Annual Conference was
helping to lead worship alongside my son Wesley on Sunday morning. As a part of
the Memorial Service, he placed a flower on the table as my Grandmother Twila
Stowe Bryan was remembered, and I rang the bell in her honor. My wife, my
daughter and younger son, my Dad, and my brother were in the congregation right
in front of us as we once more celebrated a life that was lived in love and grace.
And finally, my favorite part of Annual Conference,
as it is every year, is being together with friends and colleagues in ministry.
I am a member of the Conference, not of a congregation. That means the Annual
Conference is my church. And it definitely felt that way to me. Hugs, smiles,
laughs, handshakes, tears, conversations both deep and trivial, reconnecting
with long-time friends and making new ones … I am happy to be in connection
with the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church.
There are dozens of other experiences I could lift up from
#moac15. It was a very good weekend overall.
Two specific moments kind of encapsulate the weekend for me.
On Saturday, after we had voted to sell our camp properties,
I embraced my friend Jon Spalding, and we both wept together. Jon is on the
Camping Board, among those who was proposing to sell the properties, and my
good friend.
On Sunday, after we had voted not to sell Wilderness to the
Association, I embraced my friend Bo Tucker, and we both wept together. Bo was
on staff at Wilderness, among those who was fighting to save the property, and
my good friend.
Both hugs happened in almost the same spot. As I reflect on
the weekend, I keep coming back to those two hugs, those two tearful embraces.
I haven’t really figured out exactly what they mean, but I know that each one
filled my heart to overflowing.
I don’t know for sure, but it may have been grace.
I don’t know for sure, but it may have been grace.
7 comments:
Yes, Andy - right on!
Thank you, Andy, for all of your points which have given one who wanted to be there but was unable, a clearer understanding concerning the camps. You are a blessing.
Good words Andy.
God bless you, Pastor. You had great things to say, clear explanations, and a fine illustration of the grace of the Spirit at work. Your congregation is fortunate to have you as lead pastor.
Thank you Andy. It was well said and I too, truly believe it is all about grace. There are times we miss that very important part when we get into the business and issues of life. Thanks for reminding me.
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