tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post2953054804877759408..comments2024-03-21T03:45:48.679-05:00Comments on Enter the Rainbow: Annual Conference Wrap-Up (Warning - LRP!)Andy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05944614269873479581noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-33722379412763964032007-06-20T16:06:00.000-05:002007-06-20T16:06:00.000-05:00Andy,I'm sorry to hear about your mixed experience...Andy,<BR/>I'm sorry to hear about your mixed experience at Annual conference. PNW was actually more civil and hopeful than usual this year. <BR/><BR/>I'm especially sorry to hear about what your conference has done wtih campus ministry. It's an amazingly short-sighted decision that will come back to haunt them in 10 years or so when the clergy supply begins to dry up. I'm on the Board of Higher Ed here, and though we are struggling to deal with some less ecumenical ministries that are less effective than we'd like, we are also blessed to have effective Wesley Foundations at two main campuses and the seeds of new ministries growing at others. <BR/><BR/>Local church outreach to campus CAN work, as long as the churches involved are clear that their goal is to nurture the faith lives of the students on the campus, NOT to grow them up to be good members of their own congregation. <BR/><BR/>Despite all the the negatives, Congratulations on your Ordination. Mine was a special moment this year as well. <BR/><BR/>Keep the faith, and have a good summer!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-14145203821804607272007-06-15T10:36:00.000-05:002007-06-15T10:36:00.000-05:00It's not often that I am in absolute, total agreem...It's not often that I am in absolute, total agreement with John, but this time I gots to shout AMEN!Willie Deuelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11793491583747419707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-47195115333503652742007-06-08T08:14:00.000-05:002007-06-08T08:14:00.000-05:00We were given the standard “Change or die” spiel b...<I>We were given the standard “Change or die” spiel by Adam Hamilton: change what we are doing to get more bodies in the pews, or the denomination will die. I respect Rev. Hamilton a bunch, but living by the “change or die” paradigm is a formula for death. How do you spell “Self-fulfilling Prophecy”? I prefer “Change to live a life of faith!” (I have written about this before.)</I><BR/><BR/>I would say that in general, the laity needs to hear Hamilton's message and the clergy needs to hear yours.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04854543617806427302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-1397553447993453262007-06-07T14:09:00.000-05:002007-06-07T14:09:00.000-05:00Ahhh. . .the steamroller rolled. It flattened some...Ahhh. . .the steamroller rolled. It flattened some of us. Despite that, I have faith that people like you, Andy, will continue to bring people to the kingdom--regardless of where the steamroller rolls.<BR/>May your voice have more effect than mine did. All along, I told members of Pathways (whenever they would stop to listen) that they needed to make a concerted effort to communicate what they were considering to their audiences. In the end, it didn't matter--communications or no. <BR/>Congratulations on your milestone. You--and others like you--are the hope for the future of the UMC for many of us. <BR/>Flat KAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-43683637422845157192007-06-06T23:07:00.000-05:002007-06-06T23:07:00.000-05:00Andy---Bane and Blessing, Pain and Pleasure...have...Andy---Bane and Blessing, Pain and Pleasure...have you read the historical analysis of the Methodist movement by David Hempton? He talks about the dicotomies that have really defined the Methodist movement in England and America...and somehow that feels like the issues that are at work in your heart, to some extent...and mine too. Please keep speaking...many of us are listening; though I agree with some of what you are saying, but don't with some. Keep it up.<BR/>From one of those on that clandestine Pathways group,<BR/>SusanSusan Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06608452768089700467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-81902307314365785042007-06-06T02:20:00.000-05:002007-06-06T02:20:00.000-05:00Yeah I read it all;) Sure is making me look forwar...Yeah I read it all;) Sure is making me look forward to the TN Annual Conference next week!Arthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13528001127103773045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-73167415241662899942007-06-05T22:12:00.000-05:002007-06-05T22:12:00.000-05:00OK, so that URL in my comment was a pain. Mea cul...OK, so that URL in my comment was a pain. Mea culpa. <A HREF="http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/archives/2007/06/trust_vs_statis.html" REL="nofollow">Here's</A> a link.Vinnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18264970768938109717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-64251168110292472392007-06-05T22:09:00.000-05:002007-06-05T22:09:00.000-05:00Deep Throat (All The President's Men) always said,...Deep Throat (All The President's Men) always said, "Follow the money." Not sure what that means, but it sounds ominous...maybe them that's got the gold makes the rules!<BR/><BR/>We've come a long way since the 1999 Missouri East Annual Conference I attended, when we had something like 20 petitions that were debated in committee AND on the floor of the conference AND we spent what must have been hours micromanaging little nits in the conference budget. It's all bread and circuses to distract the attendees from the important issues, which get rammed through without meaningful debate.<BR/><BR/>When I heard that Monk was attending his 87th annual conference, I wonder whether he could stomach 87 annual conferences like we experience nowadays.<BR/><BR/>BTW, I learned a new bit of biblical literacy this evening from Church Marketing Sucks. Very apropo to the "measuring success" discussion:<BR/>http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/archives/2007/06/trust_vs_statis.htmlVinnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18264970768938109717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-45163149887778035322007-06-05T21:09:00.000-05:002007-06-05T21:09:00.000-05:00Andy, you and I share many of the same concerns ab...Andy, you and I share many of the same concerns about this annual conference. I did not think any of the educational experiences were worthwile, and agree that many issues were just forced through without much thought. <BR/><BR/>On Pathways, I agree that it seems we are being told to trust them unconditionally and now we are disbanding the Conference Council and turning over the administration of the conference to Pathways, an adhoc group formed by the bishop (though I believe it was formed by the previous bishop, Bishop Sherer). I still do not like how the special session was handled in March, since very little information was available before the session, unless you attended one of the few briefing sessions held around the conference only 2 weeks before the big vote. Most people were not given time to think about it or debate it. As a pastor friend told me this weekend, "This is not a democracy and what we do in this room does not matter one heck of a lot."<BR/><BR/>As a former peer minister of a Wesley Foundation I too am upset over the handling of campus ministries. My hopes are not high as to how the UM students at my former campus are going to be minsitered to by the local church.<BR/><BR/>As the pastor of a small congregation, I am quite excited about the change in apportionments, but I feel for the larger churches. I think we need to quit viewing the apportionments as a tax, but as a way to serve God. How many churches would even think of paying more than 100% of their apportionments. The change in vital ministries are good, but my congregation has not paid them for several years and do not see them as a necessity. I've got some preaching to do. <BR/><BR/>In my opinion, this was quite a lousy annual conference session. Though I have only been to a few sessions, this one I would say is the worst. The mood of the pastors that I was around this weekend was not good and many of the older pastors I know are just biding their time until they can retire. <BR/><BR/>Though I do not wish to be annonymous, I feel I must since I am not yet a "member in full connection" as you are. Congradulations on your achievement!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-56621614728658116952007-06-05T17:43:00.000-05:002007-06-05T17:43:00.000-05:00I made it, even read it all 3 times.Glad to know t...I made it, even read it all 3 times.<BR/><BR/>Glad to know that someone asked questions in workshops an on floor.<BR/><BR/>Since I was there just as a visitor I was not in all the sessions.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for posting the information.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10217302.post-28739818717299574162007-06-05T17:12:00.000-05:002007-06-05T17:12:00.000-05:00Andy,#2 reminds me of Holston last year. We spent...Andy,<BR/>#2 reminds me of Holston last year. We spent an hour discussing a resolution on parsonages with a good chunk of that time dealing with pets. We took a break. Since we meet at Lake Junaluska, that means that you can stand in line for the port a potty or go across the street to the Terrace Hotel. I chose to go to the Terrace. When I returned about 5 minutes after we resumed, I found that the $15 million budget had been approved.<BR/><BR/>Wish I could see your book of reports, sounds like we have a couple of resolutions on the agenda that have come from the same source as the one you mention.<BR/><BR/>Just once couldn't we have resolutions about making disciples?TN Ramblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13337932588414375173noreply@blogger.com