It’s the time of year again when United Methodist engage in Annual Conference. For many, Annual Conference is a time of what John Wesley called “holy conferencing,” a term that seems to many nowadays to be a bit oxymoronic–for what on earth can be holy about a conference? Well, in Wesley’s day, holy conferencing was a way of speaking about being involved with other like-minded individuals about the relevant theological conversations of the day. It was not that we were all to agree with one another in every way, shape, and form, but there was an understanding that an attitude of mutual respect and engagement took the limelight.
It is my hope that such a wonderful tradition will continue in our mountains at Lake Junaluska this week and weekend as meet together to chart the course for the Western NC Annual Conference together for the upcoming year. We may not all agree, but I have always viewed those times in my life when I’ve been an outsider as a real gift to me personally as I’ve found out more of who I really am–and I imagine you’ve had the same experience in your life as well. Please keep the lay and clergy delegates to Annual Conference in your prayers. If you’d like to find our more about what has happened at Lake Junaluska this past week, you can see all the updates by going to the conference website at www.wnccumc.org.
A briefing of what happened the opening day of Annual Conference is located here.
