Perspectives from May 2016

Bridging the broken

May 20, 2016 / By Cathy Stengel

It has truly been a gift to have been here these nearly two weeks for General Conference.  I have heard people from African Central Conferences guide those of us who come from the United States.  Their world, their cultures are so different from ours, and they desire to be in partnership with us in so many ways.  We have been at worship; we have held hands and …more

Overheard in the gallery

May 18, 2016 / By Holly Nye, Reserve Clergy Delegate

Did he even hear what he was saying? Maybe not. More disturbing still: perhaps he meant exactly what I heard him say. All night and morning, rumors had been flying of a proposed "amicable separation." No one had yet addressed WHO was to separate or HOW. The questions had not been addressed by Church or General Conference officials, yet the chatter in the body was growing. We were sent for …more

The Journey Continues

May 16, 2016 / By Ian Urriola

Friends, I'm feeling nostalgic tonight. Perhaps it was because I just had a fantastic dinner (elk for the first time!) with the folks at General Conference who went on the Mission of Peace to Cuba in 2008 (and other fantastic and really awesome people), but I feel like reflecting a bit on the past tonight. See, 2016 is kind of a big year for me. December 31 at 11:40pm will be eight …more

Day 5

May 16, 2016 / By J.J. Warren

This morning, day 5 of General Conference, has already been off to a great start. We have been confused, frustrated and even sometimes a tad bit overwhelmed in the previous day's of General Conference. Until Day 3, we still had not voted on all of the rules about how we would conference together. Specifically rule 44, which would have allowed General Conference to organize table talks (similar to those used by our …more

A Marshal’s Experience at General Conference

May 14, 2016 / By Bob Kolvik-Campbell, a marshal

Yesterday, I greeted Bishops and assisted some in moving through the dark parts of back stage at General Conference.  Then I assisted a maintenance person named Greg to fix the hand rail on the steps leading to the interpreters' booth. I serve as a Marshal at General Conference. I was trained to assist delegates by supporting the rules set by the Conference. Also, we are problem solvers in many …more

Down to the river

May 13, 2016 / By Cathy Hall Stengel

As I walked down to the Eastbank Esplanade to walk by the Williamette River, I found myself singing (in my head) the Jordan Felize song “The River.” The lyrics on my mind were -I’m going down to the river, down to the river, down to the river to pray.” Today's plenary at GC2016 sent me down to the river in prayer. I walked passed …more

And something happened

May 13, 2016 / By Michelle Bogue-Trost

If you ever wonder what we mean by a "global connection," come to General Conference sometime. The worldwide nature of the United Methodist Church is evident, everywhere you look and everywhere you go. You can hear languages from across the world next to you in lines, in worship, at the microphones in plenary, at snack breaks, and on the street as we gather and recess. The world is present here …more

A view from the gallery

May 11, 2016 / By Holly Nye, Reserve Clergy delegate

So, as it turns out, my foot gets a chair of its own for this General Conference. I fell down a few days before traveling to Portland, and landed in a walking cast. Walking around with an extra "companion" has given me different perspective on Conference. My cast has brought out the compassion and generosity of people I encounter- not only delegates, but even the security guards who have to …more

Portland or Bust

May 10, 2016 / By Ian Urriola

Obligatory selfie at DullesWell it's finally upon us.  After almost a year of planning and preparation and day-long conference calls, General Conference is here.  I'm seeing all my fellow delegates posting their selfies at their respective airports. Everything is packed.  And it's just starting to hit me.  See, as a full-time graduate student this past month has been hectic to say the least. …more

The UNY perspective on General Conference

May 4, 2016 / By Steve Hustedt / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The Upper New York Conference “Perspectives” blog for the 2016 General Conference session will be a direct line between the Upper New York Conference delegation and the rest of the Upper New York Conference as the delegation worships, listens, discerns, and interacts with United Methodists from around the world at General Conference. It will go beyond the news of the day and share the delegation’s experience as …more