This week I’m prepping for Annual Conference. This is the Oregon-Idaho United Methodist’s annual business gathering. We meet for 4 days to pass a budget, approve legislation, ordain new pastors, celebrate those we have lost, learn, serve the community, enjoy fellowship with one another, and cast a cohesive vision of what God is calling us to as a people.
To be honest I have sort of a love/hate relationship with Annual Conference. Many times I’ve had a leadership role which has been stressful. There’s a lot of sitting listening to people talk. It’s one of the few times of the year where I get to see some of the people I love best in the world. It can be an exciting time of possibility and celebration. It’s this weird mix of responsibility, tedium, friendship, hope, and rules.
This year Annual Conference is even more weird for me. Our daughter is coming along as a youth equalization member. She gets to vote on all the items before us. She’ll learn about the structure of the church in a new way and might even propose an amendment or two! At our table will also be my mom, a retired clergy person. So this meeting will be a family affair, where I am the responsible one caught between these two (minus the otter):
There is something really wonderful about being with 3 generations of the women of my family and to see the church through the eyes of a 13 year old, a 40 year old, and a 71 year old. However if you hear a lot of giggling during the meetings you know which table is responsible.
-Eilidh