Wednesday, Jan. 22, 7 p.m.
We've landed safely in Nashville and made it to the Omni Nashville Hotel downtown without much incident – except for the airport escort who pushed me in a wheelchair and extorted a $10 tip from my sweet and generous husband. Similar escorts at Dallas' Love Field aren't nearly as money-grubbing.
General Conference 2020 Logo
The logo for General Conference 2020.
First impressions: Going through the "swag bag" found at most denominational meetings, retired pre-press manager John Astle, Insight's associate editor, noted the upscale quality of the full-color handouts from UMC boards and agencies. Quoth he: "They paid a lot for that printing." Back at the old United Methodist Reporter newspaper, we used to joke that such persuasion was "killing trees for Jesus." High-end materials might be a questionable use of denominational funds if the proposed four-year budget, along with shortfalls in apportionment giving, goes through. (And that assessment comes from people who've made their living by putting ink on paper).
Familiar faces seen thus far: the Rev. Kent Millard, president of United Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and one of the architects of the Indianapolis Plan; the Rev. Alex da Silva Souto, one of the founders of the UM Queer Clergy Caucus; noted Alaska layman Lonnie Brooks, who has submitted something like 40 petitions on various topics; the Rev. Tom Lambrecht of the conservative/traditionalist Good News caucus; longtime colleagues from UM News and United Methodist Communications, sponsor of the Pre-GC Briefing; and what appeared to be the entire GC2020 delegation from North Texas Conference.
Meanwhile, there are a lot of unfamiliar faces in the crowd, reflecting the reality that nearly three-fourths of U.S. delegates to GC2020 are new. We'll be putting names, faces and conferences together throughout the next two days.
The Advance Daily Christian Advocate, the official journal of General Conference that contains all the legislation to be considered, was released today. Find PDF copies in multiple languages to download at ResourceUMC. Printed and bound copies can be purchased through Cokesbury.com.
There's a meet-and-greet reception going on now, but I'm bushed. Tomorrow after opening festivities the day is devoted to the structure/separation plans, including the "Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation" and to the proposed budget. Also planned: lots of instruction how General Conference works, how the Judicial Council works, the UMC's racial-ethnic ministries, the proposed global Social Principles, and the logistics of living and working in Minneapolis for 10 days in May.
So good-night, friends, and watch out for grifting airport escorts.