Pastor Mark Williams

Delegate Reports

Day 7 - Sunday, May 2

Today was a day of rest for most of the General Conference. The Church and Society legislative committee met throughout the afternoon and evening, and may still have work that they need to wrap up tomorrow morning. But most of General Conference took a Sabbath rest from their work.

I have been hearing some isolated reports of intimidation among the delegates. There have been some stories circulating of delegates physically intimidating, cornering, restraining and in other ways engaging in unwelcomed and uninvited touching. I've heard of at least three separate instances of this. Tensions are beginning to run higher, and I believe as we anticipate entering the final week of General Conference relationships are being strained. I don't know if the stories of intimidation will be acknowledged publicly, but I believe that they are significant stories in the unfolding of General Conference.

I chose not to observe the Church and Society committee today. Instead, I attended the Reconciling Ministries Network worship service at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. The massive gothic sanctuary was completely encircled by a display of the Shower of Stoles project. Each stole represented the life and witness of persons denied full participation or recognition of their ordination because of their sexual orientation. Hundreds of stoles lined the walls, chancel, and balcony of this massive sanctuary.

Janet Wolf, a United Methodist pastor from Nashville, Tennessee was the preacher. I volunteered with an after-school program at Janet's church in Nashville when I was in seminary at Vanderbilt. She's a fantastic preacher, and today's sermon was all I expect from Janet's exhortation and evangelism. She reminded us that our identity is not defined by any vote of General Conference or any ruling of Judicial Council. Our identity is defined by the one who created us and claimed us as precious children in the sacred act of baptism. Janet quoted from the letter of the Pacific Northwest Conference delegation, reminding us, "We are not lost or abandoned in the present uncertainty. The Lord is our Shepherd. God is with us in the midst of this turmoil: teaching, guiding, tending. The verdict of the recent trial court does not have the power to break the covenant of our great church unless we, the leaders and members of the church give it that power. But, by the power of the Holy Spirit working through us, the church continues its works of mercy, mission and ministry, while not ceasing to seek the mind of Christ. God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God." (www.pnwumc.org). We're still standing, Janet told us, no matter what powers and principalities might strive to bring us low. We're still standing, no matter what forces of empire conspire to take us down. We are the church, and we will continue to be the church. By the end of Janet's sermon, she had us all on our feet, shouting and praising the power of God to move in and through us to bring about a new heaven on earth.

Following the sermon, two children were baptized by Bishop Joseph Sprague from the Northern Illinois Conference. Bishop Sprague baptized these two children, acknowledging the claiming and naming of God for these children, with their sexual orientation and gender identity still yet to be discovered in the unfolding of their whole lives. God claimed them and named them, and in witnessing the work of God in their baptisms, we all remembered that we are indelibly marked by the grace-filled waters that poured down upon each of us at our own baptisms.

For our closing hymn, we sang "God of New Dimensions" to the incredibly inspiring accompaniment of Mark Miller on the massive pipe organ of the church. With the singing of the final refrain, all arms were lifted. It was one of the most inspiring, powerful experiences of worship I have ever had.

Mark Williams
Pacific Northwest Conference Delegation
First Alternate Delegate

The First United Methodist Church of Ellensburg

Delegate Reports

Day 7 - Sunday, May 2