So let’s say you require all of your key leaders in an organization to gather together for a 4 day conference. This is the only time for the entire year that all of these people are in one place at one time. Much time, energy, and financial resources are being invested in this gathering, both by the organization as well as the individuals attending. Again, these are the people who are most invested, most committed, most responsible for the health and vitality of your organization….
What would you do with them?
Give them your absolute best. Inspire and cast vision and teach and challenge. Train and equip and invest. Engage them and help them engage each other. Create greater investment, greater ownership, greater sense of responsibility and burden for the common purpose of the organization. Make sure there are significant and valuable “takeaways” from every aspect of the event….
This is not what we do at annual conference, our annual gathering of Methodist leaders in Florida. I just don’t get it, and I struggle more and more every year to feel connected to this gathering…
Instead, we sit in large rooms and listen to a small group of people talk one at a time about information contained in reports that we’ve already received about stuff that (most of the time) we are either not personally involved with or we already know. We officially approve a lot of decisions that have already been made by smaller committees. We listen to an occasional lecture or sermon or Bible study (which are normally the best things about the gathering). We sing from time to time, which is nice. We pray during transition moments, and we occasionally laugh at a comment from a presenter or maybe a creative video. The whole time we work from the assumption that if something official is happening, then everyone has to be present with almost no one actually participating. Everyone knows the real value of the time together are the hallway “catching up” conversations and meals out with old friends. For those participating in the actual conference, butts get sore and minds get numb and no one I know enjoys it…
Most of the time, I’m simply bored. If I’m giving up 4 days of my year…time away from my ministry, my kids, my life at home…please, please don’t bore me…
I’ll tell you what I might like….
Let’s actually conference. Take the first couple of days, and actually have people talking in small groups. Designate times and places and facilitators and topics and then let people who are really interested in particular reports, resolutions, or issues all show up and actually dialogue. Then when we actually vote on things, interested people have already dialogued and debated, and possible amendments have already been discussed and worked out…
Let’s learn. Quality workshops, quality presenters, important topics…ongoing, all the time, during the entire gathering. While we are there, let’s get poured into…
Let’s worship and pray more. Multiple times and styles of worship in different spaces throughout the day, throughout the event. Let’s have continual intercession and opportunities to pray with and for one another, rather than just a room you can stop by if you want to…
Let’s serve and do something active. Rather than just get a brochure of information from a ministry, let’s actually do something for a ministry or ministries. Let’s have flood bucket assembly lines setup in the auditorium during reports…let’s all write postcards to government agencies while we sit and listen…something…anything active that accomplishes something…
Let’s use technology creatively. Live twitter streams with reactions on screens…various online discussion groups that people can log onto and participate in…more creative and effective media used during presentations….find a way to streamline required votes and actions that stay within the letter of the law but enables more time to freely pursue the spirit of the gathering, which again should be to actually conference together….
Let’s commit to genuinely discussing ideas and finding solutions. Rather than move 1300 people on after two comments after a two hour presentation about our common vision, how about we actually spend one of those hours in smaller breakout groups actually generating concrete ideas and possible solutions…
Make these changes, and maybe the gathering could attract a different crowd and actually be life-giving and accomplish something. Maybe…
We are bearers of good news. The Spirit of truth and joy and peace dwells within us. Our calling is to share life with others. We are people of worship and praise. We have the best news in the world. We are commanded to love and serve and lay down our lives for the sake of others. How is this reflected in how we gather together?!?!?! Can’t we do better?!?!?!
We took a vote yesterday afternoon. Of the more than 700 clergy who are supposed to be present and participating in the event, there were 299 who voted. Doesn’t that send a pretty clear message? Lord help us…
Amen. Dave said it’s the same old, same old. He hasn’t been in years and nothing has changed. How sad. And they wonder why churches are closing and people are leaving for newer, more engaging and innovative congregations.
For the UMC’s sake, I hope they listen with haste… because those who desire to embody Gods urgent work will not wait for hem to get it together…
“Every generation gets a chance to change the world. Pity the nation that won’t listen to you, boys and girls.”
Thanks for your caring and thoughtful engagement.
Four years ago at Conference, I was moved by the number of young people who were elected to represent us at General Conference and by the Bono communion service. Hopefully some of those experiences will be included among the administrivia.
I haven’t been, but I have heard multiple accounts from various people of their experience there and they certainly speak more about who they caught up with or met than what they learned or what was achieved at the conference. May the Holy Spirit inspire the FLUMC leaders to take action so our shepherds can come back refreshed, inspired, challenged, and excited.