General Conference, Day One, Late Afternoon

Last updated on: January 10, 2019 at 2:07 pm by Christy Thomas

General Conference, Day One, Late Afternoon 2019-01-10T14:07:55-05:00 Christy Thomas

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

roberts rules of order GC2016 I’m tired. I admit it.

And this is just the first day, and a half day at that.

I’ve been observing/writing since early morning. I just finished writing up the first worship service with its clarion call for unity in diversity, a call that almost sent a gasp of discomfort through the room. The speaker was Bishop Warner Brown from San Francisco. He spoke strongly about our need to honor Wesley’s “catholic spirit” and hold our differences with integrity but without division.

So will we?

Agenda/calendar meetings begin at 6:30 am tomorrow. Delegation meetings begin at 7:30 am. Opening worship of each day begins at 8:00 am.

And now, delegates are wrangling with whether they will try a new method of talking with one another over the seriously complex issues. Adopting this means agreeing to “Rule 44” (there are 43 other rules of the convention before it, none of which seem to be a problem,) It is a call to leave behind Roberts Rules of Order for a limited period in order to enhance conversation and connection in these discussions over issues of serious dispute.

Of course, they have to use Roberts Rules in order to debate whether to leave behind Roberts Rules for a while. I am wondering, “Who WAS Robert anyway? WHY did he set up these rules? What kind of mind can figure out motions and sub-motions, friendly and unfriendly amendments, tabling and not tablings, etc, etc. etc.?

Yeah, we need these rules. Otherwise, there is chaos on the floor. At this point, it looks like we either plod through the discussions as we’ve always done, and probably seeing little accomplished, or trying something new.

It is my understanding that the rules of discussion are so complex that each presiding Bishop needs at least two advisers immediately at hand to help keep him/her perfectly within the system so he/she doesn’t get declared out of order.

Our team sits in the press room along with many others, all working busily away at our computers, writing, editing, getting images, proofing the work of others, coming up with ideas as to what to do tomorrow, and at the same time, listening to the discussion on the floor which is live-streamed into the press room.

I’m having internet connection problems, as are some others. Just too many of us for the bandwidth, I expect. I keep getting kicked offline, leaving me terrified that I’m going to write something that will just disappear, never to be seen again.

Will figure out a more secure way to do this tomorrow.

Okay, now a move to amend the amendment, so that rule 44 AND rule 18 are not approved. I don’t know what Rule 18 is at the moment. Have total admiration for those who do.

Will sign off now. More later. Am wondering what the brand-new, first-time delegates are thinking at this point. Bless them. They’ve got to vote on this. And there are seven minutes left in the afternoon session. Sigh.

Uncategorized

GC2016

Previous Post

May 10, 2016

General Conference Day One: A Beautiful Morning for a Gay Ordination

Next Post

May 11, 2016 24 Hours into General Conference: Sinking in the Graveyard of Procedural Stuff

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category " obedience abortion accommodation accountability administration adolescence Advent advice an ordinary death anxiety apology apportionments Ash Wednesday ask thoughtfulpastor baptism betrayal Bible bondage calling certainty change character charity children Christianity Christmas church church as garden clergy clergy credentials closure comfort compassion competition compromise Confirmation conservation conservative conspiracy theories consumer conversion coronavirua corruption courage covenant cultural context death Deconstruction discipleship discord divorce doctrine doing good drugs dysfunctional Easter Easter; Resurrection education election entertainment envy escape evaluation evil exclusive church exercise faith faithfulness family fasting fear feast featured film review finances first world problem food forgiveness fundamentalist garden gay marriage General Conference generosity giving thanks GLBT glory good government grace guilt habit happy harmony hateful acts healing health health care heaven hell hello/goodbye heresy hidden agenda holiness homelessness homosexuality humility hymn hypocrisy Imago Dei In training inclusive church indulgence injustice innocents insurance intolerance itinerancy joy Justice kindness Kingdom of Heave kingdom of heaven language laughter laundry lawsuit leadership Lent LGBTQ liberal life Little Things Matter longform meandering thoughts memories mercy metaphor metrics miracle misfortunes morality Mormon Muslim mystery worship natural disasters New Category Name nutrients older adults oppression pain Paleo paperwork partnered pastor peace pension pharmaceutical placebo politics poverty prayer privilege public schools questions quiet racism rain reason reconciliation religion repentance requirements rescue respect rest resurrection retirement Sabbath sacrament sacred salvation same-sex marriage sanctuary schism schooling science SCOTUS secrecy separation of church and state sexism sexuality short cuts silence sin sleep soil spiritual journey stillness suffering surgery sustainable church teacher technology thank you theology therapy thinking tolerance TOS trust truth Uncategorized welcome Why Easter? wisdom women worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 December 2025 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 March 2025 February 2025 December 2024 November 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 July 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 October 2021 July 2021 June 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 January 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 July 2007 March 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz