Operation: Tampa

For those of you involved in United Methodist circles, you likely know that this year at the end of April, United Methodists from around the world will meet together in Tampa, Florida to discuss, debate and determine the legislation of the United Methodist Church.

Thanks to the support of the fantastic Dumbarton United Methodist Church and the initiative of the Methodist Federation for Social Action, I will be lucky enough to be there in Tampa as all of this unfolds! As part of the Common Witness Coalition, I will spend two weeks in Florida assisting in monitoring legislation for Church and Society I, the committee reviewing issues of migration, nuclear weapons, environmental justice, Israel and Palestine, and political relationships with China and Cuba, just to name a few (It is refreshing to have all those years of studying International Relations being utilized!).

Now, I will not be there alone in my work; instead, there will by MANY people there helping to monitor and pass the legislation that will shape the future of the church - which is why being there will be so important.

Volunteers like myself and the delegates alike are busy preparing for the conference. In reflection on all of the preparation that one needs for such a conference, my good friend, Rachel Birkhahn-Rommelfanger, has begun a blog to reflect "the story of people who struggle to prepare for that challenging event [General Conference], one piece of legislation at a time."

Here is my most recent post reflecting on this competitive 'game':

Metho-Decathlon: Conference Calls, Team 'Practice' and Our Friend, ...: The United Methodist Church introduced me to the joy of conference calls. Initially it was my teammate and co-competitor, Rachel „str...