Evening Plenary

Alrighty…we have made it through the financial implication petitions that we needed to. The Study Committee on the Worldwide Nature of the UMC went through finally, though we struck the language binding the committee by the guidelines. The other big issue was on African Episcopal Areas (though it may be main in my mind simply because it was the last discussed). We had moved to refer to the new Commission on Central Conferences, but some African delegates spoke patiently, it was suggested that we table until after the report from the Episcopal Study which might open some funds, and then reconsider. The problem with referring is that the conferences would have to wait for another four years to get a new bishop, and they’re growing so fast that action really is appropriate and necessary now. Hopefully that will work out for them. It was a nice wake-up call for Americans who think that we can simply refer everything away to some committee or another instead of acting on it.
The main discussion in the bus seems to be revolving around the new hymnal…a new hymnal project has been approved, as has a study on an Afrikana Hymnal (this study will use the resources already budgeted of boards like the Board of Discipleship). It was a long evening, but it worked out very well; we got a fair amount done and aren’t too desperately behind schedule. Poor Russ and the rest of the members of the Finance and Administration Legislative Committee are going to be meeting tonight. The Board of Global Ministries Legislative Committee was meeting as well, but I think only for about fifteen minutes. The Rules of Order Committee was called briefly, but it shouldn’t take too long. The issue requiring their attention is the distribution of legislative materials…a lot of paperwork encouraging the election of certain persons or adoption of certain legislation has been going on delegates’ tables, which is against the rules of the General Conference. Folks have been flagrantly violating this rule or getting around it by using the pages to send delegate-to-delegate “letters”…even in the Church, there is political corruption. Sigh. Still, no need to end on a depressing note. I’ll be happily in bed by like 12:30 and able to sleep…a workout might be in order tomorrow morning (for real this time).