Worth Stopping For

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln 

Opening Prayer:  

Gracious God of all Nations, as we set out on this journey—real or symbolic—we pause in Your presence, remembering that the road itself is not our only destination. Thank You for being the kind of God who walks with us and also calls us to holy halts. Help us notice the sacred moments You plant along the way— the quiet rest stops of grace, the unexpected detours of mercy, and the companions who remind us we’re not alone. Tune our hearts to the whispers that say: “This… this is worth stopping for.” In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. 

Breaking the Ice:  

Giant rubber band ball, UFO Watchtower, The JELL-O Gallery Museum, are all real tourist attractions. What is the most unusual attraction you have ever visited?  

Reflection on Annual Conference 2025 

The 2025 Virginia Annual Conference marked the third year of my service as the lay delegate representing Community of Faith UMC. This year, the conference took place in Roanoke, VA from June 12-14, 2025. I’ve said in the past that the conference is a glorious combination of worship, learning and business, and this year was no exception. The theme of the conference was “A Movement of the Heart”, focused on how God transforms us and how God molds and shapes us to be agents of change in and around our community. I was again joined by Pastor Abi Foerster, Mary Ann and Drew East, Hannah Godfrey and Deacon Joanna Dietz. We were also accompanied by Richard Rosenberger, who is the alternate delegate, and his wife Winnie.  

It's customary for the mayor of the city hosting the conference to share a word of welcome at the beginning, but this year’s welcome was extra special. Rev. Joe Cobb is a United Methodist pastor and mayor of Roanoke and was accompanied by his former wife, Rev. Rev. Leigh Anne Taylor, also a United Methodist pastor. Joe had given up his ordination over 20 years ago when he acknowledged his true self as a homosexual. Thanks to changes within the church, Mayor, Rev. Cobb’s ordination was recently reinstated by the Great Plains Annual Conference. Rev. Taylor was fully supportive and, along with Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, presented him with a special sash. It was a very touching experience. Revs. Cobb and Taylor have even written a book together about their “family outing”. 

The worship services were split between musical praise and inspirational messages about faith and discipleship. Bishop Sue talked about how we need to let go of nostalgia if it prevents us from moving forward with open minds and creativity. We value our diversity as a church and stand with the people who others might dismiss. Rev. Dr. Edgardo Colón-Emeric, Dean of the Duke Divinity School, spoke on how Methodism is grounded in the Trinity, and how we can connect more with the Holy Spirit as an important part of the Trinity.  

There was a learning session with Scott Erickson, a.k.a. “Scott the Painter.” I think I can best describe his message by paraphrasing some of it for you:  

o Walking away is walking towards (something new)  

o Change only happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing  

o Art making and Religion making are both tools of integration 

o What images do you hold in your head?  

o "Pick your clicks" 

o Everything you need to make the future is in the world already - you need to find the things and put them together 

o Make a list of objects and settings - and then put them together in ways that don't belong together - a paradox.

I took away the message that we can put discipleship together with activities where it doesn’t seem to belong in order to share Jesus’ love in new, creative ways.  

Of course, there were several important business matters that needed to be addressed. There were changes to the way clergy pension funding is collected, an overview of the Equitable Compensation Committee study and discussion about how properties from closed churches are used and/or disposed of. Several new faith communities were recognized as well. If you’d like more information about any of these topics, feel free to contact Pastor Abi or me directly, or check out the Annual Conference page at vaumc.org. 

One important report that was given was from the Journey in Understanding Task Force. This team was a collection of clergy and laity who share different views ranging from more traditional to more progressive. There are, of course, matters on which there will continue to be disagreement. However, it was stated “in order to disagree well, we need to understand”. Their main goal was to listen—to each other and to many other people who they invited to share their unique stories and insights. The theme that they came to agree upon was a new metaphor for the church. In the past, the church has been compared to a tent, where everyone was welcomed. But they recognized that in that scenario, there would be people at the margins of the tent who felt left out. So, the new metaphor they embraced was the church as a round table, with Christ at the center and everyone in the church encircled around him, equally. The round table better symbolizes how we are all children of Jesus, and all are graced by His perfect love. There was no resolution or vote taken at the end of their presentation, thus there would not be winners and losers, just listening and mutual respect. 

All that being said, there was business that required voting, and four votes involved constitutional amendments that had been passed at General Conference. The amendments were as follows: 

Regionalization was the most significant amendment. It seeks to move away from a governance structure that centers on the United States and also removes the requirement that issues specific to the U.S. need to be voted upon by the entire world delegation at General Conference. It allows some flexibility, such as the educational requirements, at the regional level, while keeping the core principles of the church governed by the General Conference. It sounds complex, and in some ways, it is, but the guiding principles are not so hard to understand. If you’d like more information, please feel free to reach out to any of the church leaders.  

With all the important business, there was still time to celebrate—to celebrate the lives of dedicated clergy who have moved on to eternity, retiring clergy and newly appointed and ordained laity and clergy. There were also lunch labs, which offered special learning opportunities. Please contact me if you’re interested in hearing about the labs I attended on Trauma Care and Ministry in the Digital Age. 

I once again left the Annual Conference feeling both tired and rejuvenated. It was a celebration of love, and I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit throughout. I am humbled and inspired by all that is being accomplished and will be accomplished by the United Methodist Church, our Virginia Conference and Community of Faith.  

Wrestling with the Word: 

Read Act 2: 1-4 (CEB)

Next Steps:  

Prayer for the Week:  

Consider the situations in your life where you need the power of the Holy Spirit. Are you being called to wait on the Holy Spirit? Pray a traditional prayer for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise and ever to enjoy your consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.