This past week during Sunday morning worship I lifted up General Conference during the time of prayer. After worship I was asked about General Conference. I tried my best to not only explain what General Conference is but what was being debated and decided at General Conference this week. Towards the end of the conversation someone asked me, “What difference does General Conference make for us here in Clarkston?”
I must admit I struggled answering this question. I spoke about the elimination of guaranteed appointments, the restructuring of the general agencies, the social principles, and other issues. But I soon realized that very few of these things matter to the majority of the congregation.
I am a General Conference junkie (I have the live stream on as I write this), and it would be great if more people in my church cared about General Conference, but the reality is that they don’t. While the worship and stories that come out of General Conference are inspiring, a majority of the petitions passed make little or no difference in how a large part of the church I serve will live out its mission. I know that there are some issues, especially around the ideas of social justice, that matter a great deal too many people, both laity and clergy. But in the minds of many in the local church, a majority of the issues revolve around administrative issues and make little or no difference.
As a lifelong United Methodist, pastor, and General Conference junkie I want to tell my church members that General Conference does matter, but when hours are spent debating the structure that many of the members of my church will never experience, I wonder what difference General Conference does make to the local church. I just don’t the answer.
I had the exact same problem explaining that to someone. At the local church level, the biggest impact might be increase in apportionment dollars.
While I understand how hard it is to explain these things to the general congregation it is very important stuff. I liken all of this to pouring the foundation upon which each congregation can put up its own structure and function. There is a think I like to call “Unit Thinking” when you have been heavily involved in meetings, diagrams, data research, etc. it is very difficult to explain in brief terms how you reached your proposal. But this is how management of national / global organizations must work. It is not easy to explain, Sometimes you just want to answer ” because I said so” My Mom used that one a few times.
I thank all who have put so much energy into this process. It is very draining. Bless you all.
Thanks, Irene and Janice, for your responses. I am interested in hearing more from laypeople about this question. Why does General Conference matter to the local church? Also, why does it matter to someone in the local church who did not grow up as a United Methodist?