By Christina Dillabough and Rev. Dan Hurlbert
Before, during, and after the General Conference in May, the Jurisdictional and General Conference delegates from the Desert Southwest will be sharing some insights about the two-week history-making time of discernment, deliberations, actions, and worship that make up General Conference. Most of the delegates will be at General Conference. Some will be sharing their experience as a photo journal or written diary, while others will dissect and interpret certain pieces of legislation that they’re most knowledgeable about including the 2015 Annual Conference legislation that was approved to go before the General Conference. Those items are:
- 10.01 Divest from Caterpillar UN Guiding Principles and Supply of Weapons
- 10.02 Establishing a Screen to Remove and Avoid Investments in Illegal Settlements on Occupied Land
- 10.03 Economic Inequality
- 10.04 Inclusivity
- 10.06 Petroleum and Natural Gas Investments
Rev. Dan Hurlbert
Conference Lay Leader and General Conference First Elect Delegate, Jim Nibbelink, has already published his first write up. Now, Rev. Dan Hurlbert shares how he’s been preparing for the tremendous task of being the First Elect Clergy Delegate:
“I’ve been reading, greeting, and meeting. The mass of reading material for General Conference is voluminous. The Advanced Daily Christian Advocate (ADCA) is about 1,800 pages and looks about like a phone book (if you remember what those look like). While there are a number of reports to read, it is the legislation that takes up most of the time. Fortunately, there is almost a complete lack of subtly and I can tell where I stand relatively quickly with most of it. I finished my first read though and now I’m focusing on my legislative section.
I’ve been greeting people and making personal connections with people across the West, attempting for forge alliances with people in other parts of the country and the world. I’ve reached out to old seminary friends, people I have met through BOOM, and others who I made first contact with at the PreConference briefing in January.
I’ve been meeting regularly with the Western Jurisdiction delegates (mostly first elected lay and clergy). We’ve been meeting electronically about every two weeks since January. I have also, not surprisingly, received a lot of extra mail and email, much of which has been unsolicited. I’ve taken the time to read each piece with an open mind even though I can often tell what they have in store.
I have also been praying a lot. I’ve prayed when I wasn’t sure which way I might vote on something. I’ve prayed when I was certain searching for why I had the reactions, good and bad, that I have had.
I am looking forward to getting to Portland and putting the preparation to work on behalf of our Annual Conference.” -Rev. Dan Hurlbert
The Desert Southwest Delegates are united in their desire to share their experience and interpret how this quadrennial gathering might affect the people of the Desert Southwest. Now is your chance to unite with them.
- Pray for General Conference
- Pray for the Western Jurisdictional Conference
- Attend General Conference as a guest
- Attend General Conference as a volunteer
- Volunteer for the Western Jurisdictional Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona
- Register as a guest at the Western Jurisdictional Conference
- Watch the General Conference live stream
- Follow us on Facebook.com/dscumc
