At General Conference 2004 in Pittsburgh, I sat as a reserve delegate on metal bleachers as the Connectional Table was voted into existence. The Connectional Table was a new way of bringing leadership together to align mission and resources and set the vision for The UMC. It actually reflected what many local congregations were doing. To me it seemed exciting but distant.
In 2012, as the newly elected chair of the Commission on General Conference, I attended my first CT meeting as an invited guest. I remember thinking that I was now observing the work of this body that I had seen come into being eight years earlier. I actually recorded my impressions in my journal: the CT wasn’t as geographically diverse as the Commission (which had representatives from every Central Conference in a much small body.) But I also recorded that my impression of the individuals serving on the Connectional Table was that they were bright, faithful, gifted people who had a variety of strong opinions based on their faithful reading of scriptures and coming from a wide range of life experiences.
Since 2016, I have been on the CT Board as a representative of the Northeastern Jurisdiction. As a member, I began thinking about how board members represent their own constituencies while still working for the mission of the church that we all loved.
Now I have the opportunity to serve the CT as Interim Chief Connectional Ministries Officer. To say that I didn’t see that coming in 2004 would be an understatement! And yet, I am very aware that the last 18 years have given me experiences that have prepared me to take this challenge. I am excited to continue the work that has been done, and to make sure that we continue to move forward despite the challenges that our church currently faces. We have been blessed with wonderful leadership in the past and we have a Board with many gifts for ministry. We now get a chance to set a path and follow it into the future where God is leading us. I look forward to walking this journey together.