Can I ask you something?

Two instances in which I realize I don’t know much:

As we started our most recent delegation meeting Dixie Brewster, the first elected lay person and thus the head of our delegation for the year, asked everyone to share their history with General/Jurisdictional Conference. There was a lot of history in the room (I leave you to decide for yourself what that means). I believe our longest tenured delegate is Penny Schwab who said 2012 is to be her sixth General Conference. Rev. Mark Conard isn’t far behind her, I think this will be his fifth time on the delegation. Out of the 14 persons elected as delegates or alternates this year, (7 clergy and 7 laity), eight have been on the delegation before, which is a nice balance between experience and inexperience. However, there are four people on the General Conference delegation: Mark--5 time delegate, Penny--6 time delegate, Dixie--4 time delegate, and then there is me. Conclusion: I don’t know much. Action required: Ask a lot of questions.

These are Catholic Bishops,
ours don't dress so well

The purpose of the meeting was to make a decision on endorsements for the Episcopacy. In the United Methodist Church Bishops are elected by the Jurisdictional Conference. Unlike some denominations, UMC Bishops are not ordained to the Episcopacy, they remain Elders just like me, but they also do not ever leave the Episcopal office. It is a lifetime role. They have to retire at age 72 and then they are retired Bishops. No pointy hats for them but they do wear a special pin on their lapels and have their names printed in the front of the Book of Discipline, forever. Both of which don’t mean that much but still might be a comfort on a hard day.

Election means candidacy and candidacy means campaign. The first step in a campaign toward Bishop is to be endorsed by your own delegation. Certainly it hasn’t always been true but I don’t think in these modern times it happens much (ever?) that someone elected is not 1. A part of their conference delegation and 2. Endorsed for the Episcopacy by that delegation. I suppose it is parallel to the fact that the road to pastoral work always starts in a home church Staff Parish Relations Committee. If the people at home don’t see the Spirit gifting you for leadership, the Spirit might not be gifting you for leadership. (I say “might” because sometimes people can be really blind to the work of God. cf: the Bible).

Being endorsed requires an interview and a vote. I guess there is no rule about this (surprising for Methodists, right?) but we decided that any candidate endorsed by our delegation needed to receive 66% of our votes. Once that was settled the only thing left to figure out was how to tell if someone is called and equipped to be a Bishop.

Considering my paltry nine years as a local church pastor (Mark is in year 33 or 34) I have really only served under one Bishop, Scott Jones. Fritz Mutti was my Bishop for two years but I was an Associate at the time and didn’t really have a Bishop, I had a Senior Pastor. I certainly have ideas about the ways Bishop Jones is a good Bishop and the ways he is not a good Bishop. (which I will not put in this public space, thanks for asking). But should every Bishop have the same strengths Bishop Jones does? That’s an easy answer: No. I’m really thankful not every pastor has the same strengths I do.
That. Would. Not. Be. Pretty.
But even allowing for differing strengths and weaknesses how does one decide what qualities are needed in an Episcopal leader? Conclusion: I don’t know much. Action Required: Ask a lot of questions.

So I did. I asked questions of friends who had been on delegations in the past, I asked questions of other pastor friends. I asked questions of myself. I asked a whole lot of questions to our candidate, I asked questions of others on the delegation and then with fear and trembling I cast my vote. I’m typically a decisive person (some might say I’m opinionated. But you won’t. You will be kind and say I am decisive). But this was a decision where I was thankful my vote was one among 13, I trust the wisdom and process of our group.

A few days ago the official announcement was released that we have endorsed Rev Cheryl Jefferson Bell for the episcopacy in the South Central Jurisdiction. Read the full announcement here. Cheryl also ran in 2008 and was very close to being elected. I have already heard all kinds of speculation and prognostication about her “chances” this year. But the truth is even someone who has been to Jurisdictional Conference 10 times doesn’t know what will unfold any more than I do. What I do know is that as a delegation we support and confirm Cheryl's call to episcopal leadership. So I’m praying that God will continue to prepare her for the job and for the arduous journey it takes to get there.

We are having a shin-dig in Oklahoma City this Fri/Sat with delegates from all over the Jurisdiction. Delegate Party! Whoo Hoo! (I’ve been promised there will be ice cream). We will hear about some GC legislation and the Episcopal candidates will have a chance to “meet and greet” and “work the network” and “press the flesh” and whatever else you want to call it. So far we have been notified of these other endorsements:

Jeff Lust, Albuquerque District Superintendent, by the New Mexico Delegation

Gary Mueller, pastor at First UMC, Plano, TX, by the North Texas Delegation

David Wilson, Conference Superintendent, by the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Delegation

Chappell (Chap) Temple, pastor at Lakewood UMC, Houston, by the Texas Delegation

Robert (Bob) Farr, director of Congregational Excellence, by the Missouri Delegation

Mike McKee, pastor at First UMC, Hurst, TX by the Central Texas Delegation

Fred Wideman, pastor at Broadmoor UMC, Baton Rouge by the Lousiana Delegation

Eradio Valverde Jr, Corpus Christi Superintendent of Southwest Texas AC, by the Rio Grande Delegation

I have only ever heard of and met Bob Farr. I mean I googled them all immediately, of course, but still. Conclusion: I don’t know much. Action Required: I've got some questions to ask.