General Conference News - # 1

April 19, 2016

This is the first of a series of information updates about the General Conference Session of the United Methodist Church. General Conference will be held May 10-20 in Portland, Oregon. While this is important for all United Methodists, as the local hosts, it's of special interest to the Oregon-Idaho Conference and the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area.

Watch for more information each week, and feel free to reply with questions you might have about General Conference in Portland. Once the conference starts, there will be daily updates.

Greg Nelson, Director of Communications

How to be connected

There are several sources for news about General Conference:

Each day of conference there will be an email of Oregon-Idaho news
Members of the Oregon-Idaho delegation have been writing blog posts about General Conference
GC2016.umc.org is the starting place for General Conference information on the United Methodist Church website.
You can download the official GC 2016 app to your smartphone.
Follow the Oregon-Idaho Facebook and Twitter (@umoi) for feeds pictures, videos, breaking news and activities at General Conference.

When is the best time to visit General Conference?

That's hard to say. It depends if you want to see amazing worship, the details of the legislative process, reports on the ministry of the church, or floor debate on critical issues (and some not so critical). And the schedule of General Conference can change during the week. But here are some key things to watch for:

Opening worship will be a special time. Tuesday, May 10, 2:00-3:30 p.m. (Get there early for good seats).
Morning worship each day.
Episcopal Address. Wednesday, May 11, 8:30 a.m.
Consecration of Deconesses and Home Missioners, May 16, 8:00 a.m.
Missionary Commissioning, May 19, 8:00 a.m.

Keep watching these updates for more schedule information.

Learn the words

General Conference has a language all of its own. To follow along in person, or via live streaming video, you need to know the code. Keeping straight the DCA, the PIC, the minority report, and the consent calendar can be easier with a guide. And you might thing CALMS is a way of talking to each other, but it's not. Learn more on this umc.org webpage.

General Conference is local!

While General Conference is the world-wide gathering of The United Methodist Church, lots of local people are involved. Two of them have been profiled by United Methodist Communications.

	Rev. Laura Jaquith Bartlett was selected from a competitive field of applicants to be the worship leader for the 2016 General Conference. Watch her video profile.
	William Haden was invited by then Oregon-Idaho Bishop Robert Hoshibata to take on the role of chairing the Local Host Committee. He's been working on the task for over four years, having started before the 2012 conference in Tampa, Florida. Watch Haden's story.

What else happens?

If the General Conference approves the proposed schedule, official business will adjourn at 6:30 each evening. Some of those evenings will be filled with special events that inform delegates and highlight ministries of the church.

Want to learn more?

United Methodist Communications is offering an online training course for those who want to learn more about General Conference. The course is free, and you can even get continuing education credit. Learn more on their website.

'AIDS is Not Over' event

At least 37 million people around the world are living with AIDS.

Next month, leaders will gather to discuss current realities regarding HIV and AIDS at the upcoming “AIDS Is Not Over! Global Issues and the Church,” event sponsored by the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund.

The free event will be held at Rose City Park United Methodist Church May 9 in Portland, Oregon. It will highlight new AIDS research and trends, and examine how churches are responding.

The all-day conference includes six dynamic workshops. Participants will hear moving stories from those affected or infected by HIV or AIDS. Delegates and non-delegates attending the 2016 General Conference of The United Methodist Church are invited to be a part of the conference.

“This conference will be a rich and rare opportunity for the church to get both a national and international perspective on HIV and AIDS, hearing from the scientific community and Christians from around the world,” said Dr. Donald Messer, co-chair of the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund.

Speakers for this event include General Secretary Thomas Kemper of Global Ministries, a keynote address by Dr. Nancy Haigwood, director and senior scientist of the Oregon National Primate Research Center, and many more. Haigwood will discuss her innovative research surrounding vaccines and ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Online event registration is open now through May 2; an informational flyer is also available to print and distribute.

Do extroverts dominate General Conference?

DALLAS (UMNS) — Some people get energy from being around and talking with others, while other people prefer to hang back and listen. The Rev. Ted A. Campbell, professor of church history at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology, wonders if the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly makes room for the quieter people to communicate their ideas. Read his commentary.