General Conference News - #2

New technology emerges each time General Conference meets. With a four year meeting cycle, there is opportunity for technology to advance between sessions. Twitter, Facebook, cell phones, texting, smartphones and other devices have all had an impact on General Conference. At this year's conference two applications for smartphones or tablets will be key players.

Mobile app has the info

The GC2016 app features news stories, videos, delegate resources, sponsor and exhibitor information, and the daily schedule. With versions for Android and iOS, it will work on many devices. You can download it for free.

Translation app will be key for visitors

General Conference is a multi-lingual event. At past conferences, as the meeting was conducted in English, non-English speakers would hear simultaneous translation via headphones. But when a non-English speaker came to the microphone, the translation would be consecutive.

For the 2016 conference, all translation will be simultaneous. This means English speaking delegates and other official participants will have headsets for hearing translation.

However there will only be a limited number of headsets available for audience and guests. Conference planners are hoping that many of these guests will "bring their own" device for hearing translation.

Hearing Hotspot is a free software application that will allow people to turn most smartphones or tablets into a translation receiver. The app, along with you own headset or ear buds, will use a WiFi signal to give access to the feeds from professional translators. Devices must be capable of supporting 5-GHz WiFi signals (newer devices will - older devices may not).

You can download via Apple iTunes and Google Play.  Learn more in this story on the UMC.org website.

To assure the safety and security of attendees, the Executive Committee of the Commission on the General Conference made the decision to not allow guns in the Oregon Convention Center for the duration of the conference. This hasn’t been an issue at past events where weapons were not allowed by the convention facilities or due to local laws. Though the State of Oregon allows open carry of guns, the Commission on The General Conference, as the sole renter of the convention center, exercised the option to disallow guns.

To enforce this provision, entrances into the convention center will be limited to Holladay Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., and parking garage P1 and P2 East only. Security personnel will be using wands and inspecting bags to check all persons for guns when entering the convention center.

This is consistent with the official position of The United Methodist Church which calls for every United Methodist Church to be a gun free zone in the Book of Resolutions.

Prayer is a key part of General Conference. A continuous prayer chain began December 31 with the Oregon-Idaho Conference. And the Greater Northwest Area has been joining in prayer on the first Sunday of each month.

And across the church people have been participating in 60 days of prayer for General Conference. Watch a video about what some people are praying for.