Local church connection and district:
Common Table (Boulevard), TN District (Serving in Extension Ministry at Lake Institute on Faith & Giving and as an Associate DS in Indiana)
Guiding scripture leading into General Conference:
“All the Law has been fulfilled in a single statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour each other, be careful that you don’t get eaten up by each other!” Galatians 5:14-15 (CEB)
Favorite paragraph of the Book of Discipline (we all have one, right?):
I’ve spent most of my ministry in the 300’s paragraphs, but my favorite is Paragraph 102–it’s a beautiful summary of what we offer the world as a way to know God in Jesus Christ, and I think it’s completely under-used in the church!
A brief statement on your call to serve as a delegate:
I have a background in law, and I spent five years up to my elbows in the Book of Discipline in leading the Center for Clergy Excellence–I’ve seen how our church laws in the Book of Discipline can be life-giving and ministry-expanding, and how they can be harmful and ministry-stopping. Our UM witness is needed more than ever in our neighborhoods and nations, and I’m glad to offer everything I’ve got to help our ministry witness move forward in God’s grace.
Specific prayer request(s) for the work ahead:
I’m praying for an effective, Spirit-filled time of holy conferencing so that we leave Charlotte with our way of being Church renewed for the years ahead.