New York Annual Conference

Greetings, dear Church Family

Happy surprises are the best surprises, don’t you agree?

On Sunday afternoon, I returned home from three days at the New York Annual
Conference held in Stamford, CT.

In the days preceding the conference, I was a bit nervous and asked some people about their experiences at Annual Conference.

One person told me that the conference organizers could do better at making first-time attendees welcome.

Another told me that the Conference could be a bit OVERWHELMING at times.

I was thankful for these words of wisdom, but I found that my experiences at Annual Conference were overwhelmingly positive. I was grateful for the informative and reassuring Conference Orientation meeting provided via Zoom.

It helped make the conference more approachable to me.
My days at the Conference were delightful, educational, and at times a bit
tiring (one night our session extended to past 10:30pm).

I felt joy and unity at being with so many Methodists gathered in one place for a common purpose. The diversity of attendees in terms of nationality, background, age, and role in the church was amazing.

Again, I felt joy to hear so many diverse languages and to see the American Sign Language interpreter. A
variety of traditional well-loved hymns and more modern music selections truly uplifted attendees.

Several dance teams added beauty and rhythm to
the conference sessions.
I learned so much about the United Methodist Church, its structure, finances, and administration. As your elected Lay Delegate to the Annual Conference, I voted on many matters after carefully listening to the
proposals presented.

Thank you for the trust you placed in me. I know that I was happily surprised and refreshed in my faith by attending Annual Conference.

I did not have anything to do with preparing food(thank you, dearest Lord, for a rest!), although mealtimes were occasions when I made it a point to talk with people at my table and to enjoy fellowship with them. I ate lunch with a lovely and earnest young woman who was awaiting her first appointment. I also sat with a pastor who had a congregation of over a thousand people who spoke Chinese.

I hope that I will see these new friends at next year’s Annual Conference if I have the good fortune to attend.
I hope you also will consider attending Annual Conference, as the rewards
are many and the inspiration great.

Penny McKown, Church Council Chair