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 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. 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 Several dance teams added beauty and rhythm to 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. Penny McKown, Church Council Chair |
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