The Best Laid Plans

One of the joys I have as assistant to the bishop is arranging for a dinner for the voting members of the Northern Illinois Synod and our partner synod, the Lower Susquehanna Synod (Pennsylvania) on a free night of the Churchwide Assembly. This year was particularly easy. I did not even have to choose the restaurant. Since we are in the hometown of our bishop, he and Polly had a favorite spot they wanted us all to share.

A few weeks ago I reserved the room for our group. Yesterday I called in the final reservation number, confirmed the price and the menu. It was to be a pizza feast with salads, pasta and hoagie sandwiches. I also managed to figure out transportation for all 57 who were going to attend. We had just enough seats in the cars that were available to us! I met the bishop this morning with photocopies of a letter, complete with driving instructions and the car assignments.

By 10:30 a.m. it had become obvious that our reservation had to be cancelled. The assembly was going to run later than the original agenda and dinner was being arranged for everyone at the convention center. I am going to put in a plug for Broadway Pizza in north Minneapolis for their kindness to us. They did not charge us anything and said they would look forward to serving us in the future.

Our two synods did manage to dine together at five or six adjoining tables in the ballroom. Bishop Penrose Hoover greeted us all and our voting members were each presented with a woven gift. Our friends from Pennsylvania will receive gift bags from us tomorrow morning. The gift bags were in the trunk of my car back at the hotel. It was not possible for me to transport them earlier. No, really! But, the bishop was kind enough to explain exactly where the gifts were and who was responsible. Bishop Wollersheim greeted everyone and then offered a benediction.

Today, the assembly adopted a full communion agreement with The United Methodist Church. It was a wonderful moment. The impact in Northern Illinois might be quite profound. Almost every town in which we have a congregation has a United Methodist congregation as well. Our pastors enjoy good relationships. Perhaps this agreement simply catches up to where our congregations have already led the way.

We heard a powerful sermon preached by Bishop Gregory V. Palmer, the president of the UMC’s Council of Bishops, during worship. During a two-part quasi-committee of the whole, voting members respectfully debated the ministry policy recommendations, a discussion that will continue tomorrow.

Our voting members are doing a great job. I do know some are very tired, but they are taking their responsibilities seriously and are participating fully. They still have 2½ days ahead of them, with some difficult decisions to make. Please continue to remember them in your prayers.

Thanks for reading. Do not forget that you can watch the proceedings online at http://www.elca.org/. To comment on this blog, go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/. I will be off to bed soon. Oh, here is another plug. Hyatt Hotels have the most comfortable beds on Earth. --JC