Another Annual Conference

Another session of the Kansas West Annual Conference has come and gone. This time, it was held at the Kansas State Fairgrounds here in Hutchinson. The last time that conference was held here, we received seven inches of rain, so there was some apprehension about conference meeting here again! As it turned out, there was rain and thunderstorms the first evening but otherwise the weather turned out well.

The theme of this year’s conference session was “Worth It! Risk-Taking Mission.” This was the last in a series of three themes that have guided our sessions of Annual Conference the last three years. We focused in 2009 on “At Your Service,” emphasizing radical hospitality.  In 2010, our theme was “Go Light Your World,” calling us to intentional faith sharing.

With an emphasis on “risk-taking mission” this year, we were especially blessed to hear from Cynthia Harvey, who is in charge of UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief)–which is our denominational agency in charge of relief and rehabilitation efforts.

We talked about the change in 2012 for episcopal leadership for Nebraska and Kansas, and we learned from Gil Rendle, church consultant,  about what it means to be the church in the 21st century. We celebrated the commissioning of ten provisional members and welcomed a new associate member, and ten newly ordained elders (and another pastor whose orders in another denomination were recognized). We shared in a service honoring the retirement of fifteen pastors and in memorializing those who had passed away in the last year, including Lois Lyons, Linda O’Dell Toms, and Maxine Brooks.

On a personal note, I was privileged to be elected as one of the two clergy delegates from the Kansas West Annual Conference to next year’s General Conference in Tampa, Florida. I was also honored with the presentation of a “Certificate of Merit” from the Kansas Area United Methodist Rural Fellowship. I also participated in the annual “Fun Run/Walk” on Friday morning, finishing last among the runners but (barely) ahead of the walkers! In addition, I was appointed again to serve as pastor of First United Methodist Church.

I look forward to a good year together! May God bless us in our commitment to “risk-taking mission!”
Grace and Peace,

Mark Conard