Ordination

If you haven't read the post below, skip down and read about the beginning of the day at Annual Conference first.

After leaving annual conference, I was able to attend the Service of Commissioning and Ordination ceremony at First UMC of Ft. Worth. This is a beautiful facility situated at the edge of downtown Ft. Worth on a hill. Here is a view as I was leaving.

This is not church in a school building - check out the inside. It was filled to capacity with family, friends and congregation members of those being ordained and commissioned. I was pleased to be able to attend and support Bob as a congregation memeber of Good News at this important milestone of his ministry. Judy and Richard left home late Tuesday afternoon and came for the evening service. They also had to go back for school on Wednesday, so it was a late evening for everybody.

The service began with wonderful music from the Open Door Band at Trinity UMC in Arlington. Then much like a graduation, there was a procession of the candidates with their spouses and sponsors. The worship bulletin is twelve pages long and the service included not only wonderful Methodist music, but a sermon by Bishop Mike Watson of the South Georgia Area. Bishop Watson reminded the audience that we are all ministers, but that these candidates have been set apart to serve God and their congegations. After the sermon, the candidates filed to the front as their name was called, hands were laid on them and they received a bible and a stole as symbols of their office in the Church. Robert Edward Rainey (Pastor Bob to us) was ordained a full elder in the United Methodist Church. As his name was called, with Judy standing behind him, and hands laid on him, those friends, family and supporters stood in silent prayer in the audience for him. I stood on behalf of our congregation and prayed for Bob, Judy and Richard and their ministry at Good News. Congratulations Bob, we are VERY proud of you!

A reception followed the service and Bob was greeted by people from all over the Conference. Here he is pictured with Allen Goss of Church Growth and Development.

Grace and peace,
Tim Lowke

CTC Annual Conference 2008

I have just gotten back from being the delegate for Good News to the CTC Annual Conference in Ft. Worth. I will have to say that it was a learning experience. As a life-long Methodist, I have always known that annual conference is where the major business of the Conference is done each June, but actually being on the floor as a delegate was enlightening. Bob was a "teller." He was responsible for counting votes and handing out stuff etc... So he could be seen, the Conference gave him this lovely ensemble which he customized!

Tuesday started with a session on Christian Conferencing. Delegates and clergy alike were instructed in the process of how to discuss church business, social issues and any material related to the church in a Christian manner. The presenter, Karen Greenwaldt was from Nashville and centered the learning on the theme of Methodism: Past, Present and Future. We framed our discussion around three documents we were given ahead of time, Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living by Rueben P. Job, An Invitation to an Upright Charitable and Discreet Conversation and Ten Provocative Questions for the United Methodist Church by Lovett H. Weems, Jr. This was a wonderful time of discussion and I am excited that Bob and I can bring this tool back to Good News.

After lunch, the main program was the Retirement recognition. Each retiring pastor and their spouse is given time to address the Conference. Talk about coming full-circle. I sat on the floor with Bob and watched Fred Winslow, founding pastor of Good News give his retirement address and Jonathon Mellette, our first music director wrote and performed an original piece for the retirement proceedings. Here are some video clips of Fred's words in three segments:

Evidently, when Sharon retired the year before and spoke at conference, she only gave Fred permission for a one sentence address as the spouse --- so this year, Sharon got one sentence to say farewell. At the end of the retirement recognitions, there was a symbolic passing of stoles from retirees to the prospective ordained clergy. Then the prospective ordained clergy were introduced. Here is our pastor before the annual conference body.

Final business of the day were presentations by the Church and Society Committee and voting by the conference body on resolutions ranging from advocation of an equitable living minimum wage to statements about Iran and Iraq from the Conference. This business, as you can well imagine, created lively debate on the floor and was going to continued on Wednesday.

While I was only able to attend a single day on conference, it was a great experience and one that as a life-long Methodist really brought home for me the concept of our denomination as a connectional church. We are all able and invited to come to the table. It is through our connection to one another, church to church and conference to conference that allows our denomination to make a difference in the world.

I was glad for the opportunity to be our delegate this year and support Bob at conference and then stay for his ordination in the evening.

Grace and peace,
Tim Lowke