I was going to be at the Jubilands Lunch on Saturday, but can't because of a funeral. My father will be celebrating 60 years of ordination.

I'm planning on being there.  Kind of looking forward to it, my 1st AGM in a new conference.

 Frankly, I gave up attending Conference some years ago. I used to be very involved at Conference and national (on and off.) I finally came to the conclusion that there was no justification for the time away from my family, staying in hotels because it was too far to commute, etc. A few years ago, Hamilton Conference had a one day Conference meeting. Hmmm. Neither the Conference nor the United Church fell apart. Everything that had to get done got done apparently. (Which makes me wonder how much unnecessary "filler" is involved with Conference?) When Hamilton has another one day Conference (or at least one close enough to me that I don't have to spend even a night away from my family) perhaps I'll go. Otherwise, my wife, my daughter and my dog come first.

But - for those who are going - have a blast!

Hi Pinga,

I'll be there.

Though I'm afraid I might go into autopilot and end up in Fergus.

Grace and peace to you.

John

Hi Pinga,

Ummmm DKS will be regretfully absent.  I don't think members of Toronto Conference are listed as absent with regrets.  We really do not expect them to show and neither are they required to be present when Hamilton holds its AGM.

As for the Rev. Stephen Davis I'm guessing he has had it soft, man I can drive this conference end to end in half the time it took me to get to District meetings in NL's West District and, there are nowhere near as many Moose or Caribou that need to be dodged.

I can appreciate wanting to spend time with the wife and kids.  I can't understand why he wouldn't come just to meet us though?  I'm so hurt I may have to sulk all the way through conference.

Grace and peace to you.

John

Hi redbaron338,

I doubt that I will be distraught over being snubbed yet again by the Rev. Stephen Davis for long.

I am easily distracted at Conference meetings.

Grace and peace to you.

John

Actually, John, my settlement charge was in Newfoundland, and the District structure was being reviewed while I was there, which meant that while I was in the West District, two years out of three I had to traipse to St. John's for meetings. Then, eight years in Manitou Conference. From the south end of the Conference I've travelled to hot spots like Espanola and Timmins for Conference meetings and Conference Committees. I haven't had it that soft!

Frankly, though, I think Conference is a dreadful waste of time, effort and resources, although I am obliged to serve our very hard-working and talented Settlement Committee as a reward for agreeing to be Pastoral Relations Chair for Niagara. I am an erstwhile proponent of a 3-court system.

But actually talking in person would undercut the mystique of Wonder Cafe!

Not me. I'm a Baptist.

This really getting old and I am sick of it,. Not funny any more.

Hi Pinga,

Pinga, Pinga, Pinga.

Skipping Conference is a gateway drug.  You think you can stop anytime you want but then you find yourself moving on to the heavier stuff.  Soon you are missing Presbytery meetings and wondering if you need to be present when the ministerial gets together.

Rev. Stephen Davis needs an intervention.

Care to second a motion that has him host next year's conference AGM?  

Grace and peace to you.

John

Kornfence, er, I mean, Conference (Sorry, I thought I was Water Buoy for a moment) was always a great time to get together with old friends, go for lunch or coffee, compare notes, order a pizza, and remember the 'good old days' of theological college and whatever happened to the weird guy who was in first year New Testament.   If you're clergy, remember to get a synopsis of what happened before you go home so your congregation will think you actually attended.  Conference is best left to the keeners; you know, the lay delegates, the power brokers, and the idealistic ordinands.  I haven't been part of the UCC for a long time, but I'm sure some things never change.  Have fun.

Not exactly. You have to have an annual meeting to ordain, commission and admit and to pass the bugdet. So if you have no one to ordain, commission or admit and are broke, take a sabbatical!

Actually, I hardly ever miss Presbytery, because I think Presbytery does actual substantive work, as opposed to the fluff (imho) that fills most Conference meetings.

Since I wouldn't have to travel I'd be happy too. Accommodation in Port Colborne might be an issue though, so folks would probably have to stay in Welland - might as well have the meeting in Welland, then. But we do have a pretty large sanctuary, so feel free to have the Celebration of Ministries Service here - you're invited! 

Well....

I'm going, but I don't want to be a keener in the lines of Ned Flanders, nor do I want to ditch the whole thing like RevSteven Davis. 

I'm getting the feeling that those who are into attending Conf. meetings don't waste time on the Cafe either.  (I say 'waste' only reflecting my imaginings about their opinions of our banter).  I'm also getting the feeling that those of us on the Cafe are the rebel, anti-structure oriented types?? 

So - this is my first full Conference and I want some pointers - particularly from those of you who pick & choose which parts to involve yourselves in, and those of you who skip out entirely, and especially those of you who enjoy the major theological & future directional discussions as had around a wobbly table in a seedy establishment with frothy beverages in front of you.

And another question - if we leave Conference up to the sorts of people who enjoy structure & rules & meetings & debates, where will that leave us anti-structure truants?

I dare say I'm enthusiastic enough to not mind the business, but I've been to the New Ministries & the Retirees/etc Worship times before, so that is nothing new & amazing, nor do I know anyone this time around that I am celebrating with particularly.

Pointers?  Wisdom?  Common Sense?

Hi Birthstone,

Well, there seems to be some wiggle room between those two positions.  Rev. Steven Davis is not the anti-Ned.

I don't know that anyone is actually "into" attending Conference.  I rarely miss it.  Part of that is because if I don't go I don't feel I have legitimate grounds to be critical of what happens for good or ill.

I'm not much of a Rebel nor am I anti-structure.  I don't think that we need to be extremes.  There is plenty of room in the middle where things may actually get accomplished.

Actually, the skills best employed here at WonderCafe work well at Conference.  Keep an open mind and don't be afraid to apply critical thought to what is being offered.  Not every idea that pops up at Conference is a good one and sometimes the greatest service we can offer to the congregations we represent and/or the wider church is to pick those ideas apart or defeat them.

It doesn't need to be a we/they thing.  I don't make decisions hoping that I get the big end of the stick and those who think differently get shafted.  It is about what "we" get and what "we" need.  Those who think differently from myself and my self included.

Grace and peace to you.

John

That was not the advice we were given two years ago when Toronto Conference restructured. It was amended in 2007, by remit. You have to meet every third year, at a minimum now.

What is Hamilton Conference? I attend a church in Hamilton.

Uh - yeah. OK. That's not an "annual" meeting. You said earlier that there had to be an "annual" meeting. There doesn't have to be an "annual" meeting.

thanks RevJohn for leading me back to the middle'o'the'road. Actually, I tend to be a fairly adept bridge-builder, so I have no worries on that.  I just noticed so few responses about conference, that I'm pretty sure there is a bit of a line drawn between who is there, and who is here.  Interesting to question the demographics, I think.

As of the 2007 Manual. But not before. Prior to that there had to be an Annual meeting.

I remember the first conference that I ever attended in Saskatchewan. So many ministers and I heard some racy langugage - the "f bomb" was dropped more than I thought possible. Opened my eyes to a lot of things.

Actually, there can be more lay delegates than ordered ministry delegates. Section 410 (e) says "The number of lay members elected by Presbyteries shall be at least equal to the number of members pursuant to subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d)." If a Presbytery so chooses (and every Presbytery I've ever been a part of has chosen so) every lay delegate to Presbytery can be a voting delegate to Conference - and, theoretically, 410 (e) says the lay delegates to Conference don't even have to be members of Presbytery, but rather that "at least a majority shall have been previously elected by a Pastoral Charge to represent them at Presbytery." So, as long as 51% of the lay delegates to Conference are members of Presbytery, 49% don't have to be members of Presbytery.