| Running the General Conference marathon By Mark A. Derby The 2004 General Conference was a marathon. Before it began, there was the preparation that required reading more than a thousand pages of materials and countless letters from concerned people, attending delegation meetings and traveling to Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh, two weeks of daily meetings that began at 8 a.m. and ended between 10:00 p.m. and 12:15 a.m.; analyzing, discussing, debating and deciding what action to take on more than 1,500 petitions and resolutions; and enduring countless points of order tested our physical, emotional and spiritual limits. Confronting the issue of homosexuality felt like the famous heart break hill of the Boston Marathon. Needless to say, I was glad when we crossed the finish line at 12:15 a.m. on May 8. The course for the marathon, at least on the surface, seemed to have been determined by the petitions and resolutions that were submitted by individual church members, congregations, boards and agencies and by various caucuses with different political agendas. The competition between those who advocated differing worldviews, theologies, and understandings of the exclusive claims of the Gospel and the inclusiveness of the church was keen. Sometimes, the conduct of contestants was unsportsmanlike. But, there were many moments of grace as we worshiped God together, and, as people of faith who disagreed on significant and important issues, sought to build up the body of Christ through loving one another and seeking Gods truth together. The 2004 General Conference did not, and could not, resolve all of the issues that confront The United Methodist Church today. We attempted and participated in holy conferencing, but sometimes we diverted into the pursuit of political agendas or reverted into maintaining the status quo. Yet, beyond all of the planning and plotting, as we ran the race, I sensed the Spirit of God moving beyond our human motivations and understanding, gbwc_superusering us toward a greater realization of Gods presence in each other and in our midst. By the end of the 2004 General Conference, I perceived that many of the participants realized that the goal was not to win, but to finish the race together as sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus. Looking back over the race, I am grateful for those who cheered us on as they stood by us in prayer, showered us with water bottles, and fed us cookies. I am thankful for those who ran with me: my fellow delegates from the Baltimore-Washington Conference and around the globe, bishops and General Conference leaders and staff, and all those who feel passionately about the life, ministry and future of The United Methodist Church. The next meeting of the General Conference will be in 2008. I dont know if I will be there, but I do know that I have returned from the 2004 General Conference with a renewed commitment to Christ Jesus and a deeper desire to be a faithful witness to his transforming grace and reconciling love. I pray that all of my sisters and brothers in Christ will join me in running the race of faith and life so that we will receive the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to those who have longed for his appearing. (I Timothy 4:7, 8). The Rev. Mark A. Derby is superintendent of the Baltimore-Harford District. | 
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