Wednesday Morning

Click here to listen to Karen Greenwaldt's morning Bible study.

Bob Blinn

The Rev. Bob Blinn, representing the Holy Rollers, addressed the gathering. The Holy Rollers are a group of 19 people who rode their bicycles 170 miles to conference to raise awareness of the annual conference offering. They were supported by 14 others and local churches along the way. Bishop Kammerer said she will "step outside her comfort zone" and participate in part of the ride next year.

The conference offering was collected which will this year support:

BRAZIL — CHILDREN: $75,000  Brazil has the greatest number of “street children” in the world.  Many families face deprivation due to lack of money, food and other basic resources. The Virginia Conference supports the Brazilian Methodist Church in their efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in their country. Shade and Fresh Water Project – Ministry with at-risk children and teens Hospital Boat – Serves remote communities along the Amazon River Macuxi Indigenous Mission – Sustainable agriculture to target malnutrition  

MOZAMBIQUE — EDUCATION: $50,000  Although Mozambique is among the poorest countries, the United Methodist Church of Mozambique is spiritually wealthy and committed to its evangelistic call with an emphasis on education in all areas of life.  Elementary and Vocational Schools – Reaching the next generation Girls Dormitories – Maintaining a healthy learning environment in Cambine   Health Education – Training hospital and faith community nurses Pastoral Education – Training in youth ministries, pastoral care and evangelism Build Women’s Training Center Dormitory – Safe housing

RUSSIA — LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: $25,000  The Russian United Methodist Church struggles under severe economic hardships.  We continue to partner with them to develop strong leadership for the ministry for the South Caucus District of the Russian UMC. Campus Ministry – Develop and support college outreach program District Development  – Leadership mentor and training ministry  

ALASKA — NATIVE AMERICANS: $50,000  There are 286 Native tribes within Alaska scattered thousands of miles from each other, many accessible only by plane or boat, and sometimes by dogsled! Churches are situated on coastlines, on islands, in the heart of mountains on the frozen tundra, and in urban areas where nearly 100 languages are spoken in the school system. Your generous offering will support our historic United Methodist presence among the Alaska Natives, energize an emerging focus on Native Ministries and strengthen our ministry on this far edge of the Pacific Rim.  Nome – Feeding ministry, teen and senior center Unalaska – Fishing village support and outreach Ketchikan – Outreach to recently unemployed Anchorage – Ministry to and with immigrant people  

GLOBAL AIDS FUND — HEALTH: $100,000   Five people die of AIDS every minute, an epidemic of worldwide proportions. These funds will be used to support programs offering HIV and AIDS education, prevention, treatment and care in the United States and around the world. Provide support for HIV/AIDS projects – Prevention and care Explore partnerships – Connecting the UMC with non-governmental organizations  

Conference Goal -- $300,000. As of noon on Tuesday, $224,000 had been collected.

Amado Mucambe, a mission interepreter who has been visiting the conference from Mozambique, offered the prayer for the offering.

Ron Hardman and John Clarke presented the report of the Task Force on Conference Facilities. The task force recommended that a capital funds campaign be initiated to underwrite the estimated $8 to $9 million cost of the expansion of the current facilities at the Virginia United Methodist Assembly Center (VUMAC) in Blackstone.

The Rev. Steve Jones offered a motion to spend a goal of $3 million on renovations. He's proposing to maintain and upgrade the current facilities. Debate ensued. The motion did not prevail.

Marshall Bailey, a Richmond District youth member to conference, offered an amendment to change the number of accommodations from 750 to 1,000. Many youth events already have over 750 attending their events. John Clarke responded from the task force that it had looked at numbers and had to have somewhere to draw a line. The dollar figures begin to escalate. You have to increase bathrooms, meeting rooms, etc. 750, pragmatically speaking, was as high as they could go. Steve Hassmer proposed to table the whole report to have time to look at numbers. The table proposal failed. Susan Garrett proposed to delete the numbers (750 in part 1 and $8-$9 million in part 3) to give the VUMAC board more leeway to most effectively use the space.  A written ballot had to be taken on this proposal. The proposal failed.     

Susie Wolf gave the report of the United Methodist Publishing House. She mentioned new books available from Cokesbury. A check in the amount of $20,751.48 was donated from the Publishing House that will go to the Central Conferences Pension Fund.

Dennis Oglesby, who spoke to the Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR) banquet, brought greetings from the Minnesota Annual Conference. BMCR recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.

Click here to listen to Hudson's sermon

Trevor Hudson

The Rev. Trevor Hudson joined the conference for another sermon Wednesday morning. His reading was taken from the John 2:1-11, the story of Jesus turning the water into wine. He told the story about Billy Graham being on an airplane with a gentleman who had had too much to drink. The man approached Billy Graham and said in a loud voice, "Ladies and gentleman, I want to introduce you to the man who changed my life."

"We need to be introduced to the crisis of credibility," Hudson said. "We have a language that speaks a great deal about change, transformation, converstion, but on the other hand we don't look too changed or different or converted or transformed. Our lives reflect the anti-Christ values of our culture."

He told the story about South African leaders visit the president of the country. A government aid said, "When we came into power we promised you a new consitution. We have given that to you. You church leaders promised us new people with new hearts. Where are they?"

Hudson said, "What happens on the streets is directly related to what happens in our hearts. It's against that backdrop that I want to extend an invitation to live in the difference that God has alerady made in Jesus Christ the difference God makes amongst us.

"This explosive story in John is a story about the transforming power in Jesus Christ. This is what the Gospel is all about. Jesus is the great transformer. That's the invitation of the gospel."

Hudson talked about 1994 when they had their first democratic election. Journalists flew around the world waiting for terrible things to happen. They thought thousands of white people would be leaving the country. People stood in lines for hours to vote. They walked out of the voting booths new people.

"How would you finish the sentence, 'I've run out of....' What have you run out of? Sometimes the wine runs out of our relationships, out of our marriages."

In 1981 he was trying to build a new church. His wife left a note saying they needed to reconnect.

"Sometimes the wine runs out of congregations," he said. "Sometimes we live in a nation that runs out of wine. If the wine has run out, hear the Gospel. You are perfectly positioned for God to work in your life. Claim the promise."

"Let God be God. That is at the center of the transforming power of Jesus Christ."