3:30 p.m. This year's Annual Conference Session began with Clergy and Laity gathered together for Worship in Halls A-B at the Sacramento Convention Center - and the morning session ended with a State of the Conference Address by Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr. that drew a standing ovation. The Bishop's message was candid, inspirational, and a call to ministry that challenged us all in such a way that it propelled us to our feet. 

 

The entire morning session was viewable through video streaming on the REEL Witness LIVE! page, and archived so that you may bring up the video and watch it later. A video of the NothingButNets presentation by youth of the California-Nevada Annual Conference will be viewable shortly on the video library page, REEL Witness (separate from the streaming video page, REEL Witness LIVE! - see links to both above).

 

As I write, Laity Session is in progress in Halls A-B while Clergy Session is underway at the Hyatt Regency Hotel up the block (the sessions began at 1:30 p.m.). It's unfortunate that we were not able to bring those to you live! Perhaps next year we will be able to add Laity Session to the coverage of ACS.

 

Be sure to take part in the Ordination Service with us at 8:00 tonight via REEL Witness LIVE!

The Rev. Lee Williamson has been presented the 2009 Melvin Talbert Award.

 

4:30 p.m. This year the traditional Memorial Service has been expanded to include the other steps along the ministry journey, and titled "The Journey of the Saints." That service is underway as I write, with remembrance of those who have died in the past year - to be followed by commendation of service for those who are retiring. There also will be recognition of those beginning their ministry journey, from those "freshly aware of a call into pastoral ministry" (even if they are not yet attending seminary), through those who are being ordained on Saturday.

 

The constitutional amendments under consideration will be presented for discussion and vote beginning at 8 p.m. You may follow the debate via our streaming video coverage at www.cnumc.org/VIDEOSTREAM. 

 

Constitutional Amendments Balloting: Overall result: 611 ballots cast. One invalid; 610 valid ballots. "All of the amendments were affirmed by you," Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr. announced this morning. "None of them received fewer than 400+ affirmative votes. None of the items received more that 174 negative votes." The details will be available on the website later today.

 

Item 2 was removed from the Consent Calendar and has been adopted. Item 2 - 2010 Past Service Pension Rate (Pension) - was reported from Section A with 73 "yes" votes and 0 "no" votes.

 

11:41 a.m. Affirmation of Covenant Partnership with West Angola has been adopted unanimously.

 

2:54 p.m. In afternoon action:

• A hand count determined that creation of "Differently-Abled Awareness Sunday" on the fourth Sunday of October was adopted, after lengthy discussion.
• The World Council of Churches Amman Call was amended in Section (paragraphs reversed), and adopted in Plenary.

3:06 p.m. Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr. has just presented a Bishop's Award to Jerry Gleason of the Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel, California.

3:41 p.m. In commissioning mission teams, the Bishop asked for prayer about the political unrest in Fiji, which may force cancellation of his planned visit there and to Tonga this summer. 

 

 4:01 p.m. Conference Treasurer Diane Knudsen is offering the Treasurer's Report. Watch it live at www.cnumc.org/VIDEOSTREAM.

 

4:30 The second Bishop's Award has been presented to Dr. Steve Carlson of the Church of the Joyful Healer in McKinleyville.

 

Item 18, Witness to Conscience, as amended in Section, was adopted on a voice vote. The amended resolution reads: "Be it resolved that the California-Nevada Annual Conference of The United Methodist church finds the following statement on human sexuality adopted by the Church & Society II Legislative Commitee at General Conference, April 27, 2008, and also adopted by our Western Jurisdiction in July 2008 to be faithful, persuasive and prophetic:

 

"'We recognize that sexuality is God's good gift to all persons ... (continuing language as in original Item 18). Let us seek to welcome, know, forgive and love one another as Christ has accepted us, that God may be glorified through everything in our lives.'

 

"Be it further resolved that the California-Nevada Annual Conference invite other Annual Conferences and United Methodists to join with us in support of the above 'Statement on Human Sexuality.'"

 

Item 19 (Just War Resolution) has been adopted.

 

The Bishop has delayed - by 30 minutes - the start time of the reception in his honor (it now will begin at 8:30 tonight) and announced that Plenary will begin at 8 a.m. tomorrow (one half hour earlier than scheduled).

 

The 2010 Budget has been adopted.

 

The Bishop instructed: "I want you to go to your local church and enlist allies from among people who understand the value of working in a cooperative spirit." He noted, "The only apportionment that gets paid anywhere near 100 percent is the one that goes to support clergy." That's a local church responsiblity. It would appear that churches believe that when they've met that responsiblity they have fulfilled their responsibility to the Conference, he observed, and said that isn't a correct understanding.

 

"We're in a time when every local church has to pay the cost of the ministry that they need and want," the Bishop said. "We have to figure out how we keep the obligations we have when the money to meet those obligations isn't coming in." The Bishop emphasized that we must sincerely take up the task, "church by church, person by person," to convince others that "we're willing to do the things necessary to provide the things we want - or if we're not," he said, "we won't continue to budget items and make promises that we can't keep."

 

The third Bishop's Award for 2009 has been presented to ACS Agenda Chair Susan Hunn.

 

Defeated: Standing Rules change raising mileage reimbursement for volunteers.

 

Earl Armantrout is the winner of the CN Foundation’s $100 Cokesbury gift certificate.

 

Adjournment at 6:01 p.m.