Q&A: Alice Rogers Reflects on the 10-days in Fort Worth
Friday, May 02, 2008 – As General Conference neared the end of its final day, clergy delegate Alice Rogers spoke to Sybil Davidson about the last 10 days.
Sybil: Last week we started with the major addresses, Episcopal, Youth, and Laity. It seemed to kick the meeting off with a lot of enthusiasm.
Alice: I think it helped to start on such a high energy level. The speeches were so positive. They reminded us of our mission as a church—to make disciples of Jesus Christ. And that constant call from the very beginning, that reminder of who we are as a people of faith, kept me reminded that when we leave here we’re still about our mission. We’re here right now to handle the legislation of our church, but when we leave here our call is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Sybil: Do you feel good about General Conference 2008 went from there?
Alice: Yes. I have a lot of conviction about that. I come from a large family. We don’t always agree about everything, but we sat around the table and we would debate all sorts of things. Even though we disagreed, we love each other, we care about each other. And it really feels like that here.
I’ve been thinking about that today, since today is the last day. This is a big family and people have different ideas about how to go about living out our faith and following the mission of the church.
This is my third General Conference and this time more than ever, I felt like the debates have been respectful and caring. And that people have put their respect for each other first without giving up their fundamental convictions. People are going to leave here and things won’t have gone their way, but the family came to the table, had a conversation, took a vote, and agreed to go forth and live our covenant together.
Sybil: Is there anything else that stood out to you this year?
Alice: I think this has been an excellent delegation. We have our 28 different voices all sitting there together at two long tables having conversations. That has really helped me.
And to have us all spread out in different committees to report those conversations so that we can overhear larger conversations through one another has been very helpful. If we only think in our own context it’s a danger. So by working together, we might see things a little differently and by talking with other delegations, we might see things a little differently.
Also, before we left, Wiley Stephens gave a devotional about not mailing in our vote and I took that to heart. It’s a matter of being willing to listen and willing to speak up.
Sometimes you see things in a different context and you learn something and you might even change your mind. That type of conversation happens as you’re out here getting cookies.
Sybil: What is the feeling you have leaving today?
Alice: I really am so proud to be a United Methodist. Because, as painful as some of it is for people who come here and have not necessarily had things go their way, we still sat down and talked. And I think if people could come here to see how that debate takes place, they would be proud too.
The presenters, especially the bishops, have reiterated over and over again our three general rules that for most of my life as a United Methodist were not lifted up. They are in our Discipline and have been there since John Wesley. They are so simple. Do good. Do no harm. Stay in love with God. They have kept those in front of us like a flag the whole General Conference. We keep hearing that mantra, and as we make decisions we’re keeping it in mind. However complex the question, we can say fundamentally, this is what we do. We don’t want to do any harm. We want to do good. And we want to stay in love with God. It’s so simple.