Report on the 2009 Annual Meeting

Well, to be honest, enough time has passed that I should be able to make this short and sweet!

I must start by sharing a comment made by members of the AM Planning Committee during our September “debrief” meeting. It was said that, “It felt like I had nothing to do at Annual Meeting.” That really is an amazing testament to the preparation for AM that had already taken place. We had a stellar crew on the Committee and they did a superior job of making all the parts fit just right. In my seven years with the Committee, I had not encountered its members milling round trying to look busy J. We were blessed by not only preparing for, but having the opportunity to participate in this year’s event, a rare one indeed!

One of the sharpest transitions we encountered this year was in worship. We had “old” songs with new lyrics. We had “new” songs with old melodies. We even managed to dance and raise our arms in worship of our Creator! We were loud (were we ever!) and we were silent. The weaving of Conference business items into the liturgy has proven to be a big hit. I pray we may continue to make our “business” a praise offering to God.

I’ll give you one example of how “laid back” our time was at Lyndon. During Lynn’s State of the Conference Address, she referenced the work that had been done since her arrival. What made the delegates giggle and caused Lynn to ask, “What are you laughing at?”, was Lynn’s’ comment that the past nine YEARS had flown by. Now, we aren’t sure if the nine months Lynn had actually been our Conference Minister just SEEMED that long, or if the relationship and wisdom of our choice bore early fruit. I suspect the later.

We were not disappointed by any of our special guests. Felix’s energy and passion for all things UCC was infective. There were times we believed he was going to do a “mosh pit” dive into the crowd, he was so energetic! He inspired us to believe in ourselves while tempering that esteem with the knowledge that we can all do better at discipleship.

I must share a personal note. It was enchanting for me to see the look on Felix’s face each time he glanced in the direction of his new bride! They chose to come to Vermont together to continue their honeymoon and blessed us by our part in that. We did nearly lose them for a night though. They disappeared after an evening plenary only to resurface the next morning in time for Felix’s closing remarks. I did mention they were on their honeymoon, right?

I would like to close by sharing my love for this event and the Vermont Conference. It was an exotic journey through all the transitions and considerations that go into the life of this wonderful place. We are blessed to bask in our diverse unification each year at Annual Meeting. I want to thank each of you who suggested, assisted, and participated in this journey. May God bless us all as we continue on!

Peace,
Mike Ford
Chair, Annual Meeting Planning Committee