General Conference, Day One, Late Afternoon

I’m tired. I admit it.

And this is just the first day, and a half day at that.

I’ve been observing/writing since early morning. I just finished writing up the first worship service with its clarion call for unity in diversity, a call that almost sent a gasp of discomfort through the room. The speaker was Bishop Warner Brown from San Francisco. He spoke strongly about our need to honor Wesley’s “catholic spirit” and hold our differences with integrity but without division.

So will we?

Agenda/calendar meetings begin at 6:30 am tomorrow. Delegation meetings begin at 7:30 am. Opening worship of each day begins at 8:00 am.

And now, delegates are wrangling with whether they will try a new method of talking with one another over the seriously complex issues. Adopting this means agreeing to “Rule 44” (there are 43 other rules of the convention before it, none of which seem to be a problem,) It is a call to leave behind Roberts Rules of Order for a limited period in order to enhance conversation and connection in these discussions over issues of serious dispute.

Of course, they have to use Roberts Rules in order to debate whether to leave behind Roberts Rules for a while. I am wondering, “Who WAS Robert anyway? WHY did he set up these rules? What kind of mind can figure out motions and sub-motions, friendly and unfriendly amendments, tabling and not tablings, etc, etc. etc.?

Yeah, we need these rules. Otherwise, there is chaos on the floor. At this point, it looks like we either plod through the discussions as we’ve always done, and probably seeing little accomplished, or trying something new.

It is my understanding that the rules of discussion are so complex that each presiding Bishop needs at least two advisers immediately at hand to help keep him/her perfectly within the system so he/she doesn’t get declared out of order.

Our team sits in the press room along with many others, all working busily away at our computers, writing, editing, getting images, proofing the work of others, coming up with ideas as to what to do tomorrow, and at the same time, listening to the discussion on the floor which is live-streamed into the press room.

I’m having internet connection problems, as are some others. Just too many of us for the bandwidth, I expect. I keep getting kicked offline, leaving me terrified that I’m going to write something that will just disappear, never to be seen again.

Will figure out a more secure way to do this tomorrow.

Okay, now a move to amend the amendment, so that rule 44 AND rule 18 are not approved. I don’t know what Rule 18 is at the moment. Have total admiration for those who do.

Will sign off now. More later. Am wondering what the brand-new, first-time delegates are thinking at this point. Bless them. They’ve got to vote on this. And there are seven minutes left in the afternoon session. Sigh.