World Conference 2007: Share Christ, Share Peace, is just around the corner. I can hardly wait til the end of March when we gather as global family and community. A community made up of many different cultures and traditions, with many different understandings about faith, and yet united in mission and call. And yet, in the midst of the excitement to be with my sisters and brothers from around the globe, much rests upon my mind.
The first World Conference I attended was in 1988. I do not remember much of the conference, rather I remember being given a tie-tac, and the ramps in the Auditorium, and that’s about it. Thus my first experience of attending conference that I can truly recall, was also the first time I was a delegate, and my second conference, in 2002. I served once more as a delegate in 2004, and at the called conference of 2005.
The main thing that I am wrestling with has its foundation in my experiences during these three past conferences, though influenced by other things also. It has been relit by the information thus far produced about the 2007 World Conference. That is the need to be of global nature, not of regional nature in the legislation, and also the opportunities to experience the many cultures in which Community of Christ is lived.
As I have thought and rethought these words of scripture presented to the church in 2004 keep coming to mind:
Listen carefully to the many testimonies of those around the world who have been led into the fellowship of the Community of Christ. The richness of cultures, the poetry of language, and the breath of human experience permit the gospel to be seen with new eyes and grasped with freshness of spirit. That gift has been given to you. Do not fail to understand its power.
Doctrine and Covenants 162:4a
and
Listen together to one another, without judgment or predisposition. Do not assume that the answers to matters of conflict have yet been perceived. There is much labor to be done. Reason together in love, and the Spirit of truth will prevail.
Doctrine and Covenants 162:5c
Also I think words from a sermon of President Ken Robinson where he spoke of the global nature, and the man made divisions, and needing to move past them. (Then later in that same conference we did divided up by those man made divisions to discuss topics… ah that’s another topic though.) all impact my thoughts and reflections on this issue.
At World Conference during the legislative sessions we primarily use Robert’s Rules of Order with some modification. While these parliamentary procedures do their job, they do not allow us to fully “Listen carefully to the many.” Yes, the First Presidency has when the top of the queue is filled with people from one particular region of the world, pulled from lower on the queue voices from other areas to help bring balance, however this does not truly lead us to hear one another and carefully listen. Nor does it provide us with the opportunity to carefully reflect upon the joys and concerns of those various voices before we must vote. Nor with this practice do we necessarily hear the vast multitude of voices. For from the queue, the First Presidency can not easily go “Without objection I would like to call a younger voice, or an older voice, or a married voice, a single voice, a divorced voice, a voice of one whom their culture calls disabled, a rich voice, a poor voice, an inner city voice.” They are limited to calling unheard voices by delegation and name. (unless the queue lists other information beyond that, which maybe it does… who knows, not I). Even if enough of the varying voices are heard on the floor to give us the global picture, do we truly have the time to discern and reflect upon those voices before someone calls the question? I think the answer is no. We make due, but vote without truly being able to listen.
There is no way in a limited period of time to year the 250,000 or so voices that make up the church. But there must be a way for us to hear our sisters and brothers better, and to reflect on the various joys, concerns, and implications that legislation brings about in the vast cultures where Community of Christ is expressed, and the various laws of various governments which we must work under. I have expressed a possible idea to a few people when preparations for conference started several months ago. In the past few weeks however, it has been on my mind even more. Monday night I planned on going to bed early (around 8pm). However I was unable to, I had to get something out and the result was a proposed resolution to help us “Listen carefully to one another.” I don’t know how feasible it would be, and it probably needs a lot of rewording to work, but it has been written. If anyone likes the idea, wishes to rewrite it and submit it to their MC conference, or to one councils, quorums, orders of the church, or to one of the caucuses or mass meetings at conference, feel free to. I doubt that I will, as I am not sure if I am ready for that stretch, I am unsure I could refine in enough to satisfy me, and I would need to get it to my “official” home congregation, have them vote on it and if they approved it, it would have to be turned into the MC by Oct 2. So not a lot of time to play with. So here is my concern, my thoughts and reflections in the form of a proposed resolution:
Reflection on Conference Resolutions
Whereas Community of Christ is a faith community made up of members coming from a wide range of life experiences, cultures and living under many different political structures, and
Whereas legislation brought forth to World Conference raises various joys and concerns among the members do in part to the vast diversity found in Community of Christ, and
Whereas various implications can arise in the various cultures and under the various governments where the ministry of Community of Christ is expressed, and
Whereas Section 162 of the Doctrine and Covenants in part states: “Listen carefully to the many testimonies of those around the world who have been lead into the fellowship of Community of Christ” and to “Listen to one another without judgment or predisposition.” And
Whereas there is a limited time to hear the various voices during World Conference, especially when many items are on the agenda, and
Whereas do to time restraints and the nature of legislative sessions there is often not time for delegates to carefully reflect upon the joys and concerns expressed by those from with different life experiences and from different cultures before a vote is taken, and whereas
The portion of the membership unable to be at conference have an even smaller opportunity to hear the various voices, and
Whereas, Legislation is due to the First Presidency and provided to the church for reflection prior to the start of World Conference, with the exception of that initiated during conference,
Therefore, in order to aid in the communal discernment process be it hereby
Resolved: That the Council of Twelve Apostles be hereby charged with the task of developing reflections on the legislation brought forth to the World Conference, excluding items of conference procedure, sustaining of officers, calls…, expressing the various joy and concerns and possible implications the legislation has throughout the various fields of the church, and be it
Resolved: That these reflections are provided to the delegates of World Conference and the Church as a whole no later than the first day of World Conference, and be provided in at least the main three languages of the church, and be it further
Resolved: That for legislation introduced during a conference by the various orders, councils, quorums, mass meetings and caucuses, no reflection is required, and be it
Resolved: If approve the first reflections would be expected no later than the first day of the next World Conference, currently anticipated to be in held in 2009.
So there it is…
Peace be with you,
— Lyle II