journeys-page

It is that time of year once again. This week, all United Methodist Ministers and at least one layperson from every parish in Nebraska and Kansas will gather for Annual Conference at the convention center in LaVista, NE. At Annual Conference, Bishops have asked the same basic questions for generations: “How many ministers are retiring? How many wish to be ordained into full connection? How many people have been drawn into the saving action of the church this year? There are four days and nights of questions and answers. Pastor Anny, I, and LeEllen Haynes will represent our church this year. We will read all the notebooks full of reports. We will worship, sing, pray, praise, and argue with our fellow United Methodists from all over Nebraska and Kansas. This year, there has been a Conference Zoom voting session this past week to approve the disaffiliating of approximately 150 churches from United Methodism. With those approved in September, that makes 250 churches that have left. That leaves 750 active United Methodist churches in Nebraska and Kansas. Some of the pastors of those churches have also left. Most stayed. There is grief in the loss of churches that we grew up in. Grief in the loss of colleagues we’ve worked beside for years. There is also hope that we can move on from this 50-year conflict over the equal treatment of LGBTQ+ folks in the church. This year the annual Pastor’s Golf Outing will be on Tuesday. This year it is in memory and honor of my Dad, Rev. Gil Karges. Dad and former Trinity Senior Pastor Jay Vetter were known to start each day of the annual conference at sunrise at a local golf course. It will be fun to golf with my brothers, Rev. Todd Karges & Rev. Casey Karges. I have been at the Annual Conference almost every year since I was 12. My Dad was Lay Delegate for the Albion church, then a candidate for ministry, and finally an Elder. Every year we would load up the camper and head to Lincoln to set up at the campground by Superior Street and the interstate. I bought my first New English Bible (with the money I made cleaning out the dairy barn) at the Cokesbury Bookstore, that’s always set up at Annual Conference. I attended Youth Annual Conference through High School and participated in the annual Youth Worship Service for those years. Many of the same people are lay delegates to the Annual Conference year in and year out. And even though we add a new crop of pastors each year, the retired pastors still come. So for me, it’s like a family reunion. Even if I don’t know the names, the faces are still familiar, like distant relatives you only see once a year. I thank you for your prayers for us this week. We will feel them as we sit, walk, talk, sit, eat, sing, and pray this week at Annual Conference. Grace & Peace,