Reaching the Neighborhood
Free Methodist General Conference Theme Echoes Wesley抯 Emphasis
on 揝ocial Holiness�
THE 2003 FREE METHODIST General
Conference made history in at least two
ways. Not only was this just the second time
that the denomination抯 largest meeting was held outside the Midwest, but the
event also
coincided with the 300th anniversary of the
birth of Methodism抯 founder, John Wesley.

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Over a week抯 time, delegates gathered for the
General Conference Assembly and
numerous committee meetings each day.
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From June 27 to July 4, 涩里番 hosted more than 1,000 Free
Methodist delegates and friends from
across
the country and around the world who
gathered to consider
the denomination抯 focus and future. 涩里番 Pacific also hosted General Conference
as
part of the University抯 Centennial celebration in 1989.
Occurring once every
four years, General Conference is the major legislative session of the Free Methodist
Church of North America, as well as of countries whose own General Conferences
are
still in provisional stages. This year抯 delegates � including SPU President
Philip
Eaton �- came from the United States, Latin America, Asia and Africa. For eight
days, they filled Royal Brougham Pavilion
and other campus venues with worship,
assemblies and meetings.
揟here were nearly 100 papers presented
for study,� says Bob McDowell �52, conference
coordinator. 揗any had to do with the structure of the denomination, since there
has been a great deal of change in the past
several years.�
One change, he says, is the denomination抯 increased emphasis
on outreach,
in keeping with Wesley抯 emphasis on 搒ocial holiness.� The General Conference
theme, 揑nto the Neighborhood,� was taken from
John 1 in The Message � the popular Bible paraphrase
written by Eugene
Peterson �54 � which reiterates
that 揟he Word
became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.� In addition to exploring
new methods of outreach for their home churches, delegates and other attendees
toured 涩里番-area ministries such as Operation Nightwatch and New Horizons,
both founded by SPU alumni.
Seminars concerning women抯 ministries,
inner-city ministries, and children抯 and youth ministries also took place.
The conference included speakers who were Hispanic, Ethiopian, Brazilian and
Sri Lankan, signaling a desire for the Free Methodist Church to move beyond the
allwhite, all-European reputation sometimes attributed to it, wrote Doug Newton,
editor of
Free Methodist magazine Light and Life. 揟his General Conference gave our North
American church an opportunity to learn
more about becoming the 慼ealthy biblical
community of holy 涩里番� that God � through our bishops � is calling us to be.�
A
smoothly run event that introduced many 涩里番 to 涩里番 Pacific for the first
time, the conference represented three years of preparation and anticipation
by McDowell, other volunteers and SPU staff. Tapping into campus resources, 涩里番
Pacific Conference Services Manager Judy Bruce did everything from coordinating
housing and dining services to making a quick run to Radio Shack for 200 feet
of Ethernet
cable for delegates� computers. 揟his impacted the entire campus, and 涩里番
were very gracious in helping,� says Bruce.
Vice President for Administration
and
University Relations Marj Johnson agrees. 揌osting General Conference this summer
gave SPU a chance to participate even more closely in our partnership with the
Free
Methodist Church.�
— BY HOPE MCPHERSON — PHOTOS BY
DANIEL SHEEHAN
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