I found many highlights at our Annual Conference Session this year, when ministers and lay leaders of all our United Methodist churches in CA-NV gathered for worship, visioning, and planning for this year ahead. Bishop Sandy’s sermons were empowering, inspiring, and on the mark as our Christian call to action in this political world. We came forward to remember our baptism, celebrated innovative ministries, and transformed the staff structure to respond to God’s call. We also voted for high-powered, culturally diverse delegates to our Western Jurisdiction and General Conference.

Part of our CA-NV Methodist conference last week was about becoming more “vile” and “generally scandalous” (founder John Wesley’s words) by standing for the Gospel with people outside comfortable circles and reputable folk. Bishop Sandy Olewine preached on “Baptism as Risky Business.” Later, Ashley Brogan spoke about Wesley among the coal miners and field workers. Steve Harper’s booklet, a gift to us all, spoke of our identity with five marks of “ordinary holiness.” Powerful!

This year is the 70^th anniversary of women’s ordination in The United Methodist Church. I was ordained 51 years ago, just the 10^th woman in this Annual Conference, and the earliest clergywoman present at Conference this year. There was plenty of prejudice and discrimination against women back then, but also deep community among the few of us. In 1975 there were only 300 clergywomen across our global denomination, when we first gathered in Nashville, TN.

One display I look for every year at our CA-NV Annual Conference Session is Mission Handcrafts. They are United Methodists who work with indigenous peoples in different countries around the globe and provide fair-trade items. Originally a partnership with Bolivian artists, they’ve now expanded. This year I delighted in a shawl from Guatemala and a caftan from India.

This year our Annual Conference re-crafted our vision, reassigned staff functions, and supported new, innovative ministries. New teams of District Superintendents have emerged, sharing ministry discernment and geographic miles. Altogether, there is great hope and strong faith as we move into the future.