General Conference of Elders Meeting in Cincinnati Ohio
United Church of God, an International Association
General Conference of Elders Meeting Report
May 3, 2004—Cincinnati, Ohio
Monday morning started with the second keynote address, "A Changing World—How Will It Affect You and the Church?" by Dave Baker.
Mr. Baker gave examples of how the world is changing. Countries that were closed and seemed impossible to reach a few years ago, now are connected with the outside world, and are contacting us by e-mail. For example, a man in Laos e-mailed him and is now getting the Bible Study Course .
The world today has a growing anti-American sentiment. The United Church of God could be seen as an American church, so Mr. Baker encouraged the international elders to write articles to help make the publications more international.
Mr. Baker then listed several external threats the Church faces:
• Anti-Christian views and anti-conversion laws, not only in Islamic areas, but in Hindu and Buddhist areas as well.
• Language barriers. Mr. Baker visited a man in Myanmar (formerly Burma) who is well educated, but still didn't really understand what "unleavened" meant. More people speak Mandarin Chinese than any other language. Yet we don't have any literature in Chinese.
• Our circulation is largely English. Now 9 percent of the people of the world speak English as their native language, but by 2050 only 5 percent will.
• Persecution.
Then Mr. Baker discussed some internal threats we face:
• Lack of local leadership. As Mr. Pinelli said, we need to pray for discernment.
• Division. Can we use God's Spirit to promote unity?
Mr. Baker closed with the analogy of the amazing strength of a suspension bridge held up by cables. The thousands of intertwined wires make it incredibly strong. And in like manner the Church can be too.
Lectures and Workshops
Elders and wives attending the GCE had the option of choosing from among the following workshops and lectures Monday morning and afternoon:
Growing Kids God's Way: This workshop introduced a proven interactive 18-week program that helps parents with the challenges of child rearing. (Randy Schreiber and Gerald Hoyer)
Teaching and Motivating Youth: This workshop session explained research-proven instructional strategies and techniques that can ignite and motivate young people to develop an enthusiasm for learning and to apply the truth of God in their lives. Interactive discussion, how to use higher-level thinking questions to enhance learning and hands-on activities were a part of this workshop. (Larry Greider, Doug Horchak and Dan Salcedo)
The Roles and Rules of Confidentiality in Regards to Sensitive Issues: This workshop was designed to equip the ministry with practical advice and tools to effectively engage in some of the most complex situations that confront their ministry. (Robin Webber and Larry Darden)
Speaking Skills Development 1: Speaking, Leading and Learning Styles: This seminar explored how the minister's communication skills can be enhanced by understanding how people learn and what they expect leaders to help them achieve. (Don Ward)
Speaking Skills Development 2: Keeping Audience Attention: This workshop focused on specific tools and methods any speaker can use to hold and focus audience attention throughout his message. (David Johnson)
Conducting Church Ceremonies: This seminar discussed the use of the three ceremonies used in United (the marriage ceremony, the baptism ceremony and the blessing of little children), the wording and possible alternate uses such as renewing marriage vows, etc. (Richard Pinelli)
Dealing With Ministerial Stress: This presentation identified stress among the ministry and offered some guidelines for managing the growing challenges in the 21st-century Church. (Paul Suckling)
Living the Life of a Ministerial Wife—Part 2: The areas discussed in this workshop included: cherishing the beauty of your age, nourishing your joy, getting your body's full attention, assessing your mental strength and nurturing relationships. (Judy Servidio, DeLee Hargrove, Marian Sargent, Tanya Horchak, Evelyn Shafer and Karen Meeker)
Preparing Your Computer for the 21st Century: This session covered protecting your computer and keeping it running fast and efficient. (Richard Kennebeck and Paul Wasilkoff)
Strategies for Ailing Marriages: To effectively assist couples, ministers must properly assess the impediment in their relationships in order to help them arrive at a workable solution for their marriage to grow and be happy. (Gary Antion)
Achieving Your Heartfelt Goals: This workshop focused on developing a personal mission statement and discussed the latest trends in the creation and accomplishment of your individual or congregational goals. (Greg Thomas)
Advanced Prepare/Enrich Certification: This workshop helped participants better use the Couple Types and Family Map, learn about new inventories and improve counseling skills with couples. (Terry Snyder, professional facilitator for Prepare/Enrich Seminars)
Concluding Remarks
At the end of the GCE, Clyde Kilough gave an inspirational message about the type of people who will rise to the challenges ahead.
He said the people of God have always been vision- and mission-driven. Studies of married couples show that the happiest couples nurture and share their visions of the future. Unhappy people focus on the past.
Mr. Kilough also pointed out the importance of commitment. Our culture values choice: "Keep your options open" is commonly given advice. But as Les McCullough once said, "If you leave yourself a way of escape, sooner or later you will use it."
The calling to the ministry is a life of sacrifice. It means giving up something you want for something you want more. It's been said that sacrifice is to love, what exercise is to muscles.
Mr. Kilough encouraged his hearers to capture the vision God sets before us with commitment and sacrifice. As we focus on what is not seen, we will be able to go beyond the challenges to the ultimate goal.
Mike Bennett
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