Every year, usually in May or June, United Methodists around the world gather together in their areas at meetings called "conferences". For the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference, our 2017 meeting was held June 15-19th at the Denver Tech Center Marriott. The business of the annual conference is to attend to legislation that affects the General Church and the Annual Conference, to vote on ministry candidates and officially read the appointments for the year, to remember those who passed during the past year at a memorial service, to offer training and luncheons and presentations and awards. And truthfully, much of it leaves you in tears (of boredom).

But this year I teared up for other reasons. Like reconnecting with a family from my first pastoral appointment in Central City, and hugging them and talking to them like 8 years hadn't passed. Or sitting with a layperson from Grace in Cheyenne, where I used to serve, and crying over the passing of her daughter this past December. Or watching two beautiful women named Vette and Leah, both of whom I supervised as ministry interns in Wyoming, be commissioned as provisional elders in the UMC. Or watching our new Bishop sing and dance in the Spirit, calling all of us to create Beloved Community and to stand in unity with our brothers, sisters and siblings in Christ. These moments were precious gifts, and I left the 2017 Annual Conference session with much more hope about our denomination than going in.

Annual Conference reminded me that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves, and renewed my hope in God's people, the church.