Local United Methodists in the limelight at General Conference

United Methodists from Arizona have made their voices heard at the 2008 General Conference of The United Methodist Church, which wrapped up Friday in Fort Worth, Texas.

As a delegate representing the Desert Southwest Annual Conference, the church's regional division that covers Arizona and southern Nevada, ASU economics junior Devin Mauney introduced legislation to the 992-member conference and also spoke from the floor about other items.

General Conference, the only body that can officially speak for The United Methodist Church, meets every four years to revise the church's law book and issue resolutions about social issues. Wesley is a ministry of the UMC.

One of Mauney's speeches from the floor attracted praise from another college-age delegate who commented on his "creativity and passion" and said the speech "was met with wild applause."

Mauney was also profiled in the church's Daily Delegate video feature on April 29, a day that he said was "full of amendments." The video is available in Windows Media or Flash video format.

Desert Southwest's other voting delegate at the conference was Rev. Sharon Ragland, a member of Wesley's Board of Directors. Former Wesley directors Rev. Gary Kennedy and Rev. Jane Tews also attended the conference.

(From left) Tews, Ragland and Kennedy attend a rally that called for humane treatment of immigrants. (Photos courtesy of Desert Southwest Annual Conference)

Outside the convention center that hosted General Conference, ASU graduate and Wesley alum Brian Schlemmer attracted the attention of a United Methodist News Service writer during an April 26 rally.

Young people speaking at the rally — including Schlemmer, who's now a student at Drew Theological Seminary and chairs the OnFire organization — advocated for changes in the UMC's policies regarding gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

A video of Schlemmer's speech is available on YouTube.

"We are here today arm in arm waiting outside the doors, these closed doors," Schlemmer said. "We're waiting arm in arm for that day that the doors open up."

The church's law book calls homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching" and prohibits openly gay people from becoming ordained ministers. An effort to change that language failed when it came up for a vote later in the week.

Also speaking to other United Methodists in Fort Worth was Desert Southwest Bishop Minerva Carcaño, who preached the General Conference's Sunday morning sermon on April 27.

A short video clip from the sermon, entitled "A Hope Beyond Ourselves," is available in Windows Media or QuickTime format. A transcript and MP3 of the full sermon are also available.

For more information about General Conference, visit gc2008.umc.org.