05/29/2026
Great Plains Annual Conference Update - Day One
The trip up on Wednesday was uneventful, which is always a good thing. Pastor Phil spent the first four hours volunteering as a greeter, holding the door open and welcoming people as they came in.
There were a few workshops, gatherings, and an evening worship service on Wednesday, but the main work of Annual Conference really began Thursday morning.
While Steve Kirkeby sat through what turned out to be a very enlightening finance workshop, Janis Kirkeby was at a different hotel helping pack tens of thousands of meals with Rise Against Hunger, a program similar to Numana.
We also heard updates from friends in the Northeast Kansas District about a trip they took to Florida to learn more about “Fresh Expressions,” (https://www.umnews.org/en/news/fresh-expressions-movement-offers-hope?_gl=1*1ta39cs*_gcl_au*NDk2NzI1NDg0LjE3ODAwMTgxNjc) which is a way of thinking creatively about new forms of church and ministry in our communities.
From there, clergy and laity split into their separate sessions. Those sessions were fairly straightforward. This is where updates are shared, clergy matters are handled, and new clergy are voted on and approved.
The main business session opened Thursday afternoon with worship and communion where we raised a little hell -leluia… 🤣
From there, we moved quickly into updates and conversations about the priorities that will shape our shared work over the next few years, especially as we think about how we understand and practice connectionism across two very large states.
You will also see in some of the pictures that different speakers and presenters are being monitored during the conference. This is not about evaluating what they say, but about gathering data related to age, gender, ethnicity, and disability. It is one way the conference holds itself accountable and pays attention to whether we are hearing from the full spectrum of humanity that makes up the church.
We also took time to acknowledge two important anniversaries in the life of the church: 70 years of full clergy rights for women and 30 years of the Order of Deacons.
We heard an update on the finances of the Annual Conference. The short version is that things are good. Not perfect, but good.
Thursday evening included a few other events and activities, including choir rehearsal for Saturday’s ordination service. Pastor Phil decided to hang around, and it was pretty exciting to sing with around 100 other people and learn some new music for a couple of hours.
All in all, things are going well so far. Even at this level, the church is worshiping together, serving together, learning together, and planning together.
More updates to come.
