June 23, 2004
Old buzzards at General Conference
That is a really neat thing they
do—awarding a medallion for ministers with 40 and 50 years of 
ministerial
service. Cool! They even set aside a section of seats for
them up front and honored them by panning the camera down their faces. Quite a bunch of old
buzzards. Of course on thinking
that I then calculated my own numbers.
Gee, I’ll be in the 40 years of service group next generation
conference. YIKES! How did that happen
so quick—seems only a few years ago I started as pastor of that little country
church in Point Phillips,
I wonder when my
generation—the “Boomers” will retire?
I’m guessing about 75, or even later in some cases. The younger ministers won’t like that—for we
boomers are such a huge population that we’ll control all the leadership jobs
in the church for an extra 15 or 20 years—but get ready young ens’ -- it is coming.
I bet boomers will delay their retirement until about 75 and in the mean
time they’ll collect their salary plus on top of that they’ll rake in both
their Social Security and pension while continuing to work, enabling them the
finally save up for their delayed retirement—say somewhere around the mid (or
late?) 70’s Of course boomers have had
plenty of 
models from
the “Greatest generation” or “WWII generation” of late retirement. General Superintendent Lee Haines is probably
the best recent example, and now Earle Wilson joins him. They are top-level models of delaying
retirement into the 70’s. In Wesleyan
education we have President Chamberlain of Houghton or people like Professor
Wilbur Williams and Marj Elder of IWU. Of course there are plenty of DSs who are examples of 70’s retirement. These are not “boomers” but the preceding
generation to us. They are giving we boomers a model to follow. The notion of “going out while I’m on top”
is not going to happen to boomers.
Boomers will be quite willing to “go over the hill” a bit and go out “on
their way down” the other side. Of
course, being boomers we will never admit we’re on the other side of the
hill—we’ll all tell each other how sharp we still are. So if you are part of generation X or Y and
you aspire to leadership—don’t expect many spots to open up for you…not for a looooong time. Just
look at the age of this crowd here.
I was thinking today of that time back in the early
1980’s when I was the denomination’s director of youth. We had had a few area conventions who had
some music “on the fringe” in content, style and loudness. My supervising GS “urged” me 
to apologize in front of the General Board
for this “excessive music.” I did
apologize into the written record and sure enough—the threats from some
districts to boycott all future conventions dissipated. Today, about 20 years later that style is the
soup de jour for the General
Conference. Of course, nobody was
required to apologize—only early adopters have to do that. Music styles change and the early adopters
always get in the frying pan. However
what is “excessive”
for the young people at a youth convention and even causes DBAs
to write a “unanimous resolution of protest regarding the of music at the
recent youth convention” will some day become the standard musical fare for the
grown ups at General Conference. I’m
glad I apologized—it took the heat off.
I was in so much trouble then that I think I might have even meant
it.
June 17, 2004 – What I’m interested in at General
Conference
Last day I’m near a computer for a while. Tomorrow morning I head to the General
Conference of the 
I’m looking forward to seeing many friends again, though there are a few items of business I’m interested in. Here’s my list I give when someone asks, “What’s coming up at General Conference.”
1. Will someone move the solo-GS thing…and how many votes can they get?(#337)
2. Will they discuss the delegate formula or by then will everyone be happy with the study committee?(300)
3. Will the community membership voting thing get anywhere? (115)
4. Will they make a new Spiritual Formation Department?(339)
5. Who will they elect to lead Spiritual Formation, or the unmerged departments if it doesn’t fly?
6. And since all other incumbents will be re-elected I suppose I’ll watch the numbers… how close to 100% they get.
I’ve attended every general conference since 1945 except two—the 1968 merger conference and the last one (2000) when I was hiding to prove I really was “out of the running.” I’m really anticipating this one—I have great friends in The Wesleyan Church and I want to see them this coming week.
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