I was on the floor twice today, although I wish the circumstances were better. Harriet McCabe from my delegation tripped and got a bloody nose during a recess, so they needed a reserve delegate on the fly, and also later at night since she needed to get some rest. She seemed to be doing well, just tired from all the commotion. I'm sure she will be fine tomorrow, which is good - Harriet is amazing, and I have really enjoyed our time together this last 10 months on the delegation.
I got up the nerve to speak twice tonight on the floor on two pieces of legislation: one that supported a study of Native American ministries, and one that would study the creation of a new United Methodist Hymnal. I was a little nervous, but I thought my points were OK. On the hymnal issue, three of the four speakers were my age or younger, which was great. Not that I am keeping score, but both of the petitions I supported with speeches passed. :)
Overall, my impression is that people like to offer amendments frivolously, and that Roberts Rules are far too forgiving for amendments, especially in a body of this side. It takes forever for someone to be recognized, walk to a microphone, state their name twice, offer an amendment, ask for a second, explain their amendment, ask for debate, hear two speeches for and against, unlimited questions, finally a vote, then the amendment passes and we still have to vote on the original thing.
Tomorrow, I may be on the floor again; one of our delegates had to go to a committee meeting that began after the 11:30 adjournment of the plenary. Lord have mercy.
Reconciling Ministries Network mobilizes United Methodists of all sexual orientations and gender identities to transform our Church and world into the full expression of Christ’s inclusive love.

John Wesley Ministered to a Gay Man?
I wanted to share with y’all an excerpt from a legal brief that RMN submitted to the Judicial Council during the trial of Rev. Beth Stroud in support of her efforts to regain her credentials as an ordained pastor within the Church. Before reading this document, I knew that Wesley actively served the poor, people in prisons, and even advocated for the abolition of slavery, but I had no idea that this man – in the early 18th century – felt called to serve and be in ministry with at least one gay man that we know of.
Amicus Curiae Brief of Reconciling Ministries Network, Inc. in Support of Respondent Rev. Elizabeth Stroud. August 25, 2005, pp. 15-16:
13. See, Snyder, Howard A. The Radical Wesley and Patterns for Church Renewal. Illinois; InterVarsity Press, 1980. 186-87. See also Snyder, Howard A. Liberating the Church: The Ecology of Church & Kingdom. Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1983. 181-194. and Carder, Kenneth L. A Bishop's Reflections. Tennessee: Providence House, 1996. 90-91,100-101,107-108.
14. See Knotts, Experiencing God's Love: A MFSA Presentation to The United Methodist Committee to Study Homosexuality, December 1989, citing V.H.H. Green and Wesley's Journal entries from Oxford, Autumn and Winter of 1732.
15. Green, Vivian Hubert Howard, John Wesley. Nelson, 1964. 32.; Green, Vivian Hubert Howard, The Young Mr. Wesley: A Study of John Wesley and Oxford. Epworth Press, 1963. 167, 178-179.
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