When I first began this blog I asked Andrew Conard of Thoughts of Resurrection for his advice. He provided several helpful suggestions, one of which was to check out a post called Blogging 101 for Pastors by Church Communications Pro. This is a helpful series of blogs if you are thinking about starting your own, or even improving the one you’ve already got. One of the things that was highly recommended was making lists.

So, taking that advice, here are my Top 10 Highlights of this year’s Oklahoma Annual Conference:

10. One precious hour spent in Barnes and Noble.
9. Reconnecting with colleagues and friends.
8. Lots of great food.
7. The Africa University Choir
6. Gloria Jean Fenn’s election as an alternate lay delegate. (She is the wife of Phil Fenn, who was the first person to take the time to talk to me about my calling to ministry, and she is also very important to my wife.)
5. Lunch with Matt Judkins and Randy Shrauner.
4. Father/son time with my dad, who was one of the lay delegates representing New Haven UMC.
3. Hearing that, as a Conference, we raised over $77,000 to be divided between Africa University and Nothing But Nets.
2. Bishop Palmer’s sermon at the Commissioning service.
1. Finishing!

The following laity were elected as alternates:

1. Sam Aguirre
2. Janet Boone
3. Kristin Terrel-Wilkes
4. Mytrtle Clingenpeel
5. Gloria Jean Fenn

The lay delegation to Jurisdictional Conference has been set:

1. Kent Fulton
2. Paula Severe
3. Coleman White
4. Aubrey Wells
5. Carl Young
6. Fred Sordahl
7. Mona Waymire
8. Katie Mayes
9. Joanne Kurlin
10. Mary Ann Smith

The final lay delegate to Jurisdictional Conference has still not been elected.

The following five clergy have been elected as alternate delegates.

1. D. A. Bennett
2. Michael Chaffin
3. Ray Crawford
4. Craig Stinson
5. Twila Gibbens-Rickman

That concludes the election of clergy delegates.

In this round of balloting the following clergy were elected to Jurisdictional Conference:

1. Tom Harrison
2. Grayson Lucky
3. Sam Powers
4. Wade Paschal
5. Tino Espinoza
6. Robert Feist
7. James Kim
8. David Burris
9. Stan Basler
10. Patricia Malloy

This completes the clergy delegation to Jurisdictional Conference.

In this round of balloting no lay delegates were elected.

There were no more clergy delegates elected.

The following lay delegates have been elected to Jurisdictional Conference:

1. Kent Fulton
2. Paula Severe
3. Coleman White
4. Aubrey Wells
5. Carl Young
6. Fred Sordahl
7. Mona Waymire
8. Katie Mayes
9. Joanne Kurlin

On the 6th clergy ballot for Jurisdictional Conference, the following clergy were elected:

1. Tom Harrison
2. Grayson Lucky
3. Sam Powers
4. Wade Paschal
5. Tino Espinoza
6. Robert Feist
7. James Kim
8. David Burris
9. Stan Basler

The following lay delegates were elected as lay Jurisdictional Conference delegates:

1. Kent Fulton
2. Paula Severe
3. Coleman White
4. Aubrey Wells

It was just announced that over $77,000 were raised during this conference at worship services to be divided between Africa University and Nothing But Nets! Praise the Lord!

No new clergy were elected on the 5th Jurisdictional Ballot.

On the first laity Jurisdictional Ballot the following were elected:

1. Kent Fulton
2. Paula Severe
3. Coleman White

The following clergy were elected on the 4th Jurisdictional Conference Ballot:

1. Tom Harrison
2. Grayson Lucky
3. Sam Powers
4. Wade Paschal
5. Tino Espinoza
6. Robert Feist
7. James Kim