COR Leadership Institute

I'm in a sermon seires called What Makes a Methodist (for those concerned with technicalities I omitted the word "United" before "Methodist" because most of what we're talking about is common to all the denominations that come out of John Wesley's work). Last Sunday the focus was on the Connection. How appropriate that the sermon came just two days after Church of the Resurrection's Leadership Institute. I've been there probably 5 times before and it's always good. This one seemed like the best to me. I really appreciated the messages from Adam Hamilton and from Jim Wallis. The workshops were great. Closing worship was amazing. I thought the best part of all, though, was the simple fact that 500 churches and 1,600 people would gather together from around the nation to work together for a common purpose, making disciples for Jesus Christ. I think this is exactly what John Wesley would want for an Annual Conference (meaning the annual meeting, not the organizatoinal unit). I think it is a partial fulfillment of Jesus' prayer "that they may be one as we are one". I pray the spirit of cooperation and collegialilty will continue.