 At this point, we're going to hear a report from the delegation, from the lead lay delegate and the chair of the delegation, Clayton Olyphant, our clergy delegate. So Kelly Carpenter and Clayton Olyphant. Again, Clayton is the clergy lead delegate, the chair of the delegation this time, and Kelly is the lead lay delegate. Did I get that right? I know I did. Thank you, Bishop. Thank you so much. It's a joy to be with you all this morning. This afternoon, and thank you for your time. I'm a member of Union Coffee and also a lay delegate, as the Bishop has mentioned. I just want to speak to a few things, some of a reminder. The delegation that you elected in 2019 remains mostly the same and hard at work. We had a couple of changes. Originally, Daniel Solis, one of our lay reserves, had to resign for health concerns and then pursued a ministry as a local pastor. And then last year, the now reverend, Carrie Lynn Lucas, was commissioned as an elder in 2020 and will interview for ordination in full connection next year, most likely. And Carrie Lynn continues to work with us as a part of the delegation as we've done with others in these strange seasons of delegation work that carry on through a lay to clergy transition. Thus being Linda Parks, who was our first elected reserve lay delegate, will move into that jurisdictional lay delegate role when we do have a conference. The postponed 2020 general conference is scheduled for 2022. August 29 through September 6 of 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota is the current date. There are still many arrangements being addressed by the Commission on General Conference and many others throughout our church, such as global vaccination access, and the challenges of acquiring visas into the United States for that gathering. As I've learned is the culture of the North Texas delegation, we have been hardworking. We have continued to meet regularly, monthly, even more sometimes through much of our time together and we will continue to do that to prepare for general conference and jurisdictional conference that following November of 2022. And so just as a reminder of the past, nothing has convened since the 2019 special session. And so plans such as the protocol, the Christmas Covenant, things that are getting more conversation than others will still be on the docket for 2022. And also this is the convening of what would have been a full session of general conference in 2020. And therefore all of the legislation across all 13 committees is still before us. And as delegates, we are working through those, we have divided them among us so that we can each take a deeper dive and then work as a team together to inform and collaborate as we go through the conferences. We are grateful for all of your support for conversations. It is a blessing and honor and humbly we serve in these roles. Repeat the date again of general conference. Yes. So the postponed 2020 general conference currently scheduled for August 29th through September 6th of 2022. Can I, do you mind if I ask y'all a question? This is not the number of days that we normally have for general conference. Am I correct? That's my understanding. So they're going to go through all the legislation. Are y'all willing to work 24 hours a day? We'll do what we need to do. I think everybody needs to know how hard the delegation is working. The reason I'm asking the question is because this is a fewer day fewer days in session. And so generally the first week is for the committees to do their work. So this will leave less time. But every piece of legislation because of adopted, I think in 2016, maybe 2012 is that every piece has to be presented, which makes it even more challenging and difficult. It's the breadth of the preparation work that I have learned since being on the delegation since 2016 is that it's not just the content of the legislation, which in and of itself is a feat. But also how do you prepare? How do you make it through the days? What is the schedule? How do you prepare physically and mentally, spiritually for all of that, which you're garnered with in those days? I really asked the question because I don't think that many of us understand how hard the delegation works in North Texas. So thank you. I'm sorry, Clayton. I didn't mean to interrupt y'all's deal, but I'm still sort of... It's your prerogative. I generally don't do it. But I guess what I'm saying is I'm trying to figure out and I keep asking this question of others, how do you intend to get this done in less time? I think it's going to be very challenging compared to previous general conferences to accomplish all that is before us. I do want to say a word about our delegation and how hard working they are and many delegations I know from around the country have ceased meeting. They've not been meeting during this interim time. Our delegation has met monthly and I want you to know that that we've continued to meet to try to stay informed. We have core values that we've established as a delegation of respect, integrity, authenticity, and preparedness. And we intend to be the best prepared delegation in the United Methodist Church as we go forward to try to make a difference. I will tell you that we're not all of one mind on every single issue. We have lively debates and discussions just as you do in your own local churches. But we have a respect for each other and we strive toward that those goals of respect, integrity, authenticity, and preparedness as we do our work. I've been asked the question by lay members of various churches as well as pastors. What is going to happen? And my response is your guess is as good as mine. We don't know until we get to general conference and exactly how things will be tweaked and what will all be before us. I've been asked this question. What should we be doing? Well, I would encourage you to have conversations within your local churches. You know, we can have uncomfortable conversations with people with whom we disagree on issues and in the context of Christian community, we can do that. And as we do that, we can learn more about each other. We can learn something we didn't know before about our neighbors and their perspective. And I think that's a healthy thing that you can be doing. But I want to say this word to all of us. Do not be afraid. Do not fear. Do not fear. Jesus is Lord before, during, and after general conference. I encourage you, as we've heard throughout this conference, this theme that continues to come up through the different presentations and sermons. Let's get very clear about who we are in your local church. Get very clear about who you are and why you exist as a church, not just the things you do to get ready for Sunday. But as Phil Amerson said, the 100 year vision, what the 100 year work, why do you exist as a church? And doesn't your community need you as a church to get clear about that mission? Because the community is crying out with needs. And I think we have an opportunity at this time in our history as we are waiting what is to be to get very clear about who we are and why we exist, both individually as our churches and ministries and as a conference. I think that this is a time to double down on the mission, make disciples of Jesus Christ who are transforming the world. Let's welcome people for Christ, help people grow in their relationship with Christ, and let's go serve the world with Christ. Let's go to our community and make a difference. If we will do that and find that clarity, I think that we will all be better off. We can lower the anxiety, we can focus on the mission, and our church, our churches, and our conference will have a future. And I believe it's going to be a glorious future that God has in store for us. Let's go there together. There is a question that's appeared and y'all may want to answer this question or not, your choice. One of the key pieces of legislation that will be presented is the protocol of reconciliation, grace through separation. What is the current conversation that General Compance delegates, and I assume they're going to meet our General Compance delegates and not, and there's no way of us knowing that kind of thing regarding that particular piece of legislation. I would say that our delegation has endorsed the Christmas Covenant, which embraces regionalization of decision-making, and we think that's a viable future for the church. The protocol has some issues, but I think there's a general feeling of affirmation for some of the aspects of the protocol. So I would say that we're not of one mind, but I think there's a general appreciation for the protocol, but we think that the Christmas Covenant. And here's what I would encourage you to do is read the actual legislation, and not what your friend on Facebook says about the legislation, but actually read the legislation, because I think there's some real value in that. So I just encourage you to do that. I'm going to follow up with this. I would say there's a lot, there's much material that's being sent to persons related to legislation, and when I read some of the material that is sent, it really does not accurately reflect what is said. And so one of the things I'm sure that the delegation will do, I know that we had several inquiries about this related from clergy and the annual conferences. Okay, so at some point we need to know more. And so that's a conversation we will have. I know that the delegation will do that. And I think I don't, I'm sort of like the church, as I am the political realm right now, just be careful about who we listen to or what we read. So let's get it firsthand from those folks who know the legislation, which will be the delegation, and listen to their explanations and they're saying, I'm sure they'll do some listening tours. But I said this in the official address yesterday, that there's a lot of certainty, but not much clarity. And there's a lot of alleged certainty that is not accurate about what is actually in some of the legislation related to the future of the church. In the absence of information, there's a lot of speculation. And speculation tends to spiral in a way that is not always healthy. And we will, as a delegation, have listening opportunities and ways that we can share information and listen to you as a conference in the coming year, in the 15 months between now and general conference. So hear that. It's 15 months. I think we ought to all take a break on it and do the work that we're really called to do. And we can take up the general conference information at time in a timely way at the appropriate and right times. As I said yesterday, that I thought the pandemic would have cooled things off some. I mean, so many people were and then all of a sudden realize it was a way in which people, we didn't know what, but some may have been doing in terms of disinformation. Do you want to give the date for the jurisdictional conference as well? A jurisdictional conference will be held in November of 2022. We have those exact dates, but just early, early November of 2022 at that time, we will elect new bishops for the jurisdiction, assign bishops, and those appointments will take place on January 1st of 2023, which means we get to have Bishop Mike McKee until that time. So we're very blessed by that. So I have the actual dates, the actual dates of the jurisdictional conference. I do not know the place yet. It may still be where it was going to be. This is the postpone jurisdictional conference. You put this on your calendar, November 2nd through November 5th. And that is Tuesday through Wednesday, so the consecration service to the new bishops, newly elected bishops on November the 5th. I will say that this is an unusual week. Joan is so appreciative that either the council of bishops or something like this always happens, that her birthday always happens during these kinds of events. Anyway, so it'll be a great birthday gift when she figures out who's going to come here anyway. I want to thank you, Kelly, Clayton, and all the delegates who are working hard at this. I know this is really difficult and challenging work. And some of us in this room have been delegates before. I think we're now at a moment in our church's life and in our church's future where this is even more challenging than ever before. And so I would only ask that you pray for our delegation and Matt Jacobs listening up in the booth somewhere. Let's run an article again about who our delegates are so that they can be contacted. But mostly so that you can pray for them. I think that's really, really important for the coming days. And let's just give some space while we continue to work on the future of the North Texas conference and the things that are happening here. And we have much work to do rather than spend a lot of time talking about this for the next 15 months. But I know that it's important. I'm not discounting that at all. And so I just wanted to highlight that. So thank you. Thanks, Kelly. Thanks, Clayton.