06 Feb General Conference: Hondurans Set a High Standard

I enjoyed attending General Conference in January. I thought it went very well.

Every country, regardless of size, sent two delegates to Honduras. That was a change from before, when the number of delegates was based on size. It was healthy that the United States church agreed to that change. If the United States had come with far more delegates than any other conference, it would have been hard to see each other as partners. Instead, we were just one among equals.

We shared ideas and information about what was happening in our separate countries. We all wanted to support, learn from, and cooperate with each other.

Delegates from Canada and Jamaica were interested in the materials we are developing for clusters. I told them, “If it applies to your situation, great. You know what works for your people.” It’s good when we can create a resource and share it.

The Hondurans were warm and gracious hosts. They set a high standard for a host nation, particularly with the opening service, which both wrapped up their national conference and launched the international meeting.

We didn’t talk about where to hold the next General Conference in 2013. However, I suspect it’ll be a while before we come back to the United States. The visa problems people had were all American issues. I’d like to continue going to other countries, as long as cost isn’t prohibitive. I look forward to the next meeting in three years, wherever we end up.