Lay delegate unavailable for Gen. Conference

02-03-2012

Lay delegate unavailable for Gen. Conference

Because of the demands of her education, Sarah Steele, Arkansas’ second-elected lay delegate to the 2012 United Methodist General Conference, will be unable to attend the quadrennial gathering, to be held April 24-May 4 in Tampa, Fla.

Steele’s spring semester schedule conflicts with the dates of General Conference.

“Not attending GC was one of the more difficult decisions I’ve had to make, especially when I feel like I have experience that could benefit the delegation and my subcommittees,” she said.

“[But] I know that others on the delegation will represent the Arkansas Conference just as well, if not better.”

Deborah Bell, the first lay alternate to the Arkansas delegation, will serve in Steele’s place at General Conference.

Steele expects to be able to resume her duties for the South Central Jurisdictional Conference, July 18-21 in Oklahoma City. In the meantime, she plans to keep her fellow delegates in prayer while they attend “a conference so much more physically, spiritually and emotionally demanding than my finals week.”