Beata Ferris, alternate lay delegate for the Dakotas Conference, will attend the UMC General Conference 2020 in Minneapolis, MN.

Beata Ferris, a member of First UMC in Pierre, South Dakota, and marketing coordinator for the camp and retreat ministries for the Dakotas-Minnesota Area, is thankful to be the alternate lay delegate in 2020. Ferris feels that she will able to follow up on the work of General Conference 2019, where she attended as the lay delegate for the Dakotas Conference.
"Attending GC2019 was the most beautiful and heart-wrenching experience in my faith journey. When it came time to apply for nomination for General Conference 2020, I took the same attitude of not telling God 'no' and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through our UMC process to send me if I was called to this work," says Ferris.

Ferris will join three other members of the Dakotas delegation, Kara Togel, lay delegate, Rev. Rebecca Trefz, clergy delegate, and Rev. Sara Nelson, alternate clergy delegate, in Minneapolis, May 5-15. The delegation will join 842 delegates from across the globe to consider legislation that would impact the future of the denomination.

Tensions have increased, and several proposals have surfaced after the 2019 General Conference tightened enforcement regarding separation and the language in The Book of Discipline about the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy and clergy officiating at same-sex marriages, by adopting the Traditional Plan. Ferris hopes at General Conference 2020 that all attending would treat each other with dignity and respect, and not extend the atmosphere from St. Louis.

"I hope that our actions would reflect love, not fear," Ferris says. "That we would find a way to show the love of God and neighbor in ways that reflect who Jesus is, not what we want our church to be."

Two listening sessions will be held by the Dakotas delegation on March 15, at 1:30-3 p.m. and March 25, 7-8:30 p.m CDT. Members of the delegation will be present at Sunnycrest UMC in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Participants can join in person or participate online. Remote participants are encouraged to gather in groups at their local churches. All participants need to register to attend before each session to receive resources. 

United Methodists across the Dakotas are encouraged to prepare and participate in the 2020 General Conference in four ways:

1. Stay informed about legislation and the proceedings at 2020 General Conference. All legislation can be viewed in the Advanced Daily Christian Advocate. View the Pre-General Conference presentations. Sign up for updates and e-newsletters from the Dakotas Conference.
2. Engage in caring conversations at your local church. Resources are available to guide an open, graceful discussion. Attending one of the listening sessions, with others from your congregation, is a great way to start the conversation.
3. Volunteer in Minneapolis to greet and assist visitors at the convention center, hotels, and the airport. The Dakotas-Minnesota will host thousands of United Methodists. We want to extend radical hospitality to all who attend General Conference 2020. Sign up to volunteer, experience the global church as it gathers.
4. Participate in the General Conference Breakthrough Prayer movement. On March 26, Bishop Ough will launch a General Conference 2020 prayer. Congregations and individuals can participate virtually and are encouraged to flood their community and local church in prayer.

"I begin my day each day with a time of devotion and prayer. I pray the prayers from the last three Dakotas Annual Conference sessions written by Bishop Ough—Prayer for Lining Expectantly, Discover Joy, Live Deeply, & Dare to Reach: Live Boldly, and the prayer from last year's General Conference preparations, Praying Our Way Forward," says Ferris, "I have the prayers on cards and keep them in my journal. I have also begun holding the books of reports and proposed legislation and the handbook for delegates that all delegates have received while I pray. I pray for the names of all the delegates and for our hearts and minds to be open to each other and the movement of God's Holy Spirit. I pray that we (the delegates) would have wisdom and be guided by peace and grace. I pray for the people of the Dakotas that we would have God's peace and calmness surround us and fill us as we wait to see how our beloved UMC will be transformed."