“Dress in layers. It is always colder than you expect.” This is the most important piece of advice that Rev. Ryan Mutzenberger, Chair of the Conference Sessions Committee and Pastor at Madison United Methodist Church (Edina) has for people attending annual conference this year.

When the conference session of the Dakotas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church rolls around June 6-8 at the Ramkota Inn Convention Center in Bismarck, North Dakota  there will be few changes in format from previous years. The content and conference leader, however, will be fresh.

“I'm enthusiastic about a new era with a new bishop,” says Rev. Muzenberger.

What will conference feel like with Bishop Bruce Ough, who leads the Dakotas-Minnesota Episcopal Area? “My style is collaborative,” says Ough. His priorities for this conference include “grounding everything we do in worship and praise of God,” celebrating the work of the Holy Spirit in and through us, and equipping clergy and laity “to be more fruitful and faithful leaders of the United Methodist movement in the Dakotas and beyond.”

One way that leaders will be equipped to be more faithful and fruitful is through the Journey Towards Vitality. “The Dakotas Conference is on an intentional journey to becoming a more faithful and fruitful expression of the Kingdom of God,” states Bishop Ough. “It is a journey that creates a platform upon which we can see the Promised Land. Along the way, all of us – conference leaders, pastors, lay leaders and congregations -- will need to engage, face into an uncharted future, and ‘rethink church.’”

Conference speaker

Bishop Ough got to know the conference speaker, Rev. Sue Nelson Kibbey, in West Ohio Conference when she worked at Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church. After a few years, he asked her to join conference staff as the Director of Missional Congregations. He hopes Dakotas session attendees have their ears open to what she brings. “I hope conference members will pay particular attention to the activities and teaching that will develop our theme on unleashing bold spiritual leaders,” he says. “I will be asking all conference participants, and every one of our churches, to join me in an Unleashing New Life Prayer Movement.” As part of that movement, says Ough, “I am praying that people will pay attention to our missional efforts, such as the proposal to cultivate resources to expand our efforts to reach new people though new congregations.”

“I expect conference to be a fun, joyful, provocative, moving spiritual experience of the gathered community,” says Bishop Ough. He hopes people leave conference feeling all were honored and celebrated for their participation, and knowing that “I have a sense of humor.”

In light of that, will he be wearing the notorious tie whose sharply contrasting diagonal stripes lit up the Twittersphere during General Conference last year? The Bishop's response: “yes.” See whether he comes through by following the #dac13hashtag on Twitter during session.