Call to Prayer for the 2016 General Conference

(Dr. Cory Smith) - January 1 will lead off 131 days of continual prayer for the General Conference of The United Methodist Church, which meets May 10-20, 2016 in Portland, Oregon.
 
The Council of Bishops has invited each of the 131 annual conferences to create a groundswell of prayer in the days leading up to the General Conference. Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett of the North Alabama Conference stated, “We want those attending to know that their United Methodist family is praying for them and with them–that God will lead them in the decisions that they will make for the future of our church and that the event will be a positive Christian witness in how we conference together.” Bishop Al Gwinn, who chairs the Council’s prayer subcommittee added, “We hope they will pray that God would give them an understanding and loving heart; that all will have a spirit of humility and a desire to do God’s will; and that the fruit of the Spirit would be evident in such a way that all who observe would sense that true Christian conferencing will take place.”
 
Each of the 131 Annual Conferences will take time one of the 131 Days leading up to General Conference and lead the denomination in prayer. The Alabama-West Florida Conference is scheduled to lead the denomination in prayer on January 7, 2016. We are inviting pastors, lay leaders, churches and districts to encourage prayer teams, covenant groups, Sunday School classes, Life Groups etc. to join together on January 7, 2016, for a day of prayer and fasting for God’s mercy, guidance, and discernment in the days to come.
 
Thank you in advance for sharing this opportunity to be in connection with our brothers and sister in Christ as we unite together in prayer.