Bishops Haskins, Snyder Team Preach at Opening Celebration, Challenge the Denomination to 'Move into the Neighborhood'

All photos by Willard Frost. Click the image above to view today's photo essay.

Saturday evening's opening celebration featured welcoming remarks by SPU President Philip Eaton, team preaching by Bishops Roger Haskins and Richard Snyder, and music led by David Hicks, General Conference worship team leader.

The audience was immediately reminded of GC 2003's theme verse, taken from The Message, John 1:14: "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish."

Both bishops stayed "on theme," exploring several facets of the intentional challenge built into the name and spirit of General Conference 2003, and reminding one and all of the work ahead — both here in succeeding days and over the four years that lie ahead of us before we reconvene.
[See Haskins, Page 2 and Snyder, Page 3]

Business Sessions Begin

Saturday afternoon, the First Sitting of GC 2003 convened under the chairmanship of Bishop Richard Snyder. During this brief opening session, delegates received initial instructions about voting procedures, fixed the bar for the conference and approved the Rules of Order for the remainder of their sessions. To test the computer system that will be registering their votes, delegates were asked to respond to several fun questions like, "Who is attending General Conference for the first time?" — an astounding 40 percent!

Bishops, Executive Directors
Host Town Meetings [Page 4]

In Concert
Sunday evening's celebration/worship service featured a special concert by Christian recording artist Babbie Mason. [See Concert, Page 4]