Called, Committed, and Determined

A Message from the Head of the MidSouth Delegation

Greetings, MidSouth Conference!

What a joy and privilege it is to write to you on this glorious day in the Lord!

I was asked to write this pre-General Conference article to share with you about the work your MidSouth delegation has been doing over these past 14 months as we prepare for the 2026 General Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa.

When you voted for your delegates to represent you at General Conference, you entrusted us with an incredible responsibility. I believe God used you to help determine who would represent the MidSouth Conference as we continue building our beloved Global Methodist Church and participating in this new movement of the Holy Spirit.

As I look back over these past 14 months, three words come to mind:

Called. Committed. Determined.

Called

Each person who put their name forward to serve did so because they sensed a calling—not simply because of the adventure of traveling to South Africa. We took this responsibility seriously, bathing our decisions in prayer and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Being called to serve at General Conference is a sacred responsibility. We recognize that we are not simply representing ourselves. We are representing the MidSouth Conference, the Global Methodist Church, and, most importantly, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Committed

Serving as a delegate to General Conference requires a tremendous commitment of time, energy, prayer, and preparation.

For the past 14 months, we have gathered regularly—typically on the last Tuesday of each month—to pray, learn, plan, and discuss the many matters we will encounter at General Conference. Some of our meetings have lasted two hours or more.

We have learned about Robert’s Rules of Order, how to write and evaluate petitions, the legislative process, episcopal leadership, and the many responsibilities we will have once we arrive in Johannesburg. We have discussed which legislative committees we would serve on and spent countless hours reading, studying, and preparing.

But perhaps one of the greatest gifts of this past year has been that we have become a team.

We have prayed together, learned together, asked difficult questions together, and encouraged one another. We have grown to know and trust one another as we prepare to serve together.

Determined

As a delegation, we are determined to be your voice in our legislative committees and on the floor of General Conference.

The amount of work required to read, understand, and prayerfully consider the petitions that may ultimately become the laws and policies of our church is immense. Being a delegate to General Conference is not for the faint of heart!

Yet, hear me clearly: It is an honor, a privilege, and a humbling calling to serve the church in this way.

The decisions we make in Johannesburg will impact the future of the Global Methodist Church. We do not take that responsibility lightly.

The work of shaping the life and ministry of our church must be bathed in prayer. We must continually pour ourselves out before God, humbly going to our knees and asking for wisdom, discernment, guidance, and—perhaps most of all—the courage to speak boldly when necessary and the humility to listen when necessary.

So, what can you do as the MidSouth Conference?

Pray. Pray. Pray.

Pray for these individuals as we travel to Johannesburg. Pray for wisdom as we consider legislation. Pray for unity within our delegation. Pray for our entire General Conference. Pray for those who will lead our church. And pray that, in every decision and every conversation, we will seek the will of God above our own.

Your MidSouth Delegation

Laity:
Liz Chancey, Head of Delegation; John Crissman; Ben Bowman; Mark Barrow; Gregg Benefiel; Alyson Whittaker, our youngest delegate; Abby Seel; Ashley Wallace; Larry Wells, 1st Alternate; and Peter Marra, 2nd Alternate.

Clergy:
Todd Chancey; Tim Tennent; Sherri Tabaka-Morrissey; Kenneth Collins; Brian Ebel; Matt Seel; Suzanne Nicholson; Brian Small; Suzanne Whittaker, 1st Alternate; and Brad Stapleton, 2nd Alternate.

Legislative Committee Assignments

Each delegate has been assigned to serve on a legislative committee:

• Liz Chancey — Credentials Committee (Administrative) and Superintendency
• Ben Bowman — Superintendency
• Mark Barrow — Conferences
• Matt Seel and Sherri Tabaka-Morrissey — Constitution, Connectional Organization, and Finance
• John Crissman and Alyson Whittaker — Social Witness
• Abby Seel and Ashley Wallace — Local Church
• Brian Small — Ministry
• Todd Chancey and Brian Ebel — Judicial Administration
• Gregg Benefiel, Kenneth Collins, Suzanne Nicholson and Tim Tennent—Doctrines and Sacraments

*Note alternates are not assigned a committee unless and delegate cannot fulfil their duties. At that time, they will step into their space in legislative committee or on the floor of the conference.

I want to personally thank every delegate and alternate for your dedication, sacrifice, hard work, and willingness to serve. It has been a privilege to walk this journey with you.

And to the MidSouth Conference: thank you for entrusting us with this responsibility.

As we prepare to travel to Johannesburg, we ask you to stand with us—not only in support, but on your knees in prayer. May we be faithful to the calling God has placed before us, committed to serving His church, and determined to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

We go to Johannesburg not seeking our own will, but God’s will.

May we be called, committed, and determined to serve Christ and His Church faithfully.

Blessings,

Liz Chancey
Head of Delegation
MidSouth Annual Conference