By Carolyn Walker-Kimbro, CLO Financial Secretary
My favorite scripture is Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. I say this verse as if it were a prayer whenever I am contemplating a new job, position, or any change in my life. I ask the Lord to lead me, guide me, and to order my steps if it is in His will. In other words, I will will His will in all I do. I have been through too much in my life to think of going out on my own without God’s blessings, which brings me to where I am now.
I have attended many national and international conventions over the years (church, sorority, and job-related). Still, the 39th Connectional Lay Organization Biennial Convention raised my awareness to a new level. I was not just an attendee or delegate. I was a presumptive electee for a Connectional position! I state it that way because I was not elected, but I ran unopposed for a vacant position. In accordance with the Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, no nominations could be made from the floor. Therefore, unless something dramatic occurred, I would be elected. I took this as a sign from God that I, indeed, was pre-destined to serve in that position at this point in my life.
I would venture to guess that very few people outside the Third Episcopal District knew who I was or what I had done to qualify for this position. The few who knew me could only reflect on my term as the Secretary/CEO of the now-defunct Connectional Lay Economic Development Corporation (CLEDC). At this convention, I was/am an unknown person. Anonymity worked in my favor because I could observe the convention in action without being observed. I have never intentionally drawn attention to myself, so I was able to observe convention activities as I walked around in a cloak of invisibility.
As I attended sessions and workshops, I saw how the different officers interacted with one another and the roles they played in the convention’s overall operations, paying particular attention to the incumbent for the position I would later fill. It was definitely an eye-opener for me because I viewed convention activities with a new set of “eyes.” Up to that point, I had not paid particular attention to the inner workings of the Connectional Lay Executive Board. But with this new vision, my perception and appreciation of the different positions changed, some significantly. As I’ve taken my place as the Financial Secretary, I can assure you that what I saw almost a year ago has undergone significant shifts as I learn my duties and understand the relationships among the elected from an up-close and personal perspective.
It is my sincere prayer that I will be able to perform the duties of the position that I now hold. Having accepted the reality of my position, I pray even more fervently that this is a part of the plan that God has for me. Therefore, I will invoke the words found in 1 Corinthians 15:58b, “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” With the help of God, I will do my best!
