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International - as opposed to…?

These first days there is one thing I have been thinking about: Why are we called “international delegates?” The United Methodist Church is an international church, so doesn’t that make us all international? And regardless of UMC, aren’t all modern people international?

But if we are to accept that we are “international delegates,” what about the U.S. delegates? Are they not international? It doesn’t seem like it since they are not “international delegates.” Maybe they are just national?

I don`t think “international delegates” is a good phrase to use. Why can’t I just be a Norwegian delegate? Or even just a European delegate? Unfortunately I have to admit that I do not have the answer to what phrase we should use, but what I do know is that we should stop referring to half of the General Conference as “international delegates!”

Can you tell which are international or not?


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