The beginning By Joe Harris
It is hard to believe that it has been 25 years since the beginning of the General Commission of UM Men.
Dale Waymire of Madill, Oklahoma, was a prominent member of the commission and the newly created UM Men Foundation. He asked if I had any interest I recall hearing about the commission as a delegate in applying for the position. Not knowing what to the 1996 General Conference in Denver. would be involved in starting something new At the time, I thought as the organization’s first since we had a separate general secretary, my UM Women, why not initial response was “no.” have a separate UM Men I told Dale the UM Men organization? After had always been a layman hearing the debate, I organization run by laity. enthusiastically voted to If chosen I would be the create the commission, first clergy person, the thinking that would be the first African American, last I heard of it until they and one of the youngest started their work. general secretaries to serve THE REV. JOE HARRIS SERVES AS PRESIDING OFFICER OF A LEGISLATIVE a national agency. I was entering my COMMITTEE OF THE ENTIRE 2019 GENERAL CONFERENCE.
final year as a district superintendent in Oklahoma not sure what was next for me.
No thought of applying The commission began to advertise for its first general secretary. Although I had been involved with UM Men in my district and the local churches I served, I had not given any thought to applying for the general secretary position.
The Rev. Dr. Joe Harris is director of communications and assistant to the bishop of Oklahoma Annual Conference. He served as the top staff executive of the General Commission on UM Men from 1997 to 2005.
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“That is probably a bridge too far for the men’s organization to go,” I said. “I’m sure they have other qualified applicants who would be a better fit.” I was honored that Dale thought I could do the job, based on his knowledge of the leadership I had given to the district and in the conference.
A persistent layman Several weeks passed, and I mentally moved on. Then ––weeks later––Dale calls again: “At least apply and see what happens,” he pleads. Dale, the now deceased former lay leader of the Oklahoma Conference, could be quite persistent. I also took the matter to prayer with my wife. We felt God was saying something to us about this and
