The Conference of Gratitude Ministers Meeting with our Beloved John-Roger

Click here to view the photo slideshow from the Ministers Meeting at MSIA’s Conference 2005.

Sunday Morning is finally here. My most favorite day of MSIA’s Conference each year. I start my morning by attending and holding the Light with other fellow ministers while we welcome twenty-one new minister’s being ordained today. Indeed it’s a blessing to sit in the midst of the Holy Spirit during this sacred time for all of us.

When the ordinations are all complete, it’s time to pick up my name tag and prepare myself for the Minister’s Meeting. I greet other ministers and go to sit in my designated place with the Ministerial Board.

As I enter the Grand Ballroom it is like entering a great Cathedral — the Holy Spirit is present, peace is present…and all is calm. This is resting in peace — the peace of our individual and collective loving in the sacredness of our being. The room fills with the Ani-Hu chanting, melting through and all over the room, permeating the air as though white doves are softly floating about with their wings wide spread taking us in and blessing us in the Christ Consciousness.

Our beloved Ministerial Matriarch Genie Ford is hosting the meeting this year and she receives a well deserved and long standing ovation. Genie welcomes everyone including groups of MSIA Ministers in Australia and Colombia listening in via a telephone line connection. Genie calls us forward into the Light of God and we once again chant Ani-Hu.

Next Genie is introducing all the Ministerial Board Members currently serving and each one stands as their name is called. She then announces the five people that were voted in to serve over the next two years. Genie next calls the names of all the active Advisory members who are currently serving, including yours truly, as well as the Executive Board Members which includes Laren Bright, Genie Ford, and Steve Sheppard. There sure are a lot of folks serving on MSIA ministerial boards around the world!

Genie then introduces Janet Cramer who delivers an inspirational contribution on gratitude. Janet’s contribution strikes a cord for many and she moves our hearts with her honest and heartfelt manner.

Now one of many spectacular moments we all wait for each year. Who will be Minister of the Year? Last year’s recipients, Vincent Dupont and Greg Stebbins, are presenting the awards to this year’s recipients. Vincent reads the first one and presents it to Ray Zumwalt. I was sitting right behind Ray, and the look on his face is absolutely priceless. We all stood in honor as he received his much deserved award.

Next Greg presents the award to — Candace Semigran. More yells and screams of joy as we stand up to honor her. Candace’s acceptance speech includes thanking John-Roger and remembering when she first met him at the age of 13. He was one of her teachers, and still is.

After that we see a wonderful NOW Productions video promo for J-R seminars on CD and DVD’S. NOW never ceases to amaze me with their promotional presentations. We all got a fine chuckle at the mock STAR WARS scrolling to tell the story of J-R’s seminars from the beginning until now.

Genie returns to the stage and announces three upcoming webcast classes with John Morton that everyone is invited to participate in, either in person at 2101 Wilshire in Santa Monica, CA, or online at www.msia.org/live. The classes are: Forgiveness on Sunday July 31st at 1:00 p.m. pacific daylight time, What is Grace? on Saturday August 13th at 10:00 a.m. pacific daylight time, and Loving Relationships on Saturday September 3rd at Noon pacific daylight time. Please come! Please invite friends and family to come with you or watch online with you.

Genie then welcomes Paul Kaye to the stage for a tithing and seeding process. Paul reads quotes from J-R and John on seeding and tithing, and we are once again reminded about the value of both. Paul also shares with us that J-R was asked what we all could do for him. J-R’s reply was to seed for his health. We have seen the power and the miracle of doing that this weekend!

Paul then invites Mark Lurie and Vincent Dupont on stage so that the MSIA presidency may present the Service Awards to the volunteers being honored this year for their excellence, devotion, and willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Awards went to: Sylvia Giussani, Glenn Barnett, Maria Eugenia Ducci, and Kelly & David Funk. All received our blessing and recognition.

In a heart moving, and tearful introduction of J-R, Genie Ford shares with us her meeting him in 1967. Genie also mentions that the first Minister’s Meeting consisted of 60 people gathering in 1973. We all stand and welcome our beloved John-Roger to the stage, our hearts in gratitude for him being with us today and sharing with us. It is more than we imagined. J-R shared much with us about integrating the physical and spiritual worlds and levels of consciousness in a way I have never heard.

Because of the sacred nature of this meeting, there are really no words I could give to you that would translate truthfully what was said. I can tell you that Spirit was indeed present among us. The meeting was attended by over 800 Ministers who came from around the globe. I would say, that in itself speaks for who we are, what we are doing, and most of all, honoring our beloved Traveler’s John-Roger, and John Morton who continue to step forward and minister to us regardless of race, creed, color, situation, circumstance or environment. May the Christ be with us all in this most special and precious time in our walk with these two extraordinary wayshowers of Love, Light and Sound.

Read more articles from MSIA’s Conference of Gratitude 2005