There is not enough space to write all I want to write about Transform 2026. So many good things, so many good connections. The theme "No Greater Joy" (3 John 4) was expressed in so many effective ways. My main point here is we know we have unfinished business. I mentioned in the business session that we didn't have time to open up a full discussion on some very important issues, and I want to reassure you that we are serious about following up. We have work to do!

Unfinished Business: 

• Benevolence: Our benevolence offering for T26 was to help the members of Mlima Wa Sinai Church in KCK recover from the microburst damage in August. You donated $1,705.34 to the cause! Thank you! Our follow up: Since we sent $1500 right away in anticipation of Transform, we will cut another check for $205.34 to send the remaining funds collected.

• Videos: All of the plenary sessions were videorecorded. Our follow up: The videos of the plenary sessions will be posted within a week or two to the conference website: http://efcamidwest.org/conferences.

• Brandon Guindon Followup: At the end of Brandon's last session, he mentioned a follow up Q&A session with Brandon and Greg, hosted by Pastor Jeff Donelan (McCook). The agenda will be yours - whatever it is you want to talk about related to their presentations on intentional disciplemaking. Our follow up: If you would like to join the conversation, join us Wednesday, October 14 at 1:00p CT at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81080129311. If you cannot join that call but still want to follow up, contact me and I'll link you to Jeff.

• Bylaws: We tabled the proposed bylaws changes that would reduce the number of people required for DBOMS ordination councils. Some questioned the need for any changes at all. There were also concerns raised about the wording and the appropriate roles on councils based on gender. Our follow up: We will convene a team of people to carefully look at whether or not a change is needed and if so, how a proposed change should be worded. The board will then review and make a recommendation. We have no need to rush this.

• Complementarianism: Greg Strand spoke in one of the Impact sessions on the topic, which was the first step of our plan to have healthy and robust discussions about the topic in the MWD over the next several months. The need for those conversations was only confirmed throughout the conference. Our follow up: We will publish Greg's slides, which contain a trove of resources and ideas. I am willing to attend any cluster to discuss the topic. I'm also willing to talk to any one of you, your board of elders, and so on. Just let me know. We will also produce some written resources, but only after we've had several of these conversations with you so that we get a clear idea of the issues and questions you're facing.

I'll repeat here what I said while introducing Greg. Both the EFCA and the MWD are outspoken complementarian organizations. The topic of my D.Min. was complementarity, and so it's a matter I have a strong commitment to personally. Some of you expressed a concern that either the EFCA or the MWD has an agenda to sneak the organization to egalitarianism. That is not the case, and I welcome anyone who has that concern to reach out so I can hear your concern. Perhaps I can bring some resolution; perhaps there are things we need to adjust or communicate differently. I would then like to give reasons why I'm confident there's no such agenda. This is an important issue, and we should talk about it. 

I appreciate the great spirit in which we discussed some sensitive issues. Our capacity to do that is one of the things I love about the EFCA. I also saw people follow up personally with each other to ask follow up questions or to seek clarity on what was said. I was able to do that myself with someone about an issue several months old. We need this capacity especially when we talk about issues that affect us deeply. I appreciate you and your convictional kindness.

Please complete our T2026 evaluation here: https://forms.gle/3Lza13B3A3PfNC6J9