Two centuries of annual conferences have opened with the hymn which asks the essential question: And are we yet alive…?

For the early circuit riders, it was a literal reality, a personal greeting. Not having seen or heard from each other for the past year while traveling their far-flung circuits, there was no way of knowing who had survived the rigors of those difficult days when many of them died before they were 35. And they would answer the question with joy as they greeted one another: 

And are we yet alive,
and see each other's face?
Glory and thanks to Jesus give
for his almighty grace! 

What troubles have we seen,
what mighty conflicts past;
fightings without, and fears within,
since we assembled last! [1]

With technology and communication what it is, we know who is alive and de…