Henderson has been away from the Florida Conference on medical leave since the middle of February after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the immune system. He has been receiving treatment at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta for it and kidney failure caused by the disease.

He opened the conference Tuesday morning with a prayer and Communion for the delegates. He thanked retired Bishop J. Lloyd Knox, appointed as acting bishop during his illness, for his work and ministry in the conference. Henderson also thanked the people of the conference for their support.

"My wife and I cannot begin to express our thanks for the support we have received from you," he said.

Keith Ewing, the bishop’s administrative assistant, asked delegates to refrain from hugging or shaking hands with Henderson "to protect the bishop from anything affecting his immune system." Henderson was also assigned a vanguard of "guardian angels" from the ranks of the district superintendents who were asked to do the hugging and handshaking for him.

"You can wave all you want," Ewing said.

Throughout the event, Henderson reminded delegates of the event’s theme and his emphasis on evangelism. "Nothing else that we do has a higher priority than sharing Jesus," he said.

He also provided compassionate leadership to the conference, thanking everyone who spoke for their input and patiently explaining the rules of order to anyone who was unclear how to proceed.

In addition to his parliamentary style, Henderson provided spiritual leadership, reminding delegates that they were doing God’s work, praying for and with delegates, and breaking into song to emphasize his message.

After the group Trilogy from Pine Castle United Methodist Church in Orlando sang, Henderson applauded the singers and urged delegates to find ways to have spirit-filled worship services in their churches, a key component to evangelism. "If it doesn’t happen on Sunday morning," he said, "it’s not going to happen the other six days."

After Cuban Bishop Ricardo Pereira’s sermon, Henderson prayed for a strengthening of the Cuba/Florida Covenant and the shared ministry between the two conferences. He also called on delegates to seek peace and understanding among the many cultures in the church.