The Good News ~ 6/20/24
Annual Conference 2024
Rev. Leigh and I were back in Athens for the 160th session of the North Georgia Annual Conference. As many of you know, this is our yearly meeting for the North Georgia United Methodist Church. About 2000 delegates, half clergy and half laity, gathered to take care of the business of our Annual Conference. Jen Stewart, our local church delegate, and I represented our church.
This year, Bishop Robin Dease and the planning team chose the theme “Becoming an Acts Church” based on Acts 2:42-44: “The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. All the believers were united and shared everything.” Our conference is not just a time to care for the business of the church, but it’s a homecoming! A time to worship, pray, celebrate, and listen for the leading of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, this was a conference full of affirmation, celebration, and transformation.
The affirmation included 6 new local pastors; 8 provisional members; ordination of 1 full connection deacon; and 14 full connection elders. These called and tested clergy gave hope to our future church leadership. Madison First UMC is more familiar with full-time Elders who typically move between local churches every 6-10 years. Deacons serve in a wide variety of ministries but do not itinerate between churches. Provisional members are clergy aspiring to be elder status, generally getting there after 3-4 years as a “provisional member”. Local pastors serve churches mostly in part-time positions. Some have degrees others have course-of-study credentials. All are well qualified and serve faithfully all over the North Georgia region. For example, our own Rev. Hannah Pye, is a Local Pastor serving at Bostwick UMC.
Celebration occurred at the worship services honoring the pastors who passed away and the many ministries done in our conference. Our disaster relief ministry brought their solar array, mobile water purification system, and tool trailers to remind us of the important work we do when life fall aparts. Wesley Woods, Murphy Harpst (Child Rehabilitation Agency), Camp Glisson and other conference related ministries were celebrated. We consecrated a new Global Ministries missionary. Most of all, we celebrated the connection of our 422 North Georgia churches and look forward to a strong season of church planting in areas effected by disaffiliation.
Transforming our presence in the region was a special topic of the day. The conference offices will move out of a leased space in Atlanta and move into the Sugarloaf UMC location, which will save about $10,000 per month. We reduced our districts from 8 to 5, thus increasing district sizes but decreasing the financial needs for Superintendent salaries and office expenses. Madison is in the Southeast District and Rev. Beth Sanders is our new D.S. With other cost cutting and savings, we look forward to a 25% in the conference budget for 2025 and a similar cut in local church apportionments.
At the closing worship service of the conference, I was sitting near the front row feeling positive about our future. Bishop Dease officially “sealed” the appointments; I’m for sure staying at Madison First UMC! The closing sermon was a call to meet the challenges of the day as the Apostles did long ago. To have a strong commitment to follow Jesus, no matter how unpopular it may be to the world around us. Be an “Acts Church”. It’s a good day to be a United Methodist after a year or more of worries and uncertainties.
One more note. Remember that, during the worship service, I was sitting near the front row basking in the hopefulness of the future? Well, Bishop Dease spontaneously invited me up to give the benediction. 2000 people at conference and I get the last word? At the last minute? This is the kind of stuff that appears in anxiety dreams! Thankfully, the Holy Spirit was present and was faithful. I gave a benediction that I hope made sense. Like the disciples in Acts, we should “always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that we have!” Who knows, you might be sitting within sight of a worship leader and be called upon to share some hope one day.
Peace,
