In this edition:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Lincoln, Wichita offices deconsecrated in ceremonies
With conference building moves, districts get new offices
United Methodists consider options on same sex marriage, gay clergy
United Methodist clergy, laity file complaint against Jeff Sessions
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Photos, videos and recaps from a very busy 3½ days in Wichita
Some conferences endorsing recommendations
CLERGY EXCELLENCE
Church of the Resurrection's Young Preachers Festival is next week
‘Compassion Without Fatigue’ workshop offered in July
EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
One week left to nominate a young person for the Summit Youth Academy
United Methodist Youth Institute includes twice-daily worship, quiet time
MERCY & JUSTICE
Learn more about creation in July farm tour near Marquette, Nebraska
ADMINISTRATION
Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation provides many services
ACROSS THE CONNECTION
EmberHope Youthville celebrating 90th anniversary this weekend
As coffeehouse closes, church community seeks new home
Nebraska church dedicates its Peace Pole
UMW gathers for fun, fellowship during annual conference
In other news
Resources
Newsletters
Blogs and opinion
The week ahead
Classifieds
Lincoln, Wichita offices
deconsecrated in ceremonies
The Lincoln office deconsecration service was held this morning, led by former Nebraska Conference Bishop Ann Sherer-Simpson, who was in office when the building was purchased.
Laity, clergy and lay leaders joined former and current conference staff for the deconsecreation service. Current staff members read a litany of thanksgiving, communion was served and hymns were sung by the roughly 50 in attendance.
The Lincoln office building, at 3333 Landmark Circle, was opened by the former Nebraska Conference in 2009.
Attended by about 50 people, the service included a litany of thanksgiving, communion and a performance of the song “For Good” from “Wicked,” performed by administrative assistant Lydia Harbutz, with Jessica Heidrick.
The Wichita office, at 9440 E. Boston, was opened by the former Kansas West Conference in 1990.
The former Topeka office, at 4201 SW 15th St., was deconsecrated on June 1.
With conference building moves, districts get new offices
The closing of the conference offices in Wichita and Lincoln will mean new homes for the Wichita and Blue River district offices.Beginning June 25, the Wichita East and West district offices will relocate to East Heights United Methodist Church, 4407 E. Douglas Ave., Wichita. The phone number will remain 316-684-6652, but will temporarily ring to the Topeka office until mid-July. Ask for the Rev. Mitch Reece, district superintendent, or Kara Lefto, administrative assistant.
The Blue River District office will have its new home at ConnectioN Point, at 1333 N. 33rd St. in Lincoln, the former location of Faith UMC. The move should take place once construction on the new offices is completed, said the Rev. Bill Ritter, Blue River District superintendent. The phone number will remain 402-323-8849, but will ring in Topeka until the move is complete. Ask for Ritter or administrative assistant Pam Savery.
United Methodists consider options
on same sex marriage, gay clergy
Methodists consider rules about same sex marriage, gay clergy BY KATHERINE BURGESS kburgess@wichitaeagle.com
Roughly a month after bishops announced proposals for how same-sex weddings and gay clergy should be handled, Methodists gathered in Wichita said they were hopeful their church will find a resolution to conflicts over sexuality.“We’re discerning the shape of how we will live out our Christian faith in the future,” said Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. at a listening session that began the Wichita conference for Kansas and Nebraska Methodists.
Later he joked, “Someone once said wherever there are two Methodists there are three opinions.”
The debate over sexuality has consumed energy and resources for decades, said the Rev. Andrew Conard, preacher at First United Methodist Church of El Dorado. He hopes the church will come to a resolution in February, choosing from three plans created by the Commission on a Way Forward.
“It’s important work and I’m glad we’re having the conversation that we are, but I’m hopeful that we can go on to whatever’s next,” Conard said. “I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to move the conversation forward across our denomination and within our local churches in such a way that we can get back to sharing God’s love with people that don’t know Jesus.”
The One Church Plan, which a majority of bishops recommended, would allow individual churches, conferences and pastors to decide whether to ordain gay and lesbian clergy and offer same-sex marriages. It would remove language in the Book of Discipline (the denomination’s governing document) that says the practice of homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching,” but would also protect pastors and conferences who “due to their theological convictions cannot perform same-sex weddings or ordain self-avowed practicing homosexuals.”
The Traditional Plan would maintain the current ban on ordaining “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy and performing same-sex weddings. This plan would also strengthen enforcement for violations of those laws.
The Connectional-Conference Plan would create three conferences, abolishing the five existing U.S. jurisdictions. Each conference would decide its own adaptations of the Book of Discipline. If they disagree with their conference, churches could vote to join another.
The Rev. Amy Lippoldt, pastor at Basehor United Methodist Church, passed out buttons in the conference supporting the One Church Plan.
“I really believe it’s the best way forward for the United Methodist Church as a whole in the United States and globally. I feel like it’s the one viable option for our intractable conflict over the rights of LGBTQ people,” Lippoldt said. “We’ve been fighting in a really overt way about the rights of LGBTQ people for 40 years. Keeping things status quo is not going to help us thrive as a church.”
Lippoldt said she had many good conversations about the plans during the week. Some people are uncertain, others have their minds made up. She will be a general conference delegate voting at the February meeting in St. Louis.
For some of the Methodists gathered in Wichita, the conference was their first detailed exposure to the plans. For others, it was a chance to grapple with issues they’ve considered for years.
Saenz said many Methodists have questions about the plans and want to know what happens next — a question he can’t answer.
At the same time, waiting isn’t hard, he said.
“I’m glad we’ve had this time to pause and think deeply about what our next step would be,” Saenz said. “It’s a gift. We can all discern who we are as Christians and as United Methodists and then figure out how we are being faithful moving into the future.”
Saenz has formed a Forward in Unity Process Team to compile resources and lead discussions about sexuality. He has plans to visit each of the Great Plains’ 17 districts in the fall to discuss the Way Forward plans.
“Admittedly, there is great anxiety across the church and in the world,” Saenz wrote in May, after the plans were announced. “Still, I am profoundly hopeful about the future of The United Methodist Church at such a time as this amid swirling uncertainties and rapid change.”
Oliver Green, a member of a Methodist church in Topeka, will lead the team from the Great Plains Conference to the February meeting in St. Louis where the denomination is expected to make decisions on the plans.
It’s going to be a “very complicated” conference, Green said, with many different opinions. He supports the bishops' recommendation of the One Church Plan, although he also points out that full details haven't been released.
Full details of the plans are expected by July 8.
Green said he hopes people won’t focus only on these controversial issues, but rather on how to do ministry.
“Whatever happens in February in St. Louis, we’ll still be ministering here in Kansas and Nebraska, so how do we do that?” Green said. “How do we live out the Wesleyan way in Kansas and Nebraska?”
Katherine Burgess: 316-268-6400, @kathsburgess
Read more in this article from The Wichita Eagle.
United Methodist clergy, laity file complaint against Jeff Sessions
Official portrait by United States Department of Justice
More than 600 United Methodist clergy and laity say they are bringing church law charges against U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a fellow United Methodist, over a zero-tolerance U.S. immigration policy — a policy that includes separating children from parents apprehended for crossing into the U.S. illegally.U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions faces criticism, even charges under church law, from fellow United Methodists unhappy with his enforcement and justification of the Trump Administration's zero tolerance policy on immigration violations.
Clergy, laity file complaint against Sessions by Sam Hodges
More than 600 United Methodist clergy and laity say they are bringing church law charges against U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a fellow United Methodist, over a zero tolerance U.S. immigration policy — a policy that includes separating children from parents apprehended for crossing into the U.S. illegally.
, UMNS
However, an authority on church history and polity said he’s unaware of a complaint against a lay person ever moving past the district level.
The group claimed in a June 18 statement that Sessions, a member of a Mobile, Alabama, church, violated Paragraph 2702.3 of the denomination’s Book of Discipline.
Specifically, the group accuses him of child abuse in reference to separating young children from their parents and holding them in mass incarceration facilities; immorality; racial discrimination and “dissemination of doctrines contrary to the established standards of doctrines” of The United Methodist Church.
All are categories listed in 2702.3 as chargeable offenses for a professing member of a local church.
“I really never would have thought I’d be working on charges against anybody in the Methodist connection, much less a lay person,” said the Rev. David Wright, a Pacific Northwest Conference elder and chaplain at the University of Puget Sound in Washington State, and organizer of the effort to charge Sessions.
But Wright said the Trump administration’s zero tolerance policy as enforced by Sessions, combined with Sessions’ use of Romans 13 to justify the policy, led him and others to conclude that more than a statement of protest was needed.
Sessions did not immediately respond to a request for comment left with his press office. In recent speeches, he has said the zero tolerance policy on illegal immigration is in the national interest and will protect children by discouraging immigrant parents from taking them on dangerous journeys to cross into the U.S.
The Rev. William Lawrence, professor emeritus at Perkins School of Theology and an authority on Methodist history and polity, said anyone in the church can bring a charge against anyone else. While it’s not uncommon for pastors, district superintendents and bishops to get complaints about a layperson, he said a formal complaint bringing charges is extremely rare.
The Book of Discipline allows for a church trial and even expulsion of a lay member, but the first step in a long process would be for the member’s pastor and district superintendent to solve the complaint through “pastoral steps,” Lawrence said.
“I’m not aware of any circumstance in the 50-year history of The United Methodist Church when a complaint against a lay person moved beyond the stage of its resolution by a district superintendent or a pastor,” he added.
Wright said the group’s goal in filing charges was to prompt such discussions.
“I hope his pastor can have a good conversation with him and come to a good resolution that helps him reclaim his values that many of us feel he’s violated as a Methodist,” Wright said.
He added: “I would look upon his being taken out of the denomination or leaving as a tragedy. That’s not what I would want from this.”
Wright said the complaint has been emailed to Sessions’ home church in Alabama, and to a Northern Virginia church that Wright said he understands Sessions regularly attends.
Sessions’ pastor at the Alabama church did not return calls.
Bishop David Graves of the Alabama-West Florida Conference did not respond to a request for comment on the group’s move against Sessions, whose home church is in that conference. A spokeswoman said he hasn’t been given details of the complaint.
Graves did release a statement that specifically addresses the separation of parents and children.
“I implore Congress and the current administration to do all in their power to reunite these families,” he said. “Changes to these laws need to be addressed starting today. Let us join our voices in prayer for the separated families, for those working to end this injustice and for our nation’s leaders.”
The Trump administration’s zero tolerance policy, specifically the separation of parents and children, has been widely criticized by religious leaders, including conservative evangelicals.
Last week, Sessions cited a verse from Romans to support the policy, prompting another round of criticism. Those critics included United Methodists.
The Rev. Susan Henry-Crowe, top executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, decried both the policy and Sessions’ invoking of the Bible in its defense.
Calling the Trump administration’s zero tolerance policy “immoral,” former first lady Laura Bush, a lifelong United Methodist, said the policy that separates children from parents “breaks my heart.”
Bush, writing in the Washington Post, said people on all sides agree that the current immigration system is not working but said zero tolerance is not the answer.
“In 2018, can we not as a nation find a kinder, more compassionate and more moral answer to this current crisis?” she wrote. “I, for one, believe we can.”
Laura Bush and her husband, former President George W. Bush, are members of Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas.
Some individual United Methodists have written Sessions’ pastor on their own, asking for accountability from Sessions on the immigration policy.
The Rev. Valerie Nagel Vogt, associate pastor of Travis Park United Methodist Church in San Antonio, mailed such a letter on June 15. She said she was prompted, in part, by imagining her own feelings if she were separated from her two young children.
Vogt also hopes for a searching conversation on immigration and United Methodist values between Sessions and his pastor.
“I believe it is in community that we learn, grow and become more like Jesus,” she said. “There is abounding grace and an ongoing need for all of us who claim to follow Jesus to ask for forgiveness.”
The Rev. Abigail Parker Herrera, community outreach coordinator for Servant (United Methodist) Church in Austin, Texas, also wrote a letter to Sessions’ Alabama church.
She too is hoping Sessions will be persuaded to a new position on immigration, based on conversation with his pastor.
“Christianity wouldn’t exist if we didn’t believe people could change,” she said.
A number of interfaith leaders signed a June 7 letter calling for an end to the policy of separating families, including two United Methodists, Bishop H. Kenneth Carter Jr., president of the denomination’s Council of Bishops, and Jim Winkler, top executive of the National Council of Churches.
“Tearing children away from parents who have made a dangerous journey to provide a safe and sufficient life for them is unnecessarily cruel and detrimental to the well-being of parents and children,” the letter said.
The Clergy Letter Project, an organization representing a wide array of religions and denominations, including The United Methodist Church, also has voted to condemn the government’s separation of immigrant children from their parents.
Criticism of the use of family separation as part of a zero tolerance policy has come from a number of other religious groups and individuals, including Roman Catholic bishops and the Rev. Franklin Graham.
Hodges is a Dallas-based writer for United Methodist News Service. Kathy L. Gilbert and Linda Bloom of UMNS contributed to this story. Contact them at 615-742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests
Read more from the United News Service.
The fifth annual Great Plains Annual Conference sessions, June 13-16 at Century II in Wichita, brought inspiration, information, discernment, accomplishment – and even some fun!
While those 3 ½ days may pass by like a whirlwind, we have documented most of what happened on the plenary floor as well as in other places through stories, video and photos. (Check out the 500-plus photos on our AC Flickr gallery!) Videos of the individual workshop sessions will be available in the near future – we’ll let you know on GPconnect and our Facebook page.
The 2018 Great Plains Annual Conference opened June 13 with a two-hour discussion of the United Methodists’ options on stances regarding human sexuality issues.
“This is a season of conversation and discernment,” Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. told the 850 people gathered.
Also on Wednesday, the United Methodist Men distributed scholarships at their annual dinner, and the Rev. Wayne Alloway, pastor of Lincoln St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, delivered the sermon for the opening worship and memorial service.
We hope you enjoy the city and its amenities, while taking in the grand worship, productive business and timely learning of this conference session.
Each day there will be a special edition of "GPconnect." You can expect to receive GPconnect Daily today through Saturday. Below you can find information on what attendees can expect during AC 2018, along with announcements and featured stories.
Watch the live streaming of the session at www.greatplainsumc.org/livestream and on our Facebook page. See the official schedule to help make your viewing plans. View photos on our AC Flickr album, as we will update it daily. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to view additional photos and stay current with everything AC 2018. Don't forget to use hashtag #GPUMC and #GPAC18. Have a great week.
More than 800 clergy and laity in the Great Plains Conference learned about the United Methodists' options on stances regarding human sexuality Wednesday afternoon.
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. conducted a listening session that detailed the history of the United Methodists toward LGBTQ issues, as well as the three plans brought to the Council of Bishops by the Commission on a Way Forward.
"This is a season of conversation and discernment," Bishop Saenz said at the beginning of the two-hour session.
The session began with a reading by members of the Great Plains Forward in Unity process team, followed by a litany about respecting our neighbor, even if our opinion disagrees with him or her.
"We need to treat each other as people instead of objects," Bishop Saenz said.
In giving a history of the United Methodists' stance toward LGBTQ issues, Bishop Saenz pointed out the Rev. Mark Holland, senior pastor of Trinity UMC in Kansas City, Kansas, and the Rev. Adam Hamilton, founding pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, for their urging the Council of Bishops to take a stand during the 2016 General Conference in Portland, Oregon.
"In large part, we are here today because of the leadership of our own delegates," Bishop Saenz said.
Although no members of the Commission on a Way Forward, the group presenting options to the Council of Bishops, were available to speak at the Great Plains Annual Conference session, Bishop Saenz said a video by commission member Tom Berlin from Virginia would be shown on Friday morning.
Bishop Saenz said a majority -- but not a super-majority -- of the Council of Bishops supported the One Church model, which would remove restrictive language from the Book of Discipline while allowing individual pastors and churches to support their beliefs.
"This is probably the simplest model to begin implementing," Bishop Saenz said. "We would still be the United Methodist Church. We would still be one church."
The two other plans are the Connectional Conference Model, which would dissolve conference boundaries for churches with like beliefs to align; and the Traditional Model, which would keep the language in the Book of Discipline with increased accountability.
Bishop Saenz asked those in the Great Plains Conference to follow the lead of the Council of Bishops, praying the Lord's Prayer and the 23rd Psalm daily from 2:23-2:26 p.m. Those coincide with the dates of a Special Session of the General Conference, Feb. 23-26 in St. Louis.
He also encouraged frank but respectful discussion of the LGBTQ issues with colleagues, friends and neighbors.
"All of us are very passionate about this issue," Bishop Saenz said. "Let's assume the best of each other rather than the worst."
The bishop also announced a listening tour in late summer and early fall, covering each of the 16 districts in the conference.
Laity and clergy in attendance said they felt more enlightened about the issue after Wednesday's session.
"I thought it was very interesting, very thought-provoking," said Nel Robison, laity from Bayard, Nebraska.
"I did't realize the bishops were not as unified as I thought they would be," said the Rev. Cat Love, pastor from Cairo, Nebraska.
The Powerpoint presentation by the bishop, including the details of each plan, will be available later in June on the conference website, www. greatplainsumc.org.
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Seminary students from the Great Plains received more than $9,000 in scholarships Wednesday night, thanks to the 29th annual United Methodist Men's 100 Club dinner and auction at First United Methodist Church, Wichita.
Winners of the 100 Club scholarships for $1,000 were Nick Kaufmann, St. Paul School of Theology; Marcee Binder, Iliff School of Theology; Shayla Jordan, Perkins School of Theology; Madeline Baugous, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary; and Karissa Heckens, St. Paul.
Receiving $500 scholarships from the Fleming Family Foundation were Kaufmann, Binder and Baugous.
Kaufmann, Binder and Baugous received the $500 Dean, Jean and Randy Fleming Scholarship.
Heckens received the Nichole Spiegel-Wheeler Scholarship for $500. Jordan received the $500 Merv and Bev Schliefert Scholarship. Baugous received the Fleming-Humphrey-Goff Scholarship for $250, and Kaufmann received the $250 Joe Meehan 32nd Degree Master Mason Scholarship.
Each of us has our individual roads to Emmaus, the Rev. Wayne Alloway told the opening worship service of the Great Plains Annual Conference on Wednesday night.
"Emmaus is the place where we go to reclaim our home when our whole world is falling apart," Alloway, pastor of Lincoln St. Mark's United Methodist Church said in his sermon. "Emmaus isn't just a place. It's a state of mind, it's a state of heart, it's a state of being."
Alloway's sermon was based on Luke 24:13-35.
Like the disciples on that road, we don't understand that Jesus is walking with us.
"Jesus was with the disciples even during their period of disbelief," Alloway said. "They just didn't recognize it."
Earlier in the service, Iris Eileen Cannon, daughter of Stephan and the Rev. Emily Cannon, was baptized by Bishop Saenz.
Music during the service came from the Wichita Aldersgate UMC children's choir and Wichita Pleasant Valley UMC choir.
The Rev. Kathy Williams led the remembrance service of those clergy and spouses who have passed away in the previous year.
Deceased clergy remembered at the service were the Rev. Charles Bullock Bennett, Donna Carpenter, the Rev. James Coder, the Rev. Gene Connely, the Rev. John Dale, the Rev. Susan Daniel-Brey, Edward Des Plas, the Rev. Bob Eades, the Rev. George Edgar, the Rev. Ralph Erts, the Rev. Alfred Donahue Hager Jr., the Rev. Hobart Hildyard, the Rev. Paul Irig, the Rev. Philip Kaye, the REv. Mary Alice Knewtson, the Rev. Donald Koehn, the Rev. Lowen Kruse, the Rev. Lawrence Kurth, Bill "Tuffy" Linde IV, the Rev. Clarence McConkey, Vicki Lynn McDaniel, the Rev. Karl Meisel, the Rev. Robert G. Miller, Ret. Lt. Col U.S. Army, the Rev. Bill P. Moore, the Rev. Richard Odgers, the Rev. Harold Peck, the Rev. Vernon Phellps, the Rev. Dr. Dallas Allen Polen Jr., the Rev. Gene Shoemaker, the Rev. Bob Stout, the Rev. Jim Uhlig, the Rev. Dr. Ewart Goodell Watts and Glenwood Yancey Jr.
Clergy spouses memorialized were Beth Barcelo, Lorene Carper, Ronald Colglazier, Marilyn Crenshaw, Sally Ann Enck, Christine Evans, Rita Geisler, Fern Heim, Edith Heisz, Phillip James, Betty Kelly-Towner, Ora Kirkendall, Luella Lowe, Lois Madondo, Trudi Michaux, Shirley Miller, Helen Murray, Virginia Near, John ReQua, Ruth Rose and Gail Trenhaile
Annual Conference
Photos, videos and recaps from
a very busy 3½ days in Wichita
While those 3 ½ days may pass by like a whirlwind, we have documented most of what happened on the plenary floor as well as in other places through stories, video and photos. (Check out the 500-plus photos on our AC Flickr gallery!) Videos of the individual workshop sessions will be available in the near future – we’ll let you know on GPconnect and our Facebook page.
Wednesday: Way Forward info
“This is a season of conversation and discernment,” Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. told the 850 people gathered.
Also on Wednesday, the United Methodist Men distributed scholarships at their annual dinner, and the Rev. Wayne Alloway, pastor of Lincoln St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, delivered the sermon for the opening worship and memorial service.
AC 2018 Daily
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Welcome to Wichita, Kansas, and the 2018 Great Plains United Methodist Conference Session!We hope you enjoy the city and its amenities, while taking in the grand worship, productive business and timely learning of this conference session.
Each day there will be a special edition of "GPconnect." You can expect to receive GPconnect Daily today through Saturday. Below you can find information on what attendees can expect during AC 2018, along with announcements and featured stories.
Watch the live streaming of the session at www.greatplainsumc.org/livestream and on our Facebook page. See the official schedule to help make your viewing plans. View photos on our AC Flickr album, as we will update it daily. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to view additional photos and stay current with everything AC 2018. Don't forget to use hashtag #GPUMC and #GPAC18. Have a great week.
Bishop details options on Way Forward plans
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. conducted a listening session that detailed the history of the United Methodists toward LGBTQ issues, as well as the three plans brought to the Council of Bishops by the Commission on a Way Forward.
"This is a season of conversation and discernment," Bishop Saenz said at the beginning of the two-hour session.
The session began with a reading by members of the Great Plains Forward in Unity process team, followed by a litany about respecting our neighbor, even if our opinion disagrees with him or her.
"We need to treat each other as people instead of objects," Bishop Saenz said.
In giving a history of the United Methodists' stance toward LGBTQ issues, Bishop Saenz pointed out the Rev. Mark Holland, senior pastor of Trinity UMC in Kansas City, Kansas, and the Rev. Adam Hamilton, founding pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, for their urging the Council of Bishops to take a stand during the 2016 General Conference in Portland, Oregon.
"In large part, we are here today because of the leadership of our own delegates," Bishop Saenz said.
Although no members of the Commission on a Way Forward, the group presenting options to the Council of Bishops, were available to speak at the Great Plains Annual Conference session, Bishop Saenz said a video by commission member Tom Berlin from Virginia would be shown on Friday morning.
Bishop Saenz said a majority -- but not a super-majority -- of the Council of Bishops supported the One Church model, which would remove restrictive language from the Book of Discipline while allowing individual pastors and churches to support their beliefs.
"This is probably the simplest model to begin implementing," Bishop Saenz said. "We would still be the United Methodist Church. We would still be one church."
The two other plans are the Connectional Conference Model, which would dissolve conference boundaries for churches with like beliefs to align; and the Traditional Model, which would keep the language in the Book of Discipline with increased accountability.
Bishop Saenz asked those in the Great Plains Conference to follow the lead of the Council of Bishops, praying the Lord's Prayer and the 23rd Psalm daily from 2:23-2:26 p.m. Those coincide with the dates of a Special Session of the General Conference, Feb. 23-26 in St. Louis.
He also encouraged frank but respectful discussion of the LGBTQ issues with colleagues, friends and neighbors.
"All of us are very passionate about this issue," Bishop Saenz said. "Let's assume the best of each other rather than the worst."
The bishop also announced a listening tour in late summer and early fall, covering each of the 16 districts in the conference.
Laity and clergy in attendance said they felt more enlightened about the issue after Wednesday's session.
"I thought it was very interesting, very thought-provoking," said Nel Robison, laity from Bayard, Nebraska.
"I did't realize the bishops were not as unified as I thought they would be," said the Rev. Cat Love, pastor from Cairo, Nebraska.
The Powerpoint presentation by the bishop, including the details of each plan, will be available later in June on the conference website, www. greatplainsumc.org.
UMM distributes scholarships
Winners of the 100 Club scholarships for $1,000 were Nick Kaufmann, St. Paul School of Theology; Marcee Binder, Iliff School of Theology; Shayla Jordan, Perkins School of Theology; Madeline Baugous, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary; and Karissa Heckens, St. Paul.
Receiving $500 scholarships from the Fleming Family Foundation were Kaufmann, Binder and Baugous.
Kaufmann, Binder and Baugous received the $500 Dean, Jean and Randy Fleming Scholarship.
Heckens received the Nichole Spiegel-Wheeler Scholarship for $500. Jordan received the $500 Merv and Bev Schliefert Scholarship. Baugous received the Fleming-Humphrey-Goff Scholarship for $250, and Kaufmann received the $250 Joe Meehan 32nd Degree Master Mason Scholarship.
Jesus always with us, Alloway tells opening worshippers
"Emmaus is the place where we go to reclaim our home when our whole world is falling apart," Alloway, pastor of Lincoln St. Mark's United Methodist Church said in his sermon. "Emmaus isn't just a place. It's a state of mind, it's a state of heart, it's a state of being."
Alloway's sermon was based on Luke 24:13-35.
Like the disciples on that road, we don't understand that Jesus is walking with us.
"Jesus was with the disciples even during their period of disbelief," Alloway said. "They just didn't recognize it."
Earlier in the service, Iris Eileen Cannon, daughter of Stephan and the Rev. Emily Cannon, was baptized by Bishop Saenz.
Music during the service came from the Wichita Aldersgate UMC children's choir and Wichita Pleasant Valley UMC choir.
The Rev. Kathy Williams led the remembrance service of those clergy and spouses who have passed away in the previous year.
Deceased clergy remembered at the service were the Rev. Charles Bullock Bennett, Donna Carpenter, the Rev. James Coder, the Rev. Gene Connely, the Rev. John Dale, the Rev. Susan Daniel-Brey, Edward Des Plas, the Rev. Bob Eades, the Rev. George Edgar, the Rev. Ralph Erts, the Rev. Alfred Donahue Hager Jr., the Rev. Hobart Hildyard, the Rev. Paul Irig, the Rev. Philip Kaye, the REv. Mary Alice Knewtson, the Rev. Donald Koehn, the Rev. Lowen Kruse, the Rev. Lawrence Kurth, Bill "Tuffy" Linde IV, the Rev. Clarence McConkey, Vicki Lynn McDaniel, the Rev. Karl Meisel, the Rev. Robert G. Miller, Ret. Lt. Col U.S. Army, the Rev. Bill P. Moore, the Rev. Richard Odgers, the Rev. Harold Peck, the Rev. Vernon Phellps, the Rev. Dr. Dallas Allen Polen Jr., the Rev. Gene Shoemaker, the Rev. Bob Stout, the Rev. Jim Uhlig, the Rev. Dr. Ewart Goodell Watts and Glenwood Yancey Jr.
Clergy spouses memorialized were Beth Barcelo, Lorene Carper, Ronald Colglazier, Marilyn Crenshaw, Sally Ann Enck, Christine Evans, Rita Geisler, Fern Heim, Edith Heisz, Phillip James, Betty Kelly-Towner, Ora Kirkendall, Luella Lowe, Lois Madondo, Trudi Michaux, Shirley Miller, Helen Murray, Virginia Near, John ReQua, Ruth Rose and Gail Trenhaile
Read more about the first day.
Watch these videos from June 13: Alloway’s sermon; sacrament of baptism; Wednesday worship service; offertory, communion, benediction
The upcoming year will be a test for United Methodists, Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. said in his episcopacy address on Thursday morning, but those in the denomination must stay the course.
“We will keep on adventuring, pressing on as a missionary church in a post-Christian culture focused on the mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world,” the bishop said.
Also on Thursday, the Great Plains Conference’s first lay leader, Courtney Fowler, passed on the mantle to Lisa Maupin during the laity address. Valecia Scribner, director of discipleship at El Dorado First UMC in Kansas, received the Angie Newman Award, and the Micah Corps celebrated its 10th anniversary with a luncheon.
That night, 37 retirees were honored for their service with the conference.
Each day there will be a special edition of "GPconnect." You can expect to receive GPconnect Daily today through Saturday. Below you can find information on what attendees can expect during AC 2018, along with announcements and featured stories.
Watch the live streaming of the session at www.greatplainsumc.org/livestream and on our Facebook page. See the official schedule to help make your viewing plans. View photos on our AC Flickr album, as we will update it daily. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to view additional photos and stay current with everything AC 2018. Don't forget to use hashtag #GPUMC and #GPAC18. Have a great week.
United Methodists face an uncertain year ahead, Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. said Thursday morning, but need to stay the course through events that test the denomination.
“We will keep on adventuring, pressing on as a missionary church in a post-Christian culture focused on the mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world,” the bishop said in his episcopacy address at the opening of the Great Plains Annual Conference.
Citing Todd Bolsinger’s book “Canoeing the Mountains,” about the personal struggles facing the Lewis and Clark expedition, Bishop Saenz said the church must “be convicted, be calm, stay connected and stay the course” through the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference in February devoted to human sexuality concerns in the denomination.
“We will stay calm in our spirit amid the storms,” Bishop Saenz said.
The bishop cited a dozen churches in Kansas and Nebraska that reshaped themselves for the future, took on new ministries and reached out to serve others in the community.
He praised the collection of more than 6,500 UMCOR flood buckets across the conference last fall, as well as $850,000 raised to help victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. He also praised congregations that helped contribute Christmas gifts to more than 20,000 families this past holiday season, and brought worshippers to Great Plains Churches for Easter numbering 147,000 – far outpacing the average of 82,000.
The bishop also congratulated the conference for an increase of 314 baptisms and professions of faith in 2017 over the previous year.
The Great Plains Conference’s first lay leader stepped aside from her role during the laity address Thursday morning, introducing her successor and praising the work done by individuals in the churches.
Courtney Fowler has been the conference lay leader since the Nebraska, Kansas East and Kansas West conferences merged in 2014.
“It has honestly been one of the greatest joys of my life,” she told laity.
Fowler’s husband took a new job a year ago in Virginia, she said, and she has been commuting back and forth between there and her home in Manhattan, Kansas, but she is keeping her membership in home church, College Avenue UMC.
With tears in her eyes, Fowler thanked associate lay leader Oliver Green for his friendship and support through the years, presenting him with a bolo tie made by her father, a pastor in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference.
Fowler’s successor, Lisa Maupin, has been an associate lay leader for the conference. A self-proclaimed “Metho-nerd,” Maupin was raised in a rural church in western Nebraska and currently lives in Lincoln, where she is an event planner for the University of Nebraska.
“I love the United Methodist Church,” she said. “I’m passionate about who we are as a denomination and who we are as a global church.”
Maupin also said she was passionate about the laity of the church.
“We are the lifeblood of our congregations, the lifeblood of our communities,” she said.
The Rev. Hollie Tapley, disaster response coordinator for the conference, explained disaster relief ministries, and how vital lay members are in keeping it active.
“Our ministry is about proclaiming Christ through our actions,” said Tapley, who has more than 250 trained and certified volunteers, and 25 people who faithfully answer the call for help.
Tapley said disaster relief ministries need three types of people – prayers, players (those active on the ground) and payers (those who can contribute financially).
Since a Texas church shooting last year, Tapley said, the Great Plains has given 150 active shooter training classes both in the two-state region and beyond – 43 of those to other denominations.
The Great Plains Disaster Relief ministries has not had to ask for financial assistance from UMCOR, and is the envy of others in the South Central Jurisdiction.
“Y’all are awesome,” Tapley said.
An El Dorado, Kansas, laywoman who introduced new service and social justice opportunities is the recipient of this year’s Angie Newman Award.
Valecia Scribner, director of discipleship at El Dorado First UMC, designed and launched an innovative weekly service opportunity for children, called FirstKids Serve, in which elementary students engage in projects of mercy and justice beyond the walls of the congregation, associate conference lay leader Theresa May told the laity session.
Thrive Butler, an anti-poverty initiative, is another ministry that Valencia helped launch, May said (El Dorado is located in Butler County).
“This initiative helps bridge gaps among community organizations and leaders and is making a difference in the lives of people in the community,” May said. “Poverty simulations, Bridges Out of Poverty training, funding opportunities, Getting Ahead class graduates in February and the Matched Teams ministries all are improving the status of those living in poverty.”
The Angie Newman Award honors a laywoman of the Great Plains Conference whose contribution to the church and the community is an example of the spirit of Newman. The ministry of the recipient should demonstrate commitment, compassion and a sense of justice for all people, especially women, youth and children.
Two former Micah Corps interns shared a bit of how important this program has been in their lives. Carter Oberheu thanked the group for sponsoring this ministry. He was not sure about going to Omaha without any idea what he was getting himself into. Carter then shared how Micah Corps has led him to his present career path. The next former participant to share was Amla Agyabeng, who came from Ghana in 2010 as an exchange student. She became involved in Micah Corps when she returned as a college student. Ama was also not sure about going to Omaha. She is now a pharmacy student at Omaha's Creighton University and works in a pharmacy. Ama lives in the United States legally, and must go through so much red tape. Her concern is for those she works with who have difficulty with language and are in fear of deportation.
The Rev. Carol Windrum spoke about the uniqueness of Micah Corps. Young folk use the model of walking humbly in prayer. This humble prayer listening leads to the justice actions. In these times of polarization those actions must be shared with loving kindness. By standing for justice as followers of Christ, these Micah Corps interns are doing what the Lord requires.
Thursday afternoon at the Great Plains Annual Conference included many updates from various departments in the conference:
The Great Plains 2018 retirees are Maureen Appenfeller, Paul Blanchard, Laura Burnett, Bruce Davis, Eldon Davis, Jack Dutton Jr., Eldon Fablinger, Roberta "Robbie" Fall, Janice Farrell, Gary Ganger, David Geisler, Sharlan Graber, Richard Haden, Scott Hannon, Stephen Holmes, Jeannine Jensen, Murry Johnston, Robert Kuhn, Karen Lampe, David Lux, Jim Mardock, Mike McGuire, Jeff Miller, Nancy Modin, Nathan Morgan, Larry Myers, Jerry Petering, Phyllis Provost-Saas, Lane Roberts, Lyle Seger, Scott Shreve, Douglas Smith, Donald Stewart, Dianne Tombaugh, David Upp and Nancy Barrett Walker.
Watch these videos from June 13: Alloway’s sermon; sacrament of baptism; Wednesday worship service; offertory, communion, benediction
Thursday: Episcopal address
“We will keep on adventuring, pressing on as a missionary church in a post-Christian culture focused on the mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world,” the bishop said.
Also on Thursday, the Great Plains Conference’s first lay leader, Courtney Fowler, passed on the mantle to Lisa Maupin during the laity address. Valecia Scribner, director of discipleship at El Dorado First UMC in Kansas, received the Angie Newman Award, and the Micah Corps celebrated its 10th anniversary with a luncheon.
That night, 37 retirees were honored for their service with the conference.
AC 2018 Daily
Recap from Thursday, June 14, 2018
Welcome to Wichita, Kansas, and the 2018 Great Plains United Methodist Conference Session!Each day there will be a special edition of "GPconnect." You can expect to receive GPconnect Daily today through Saturday. Below you can find information on what attendees can expect during AC 2018, along with announcements and featured stories.
Watch the live streaming of the session at www.greatplainsumc.org/livestream and on our Facebook page. See the official schedule to help make your viewing plans. View photos on our AC Flickr album, as we will update it daily. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to view additional photos and stay current with everything AC 2018. Don't forget to use hashtag #GPUMC and #GPAC18. Have a great week.
Bishop urges conviction, hopes to ‘stay the course’
“We will keep on adventuring, pressing on as a missionary church in a post-Christian culture focused on the mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world,” the bishop said in his episcopacy address at the opening of the Great Plains Annual Conference.
Citing Todd Bolsinger’s book “Canoeing the Mountains,” about the personal struggles facing the Lewis and Clark expedition, Bishop Saenz said the church must “be convicted, be calm, stay connected and stay the course” through the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference in February devoted to human sexuality concerns in the denomination.
“We will stay calm in our spirit amid the storms,” Bishop Saenz said.
The bishop cited a dozen churches in Kansas and Nebraska that reshaped themselves for the future, took on new ministries and reached out to serve others in the community.
He praised the collection of more than 6,500 UMCOR flood buckets across the conference last fall, as well as $850,000 raised to help victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. He also praised congregations that helped contribute Christmas gifts to more than 20,000 families this past holiday season, and brought worshippers to Great Plains Churches for Easter numbering 147,000 – far outpacing the average of 82,000.
The bishop also congratulated the conference for an increase of 314 baptisms and professions of faith in 2017 over the previous year.
Great Plains’ first lay leader passes torch to successor
Courtney Fowler has been the conference lay leader since the Nebraska, Kansas East and Kansas West conferences merged in 2014.
“It has honestly been one of the greatest joys of my life,” she told laity.
Fowler’s husband took a new job a year ago in Virginia, she said, and she has been commuting back and forth between there and her home in Manhattan, Kansas, but she is keeping her membership in home church, College Avenue UMC.
With tears in her eyes, Fowler thanked associate lay leader Oliver Green for his friendship and support through the years, presenting him with a bolo tie made by her father, a pastor in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference.
Fowler’s successor, Lisa Maupin, has been an associate lay leader for the conference. A self-proclaimed “Metho-nerd,” Maupin was raised in a rural church in western Nebraska and currently lives in Lincoln, where she is an event planner for the University of Nebraska.
“I love the United Methodist Church,” she said. “I’m passionate about who we are as a denomination and who we are as a global church.”
Maupin also said she was passionate about the laity of the church.
“We are the lifeblood of our congregations, the lifeblood of our communities,” she said.
The Rev. Hollie Tapley, disaster response coordinator for the conference, explained disaster relief ministries, and how vital lay members are in keeping it active.
“Our ministry is about proclaiming Christ through our actions,” said Tapley, who has more than 250 trained and certified volunteers, and 25 people who faithfully answer the call for help.
Tapley said disaster relief ministries need three types of people – prayers, players (those active on the ground) and payers (those who can contribute financially).
Since a Texas church shooting last year, Tapley said, the Great Plains has given 150 active shooter training classes both in the two-state region and beyond – 43 of those to other denominations.
The Great Plains Disaster Relief ministries has not had to ask for financial assistance from UMCOR, and is the envy of others in the South Central Jurisdiction.
“Y’all are awesome,” Tapley said.
Kansas laywoman receives Newman Award
Valecia Scribner, director of discipleship at El Dorado First UMC, designed and launched an innovative weekly service opportunity for children, called FirstKids Serve, in which elementary students engage in projects of mercy and justice beyond the walls of the congregation, associate conference lay leader Theresa May told the laity session.
Thrive Butler, an anti-poverty initiative, is another ministry that Valencia helped launch, May said (El Dorado is located in Butler County).
“This initiative helps bridge gaps among community organizations and leaders and is making a difference in the lives of people in the community,” May said. “Poverty simulations, Bridges Out of Poverty training, funding opportunities, Getting Ahead class graduates in February and the Matched Teams ministries all are improving the status of those living in poverty.”
The Angie Newman Award honors a laywoman of the Great Plains Conference whose contribution to the church and the community is an example of the spirit of Newman. The ministry of the recipient should demonstrate commitment, compassion and a sense of justice for all people, especially women, youth and children.
Micah Corps internship celebrates 10 years at mission partnership lunch
The celebration of the 10th anniversary of Micah Corps internships became the emphasis of Thursday's Mission luncheon. The young people reinforced the meaning of Micah 6:8 do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God. We were reminded of some of the ways we as people of faith can live what the Lord requires of us. Four areas this summer's group is working on are environment, immigration, poverty and food insecurity, and peace and nonviolence. Bishop Saenz brought greetings and shared his concerns for immigrants now crossing the border.Two former Micah Corps interns shared a bit of how important this program has been in their lives. Carter Oberheu thanked the group for sponsoring this ministry. He was not sure about going to Omaha without any idea what he was getting himself into. Carter then shared how Micah Corps has led him to his present career path. The next former participant to share was Amla Agyabeng, who came from Ghana in 2010 as an exchange student. She became involved in Micah Corps when she returned as a college student. Ama was also not sure about going to Omaha. She is now a pharmacy student at Omaha's Creighton University and works in a pharmacy. Ama lives in the United States legally, and must go through so much red tape. Her concern is for those she works with who have difficulty with language and are in fear of deportation.
The Rev. Carol Windrum spoke about the uniqueness of Micah Corps. Young folk use the model of walking humbly in prayer. This humble prayer listening leads to the justice actions. In these times of polarization those actions must be shared with loving kindness. By standing for justice as followers of Christ, these Micah Corps interns are doing what the Lord requires.
Reports, celebrations fill Thursday afternoon schedule
- The Rev. Michael Beck from Florida introduced the conference to Fresh Expressions, an international movement of missionary disciples exploring new kinds of churches along with existing congregations. The Great Plains Conference is scheduled to begin work in Fresh Expressions this fall, and Beck will give a presentation on the program during workshops Friday morning.
- Two Kansas churches received the One Matters Award from Discipleship Ministries for growing number of baptisms and professions of faith. Sublette United Methodist Church received the award for adapting to “new economic and cultural realities,” according to Dr. Doug Ruffle from Discipleship Ministries. Douglass UMC received the award for incorporating a contemporary Christian song weekly into its traditional service, which grew to a full-fledged Christian concert in the south central Kansas community.
- Course of Study graduates were honored by the Board of Ordained Ministry. They are Bonnie Brock, Lindsey Clarke, Bill Driver, Mark Fillmore, Leslye Haller, Les Rye, Kyle Scheideman and Laura Stubblefield.
- The Great Plains Conference staff who will not be making the move from the Wichita and Lincoln office to Topeka were recognized. They are Regina Bergman, Lincoln, administrative assistant; Toby Carver, Wichita, technology coordinator; Mary Conrad, Wichita, campus ministry and new church development accountant; Roxie Delisi, Lincoln, administrative assistant; Lydia Harbutz, Wichita, administrative assistant; Shane Hinderliter, Wichita, local church youth ministry coordinator; Liz Lippoldt, Wichita, records steward; TruDee Little, Wichita, lead administrative assistant; Ann Manske, Wichita, receptionist; and Rachel Moser, Lincoln, communications coordinator.
- Loyd Hamrick, chair of the conference Board of Trustees, said the sale of the Wichita office closes tomorrow, June 15, 2018. The Lincoln and Topeka offices are awaiting closing dates. The sale of the bishop’s residence in Wichita is scheduled for Friday morning. The total from sales of the properties is $4,775,822, Hamrick said.
- Eleven churches were recognized for reaching their 150th anniversaries this year. They are, from Kansas: Yates Center, Edwardsville, Kansas City Grinter Chapel, Oswego, Enterprise, Sabetha and Derby Madison Avenue. From Nebraska: Clatonia Salem, West Point Trinity, Ashland and Weeping Water.
- Scott Brewer, treasurer and director of administrative services, reported that 90.1 percent of the churches in the conference had reached their mission share for the year, one of the highest percentages in the nation.
Great Plains Conference honors 37 retirees
Watch videos from June 14: Opening worship, episcopal address, episcopal committee report, Fowler’s laity address, laity session, Board of Ordained Ministry report, camping ministry, campus ministry, CFA report, clergy excellence report, commissioning of interns, communications/UMCOM, congregational excellence, connecting council report, dance break!, history and archives, new church development, pension and health benefits, personnel team farewells, treasurer’s report, trustees report.
Trying to find maps in a world of GPS, Louisiana Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey urged those in the ordination service to follow the instructions of a mapmaker and seek their own north star in a sermon Friday night.
Earlier in the day, a variety of workshops informed those attending the conference, with all of them listening to Dr. Mark R. Teasdale talk about evangelism.
“Evangelism is a word that makes people feel uncomfortable, something where we feel like it’s only for those people who have that special gift to be an evangelist and who ought to be doing it. Is this right? No, this is wrong!,” he said in two workshops.
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. talked more about the Commission on a Way Forward and the Special Session in 2019 in St. Louis. A lunch celebrated the work done by youth and campus ministries in the conference.
Each day there will be a special edition of "GPconnect." You can expect to receive GPconnect Daily today through Saturday. Below you can find information on what attendees can expect during AC 2018, along with announcements and featured stories.
Watch the live streaming of the session at www.greatplainsumc.org/livestream and on our Facebook page. See the official schedule to help make your viewing plans. View photos on our AC Flickr album, as we will update it daily. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to view additional photos and stay current with everything AC 2018. Don't forget to use hashtag #GPUMC and #GPAC18. Have a great week.
Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey recently went in search of a map.
As a welcome gift to a new staff member in her Louisiana Conference, Bishop Harvey went to six places, but couldn’t find “an old-fashioned, fold-up kind of map.”
Sure, most of us use apps to find our way anymore, but “you need to be able not to see where you are with a blue dot,” she said, “but where you are going.”
Mapmakers, Bishop Harvey told Great Plains Conference ordinands Friday night, first used Polaris, the north star, to center themselves.
Likewise, “we need to know where our north star is,” she added.
Mission, Bishop Harvey has stressed in the Louisiana Conference, should be the lead in everything they endeavor to do, and likewise that should be the goal of all pastors and churches.
With decisions regarding human sexuality issues facing United Methodists next year, Bishop Harvey said the church must stay united, serving the hungry, thirsty, those in prison, the sick “and continue to be on call as the body of Christ.”
Bishop Harvey told the ordinands to “find your north star.”
Comissioned as provisional elders were Darryl Andre Burton, Anne Christine Gahn, Hyun Ju Gil, Julie Dawn King, John Richard Lewis, Daniel Norwood, Lori Jo Patton, Christine Elizabeth Potter, Jeffrey Paul Potter, Darlene May Sheffer, So Yeong Son, Hui Angie Vertz and Younghwan Won.
Rachel Elizabeth Rigdon was comissioned as a provisional deacon.
Recognition as associate members was bestowed on Robert Stanley Ernest, Berniece Dawn Ludlum and Vernon Scott Olson.
Melissa Gepford was ordained as a deacon in full connection.
Ordained as elders in full connection were Andrea Anna Beyer, Isaac Chua, Orlando Gallardo Parra, Donna J. Hull Goltry, Molly Danielle Just, Brenda Jane Kostner Johnson and Lucas Frederick McConnell.
Amy Michelle Seifert was ordained and transferred from the Order of Deacons to full membership in the Order of Elders.
About 60 black pastors from the Great Plains Conference gathered Thursday night at the Southeast Campus of Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Wichita to share their joys and comfort each other through tough times.
This is the second time the black clergy – both African-Americans and African natives – have gathered, according to the Rev. Dee Williamston, Salina District superintendent.
“This is just so beautiful, so awesome,” the Rev. Darryl Burton of Church of the Resurrection, ordained as an elder Friday night, said.
The Saint Mark praise team energetically provided music for the night, and many testimonials from pastors in the audience segued into songs as well.
“There’s something about us and the rhythm we have here,” said the Rev. Wayne Reynolds, pastor of Crete Grace UMC in Nebraska.
African pastors led the group in traditional song and dance, which they were asked to reprise for the Friday afternoon session.
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. and his wife, Maye, made a surprise appearance, and answered questions from the pastors.
“I want to encourage you and thank you for your ministry,” Bishop Saenz told them. “We really enrich our ministry with what you bring to the table.”
The pastors asked if they could bless the Saenzes, and surrounded them with prayer led by the Rev. Cynthia Wilson, associate general secretary of Discipleship Ministries.
Youth from this year's Amp It Up! worship band camp at Southwestern College provided the praise music to open Friday's session.
“Evangelism is a word that makes people feel uncomfortable, something where we feel like it’s only for those people who have that special gift to be an evangelist and who ought to be doing it. Is this right? No, this is wrong! It is bias!” the Rev. Dr. Mark R. Teasdale proclaimed Friday to Great Plains Conference attendees.
Teasdale was the keynote speaker at the 2018 Great Plains Annual Conference session held in Wichita. Under the title “Evangelism for Non-Evangelist,” Teasdale shares techniques for those who feel they have the call to proclaim the gospel even if they see themselves as non-evangelists.Read more about Teasdale's keynote presentation.
Friday: Seek your ‘north star’
Earlier in the day, a variety of workshops informed those attending the conference, with all of them listening to Dr. Mark R. Teasdale talk about evangelism.
“Evangelism is a word that makes people feel uncomfortable, something where we feel like it’s only for those people who have that special gift to be an evangelist and who ought to be doing it. Is this right? No, this is wrong!,” he said in two workshops.
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. talked more about the Commission on a Way Forward and the Special Session in 2019 in St. Louis. A lunch celebrated the work done by youth and campus ministries in the conference.
AC 2018 Daily
Recap from Friday, June 15, 2018
Welcome to Wichita, Kansas, and the 2018 Great Plains United Methodist Conference Session!Each day there will be a special edition of "GPconnect." You can expect to receive GPconnect Daily today through Saturday. Below you can find information on what attendees can expect during AC 2018, along with announcements and featured stories.
Watch the live streaming of the session at www.greatplainsumc.org/livestream and on our Facebook page. See the official schedule to help make your viewing plans. View photos on our AC Flickr album, as we will update it daily. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to view additional photos and stay current with everything AC 2018. Don't forget to use hashtag #GPUMC and #GPAC18. Have a great week.
Bishop tells ordinands to find their north star
As a welcome gift to a new staff member in her Louisiana Conference, Bishop Harvey went to six places, but couldn’t find “an old-fashioned, fold-up kind of map.”
Sure, most of us use apps to find our way anymore, but “you need to be able not to see where you are with a blue dot,” she said, “but where you are going.”
Mapmakers, Bishop Harvey told Great Plains Conference ordinands Friday night, first used Polaris, the north star, to center themselves.
Likewise, “we need to know where our north star is,” she added.
Mission, Bishop Harvey has stressed in the Louisiana Conference, should be the lead in everything they endeavor to do, and likewise that should be the goal of all pastors and churches.
With decisions regarding human sexuality issues facing United Methodists next year, Bishop Harvey said the church must stay united, serving the hungry, thirsty, those in prison, the sick “and continue to be on call as the body of Christ.”
Bishop Harvey told the ordinands to “find your north star.”
Comissioned as provisional elders were Darryl Andre Burton, Anne Christine Gahn, Hyun Ju Gil, Julie Dawn King, John Richard Lewis, Daniel Norwood, Lori Jo Patton, Christine Elizabeth Potter, Jeffrey Paul Potter, Darlene May Sheffer, So Yeong Son, Hui Angie Vertz and Younghwan Won.
Rachel Elizabeth Rigdon was comissioned as a provisional deacon.
Recognition as associate members was bestowed on Robert Stanley Ernest, Berniece Dawn Ludlum and Vernon Scott Olson.
Melissa Gepford was ordained as a deacon in full connection.
Ordained as elders in full connection were Andrea Anna Beyer, Isaac Chua, Orlando Gallardo Parra, Donna J. Hull Goltry, Molly Danielle Just, Brenda Jane Kostner Johnson and Lucas Frederick McConnell.
Amy Michelle Seifert was ordained and transferred from the Order of Deacons to full membership in the Order of Elders.
Black pastors gather for praise, fellowship
This is the second time the black clergy – both African-Americans and African natives – have gathered, according to the Rev. Dee Williamston, Salina District superintendent.
“This is just so beautiful, so awesome,” the Rev. Darryl Burton of Church of the Resurrection, ordained as an elder Friday night, said.
The Saint Mark praise team energetically provided music for the night, and many testimonials from pastors in the audience segued into songs as well.
“There’s something about us and the rhythm we have here,” said the Rev. Wayne Reynolds, pastor of Crete Grace UMC in Nebraska.
African pastors led the group in traditional song and dance, which they were asked to reprise for the Friday afternoon session.
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. and his wife, Maye, made a surprise appearance, and answered questions from the pastors.
“I want to encourage you and thank you for your ministry,” Bishop Saenz told them. “We really enrich our ministry with what you bring to the table.”
The pastors asked if they could bless the Saenzes, and surrounded them with prayer led by the Rev. Cynthia Wilson, associate general secretary of Discipleship Ministries.
Youth lead morning worship
Evangelism is job for everyone, annual conference told
Teasdale was the keynote speaker at the 2018 Great Plains Annual Conference session held in Wichita. Under the title “Evangelism for Non-Evangelist,” Teasdale shares techniques for those who feel they have the call to proclaim the gospel even if they see themselves as non-evangelists.Read more about Teasdale's keynote presentation.
Workshops offer variety of learning opportunities
Friday morning, those at the annual conference session attended a listening session led by the Rev. Dr. Mark Teasldale and chose one of eight workshops. Those worships were:
Anatomy of Peace led by Rev. Nathan Stanton, director of congregational excellenceThe book, “The Anatomy of Peace,” asks, “What if conflicts at home, conflicts at work, and conflicts in the world stem from the same root cause? What if we systematically misunderstand that cause?” This workshop lays the foundation for understanding how having a “heart of peace” can help our relationships go right, whether the other person is a family member, a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger. The alternative is to have a “heart at war,” meaning we view others as objects instead of persons. Learn how to change your way of being with others.
Bloom where you’re Planted: Church Growth for Small and Mid-sized Churches led by Rev. Kimberly Pope-Seiberling
Not everyone’s church has thousands or even hundreds of people (I’m not insulting large churches it’s just a fact), but that does not mean your church is unable to reach people for Christ. Don’t let the size of your congregation determine your God-sized dream. This workshop discussed critical markers for growth, how to identify gaps and how to make strategic changes in your church. You will also learn about some things you can do today to take the first steps toward church growth.
Contextualized, Holistic Evangelism for the 21st Century led by Rev. Heather Lear
Using the material developed for their Evangelism for Non-Evangelists webinar series, Heather Lear took a deeper dive into ways that our congregations can articulate their faith and share the Good News in authentic ways. This workshop built on Mark Teasdale’s plenary, and took a comprehensive look at congregations’ evangelism and discipleship practices and evaluate how current ministry offerings connect with their communities. Attendees moved past relying on best practices to creatively discern how God has gifted and placed your congregation “for such a time as this.”
Fresh Expressions led by Rev. Michael Beck
This workshop provided a basic introduction to the Fresh Expressions movement, explored the connections between the early Methodist revival, and considered the implications for local churches. Some practices and processes were offered on how to mobilize your local congregation as a mission force.
How to Be Practically Christian — Covenant Discipleship Groups in Church and Community led by Rev. David Watson, Five Rivers/Parson districts superintendent
Maybe the best way to grow the church is to shrink it (Honey, I shrunk the church!). Strange as it may sound, this has always been the “Method of Methodism:” small, focused gatherings of those who desired to be faithful Christians. It was where the earliest Methodists enjoyed fellowship and community — but most importantly — where they held each other accountable in their Christian life. “Watching over one another in love” is how they put it. And Wesley considered it a “prudential means of grace” — a practical, sensible way to grow in discipleship as profound as it was simple. This workshop focused on the “why” and the “how” of Covenant Discipleship as a model for vital ministry both in our congregations and communities. Attendees re-discovered the “Method of Methodism” — and saw what being “practically” Christian is all about.
Local-Church Marketing Plan Tool led by Rev. Ashleigh Joyner, United Methodist CommunicationsIt’s important that we tell the stories of our churches as a means of connecting with people in our communities. United Methodist Communications has developed a marketing tool that helps promote the local church. But first, it helps churches determine their dreams, discern the needs of their communities and then helps congregations develop ministries that provide the outreach necessary to better serve as disciples of Jesus Christ in the world today. This workshop walked attendees through the web-based tool, so they and their congregation can gather data that helps in ministry.
Making New Disciples in New Places (Lay Missionary Planting Network) led by Rev. Bob Crossman and Rev. Dr. Douglas Ruffle, Discipleship Ministries
This workshop introduced Making New Disciples in New Places (LMPN), a key resource that supports the vision of planting one new church every day. Outcomes desired from the use of this resource:
- Existing congregations and groups within the church can find value in its contents (e.g., a congregation in rural Nebraska or a remote village in Asia sees how it can apply the principles of this book)
- It helps move people from discipleship to apostleship
- People will be mobilized to start new ministries to make new disciples
- It will articulate an ecclesial understanding of the gathered and scattered church
- It will help people understand how Christology leads to Missiology and Ecclesiology
This workshop shared the primary components of what makes a VBS successful — from vision setting to promotion, structure, design, and other strategies. Horizons hosted 591 participants in 2017 with the help of 375 volunteers. Numbers are anticipated to be over 600 this year. Not only do children come for VBS, but significant numbers of families come back and become a part of the church. Horizons’ VBS also puts the church on the map in the minds of community people, which is especially helpful when being located within a neighborhood.
Lunch celebrates youth, campus ministries
Students from the Conference Council on Youth Ministries and those involved in campus ministries in the Great Plains Conference gave testimonies about what each program has meant to them in their faith journeys.
Five youth – Kailie Hamilton, Hesston, Kansas; Arianna Jacobson, Fremont, Nebraska; Emily Robinson, Andover, Kansas; Te Gatobu, Lincoln; and Roy Koech, Hays, Kansas – were commissioned to attend the Global Young People’s Convocation, July 18-22 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Shayla Jordan, a former delegate to the convocation, is organizing a legislative forum in South Africa.
The Susanna Wesley Award of Excellence was presented to Mary Conrad, retiring this month as campus ministry and new church development accountant.
The Rev. Nicole Conard, coordinator of young adult ministries, received the Francis Asbury Award, given through the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
Conference hears more about Way Forward
Much of the time included a video of the Rev. Tom Berlin, a pastor from the Virginia Conference and a member of the Commission on a Way Forward, explaining the three proposals being put before the delegates in detailed and sometimes-amusing ways. (The video will be posted on the Great Plains Conference website later this summer.)
The Rev. Nathan Stanton, director of congregational excellence, discussed the book “Anatomy of Peace,” which is being recommended for discussion on the issues, looking at the reasons for disagreement and options for achieving harmony.
The conference’s delegates for the Special Session, all of whom were delegates for the 2016 General Conference in Portland, Oregon, were introduced and blessed by the attendees. Oliver Green, Topeka, leads the laity, and the Rev. Adam Hamilton, from Church of the Resurrection, leads the clergy.
Also on Friday afternoon, the conference:
Voted to close churches in Upland, in the Gateway District; Glade and Gove, in the Hays District; Gardner First Light, in the Kansas City District; and Cedar Vale, in the Parsons District.
Gave a voice and vote to the Peace with Justice coordinator, as part of the lay equalization plan, for future Annual Conference sessions, including the remainder of this year’s conference.
Tabled the addition of a resolution committee until next year’s conference.
Defeated a resolution to encourage investment in Wespath’s “Social Values Choice” suite of funds.
UMCOR truck loads nearly 4,000 kits
The truck and driver, donated by ACI Motor Freight of Wichita, carried 430 cleaning kits, 1,783 hygiene kits and 1,785 school kits – a total of 3,998 kits.
Those who did not assemble kits donated money totaling $10,237.19 to benefit UMCOR.Read more about the third day.
Watch videos from June 15: Morning worship with youth, Teasdale’s teaching session, “Anatomy of Peace” discussion, Saint Paul School of Theology, Rev. Tom Berlin’s discussion of Committee on a Way Forward, ordination service.
Saturday: Therefore Go!
After approving the appointments for the church year, the conference was adjourned.
AC 2018 Daily
Recap from Saturday, June 16, 2018
We hope you enjoyed your time at the 2018 Great Plains Annual Conference Session in Wichita, Kansas. We wish you safe travels as you return home.
Therefore Go 5K draws 147 walkers, runners
Although not a competition, the Rev. Joshua Clough, associate pastor of Church of the Resurrection, was the first to cross the finish line. Cyndi Ericksen, laity from Wichita, was the first female.
The Rev. Nicole Conard, young leadership development coordinator, said a portion of the race entry fee went toward Mercy & Justice scholarships.
The race was sponsored by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.
Nominations approved, vacancies still remain
Send questions to the Rev. Tessa Zehring, chair of the conference nominations team, at tzehring@greatplainsumc.org. You are encouraged to nominate others and yourselves for conference committees and teams by going to www.greatplainsumc.org/serve.
Conference approves budget in final session of 2018
The conference voted down, by a 396-374 margin, a resolution that called on the United States government to adhere to the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act for the rights of children living under Israeli occupation.
The conference voted in favor of resolutions creating a partnership between the Great Plains and the Methodist Church of Haiti; asking political leaders to affirm the rights of immigrants of refugees; and a call to offer dignitary and sanctuary to “all of God’s children.”
Charles File, president of the conference’s United Methodist Men, and Karen Dunlap, president of the United Methodist Women, each gave their reports as well as video presentation. Dunlap, who brought a bouquet of balloons celebrating the UMW’s 150th anniversary, said the organization worldwide contributes 41 cents to missions – every second.
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. introduced members of the cabinet and their spouses. He gave short tributes to the Rev. Bruce Emmert, leaving his post as Kansas City District superintendent to become pastor at St. Andrew’s UMC in Omaha; and the Rev. Eldon Davis, retiring as Elkhorn Valley superintendent. The Rev. Anne Gatobu was introduced as the new KC District superintendent.
The Rev. Nan Kaye-Skinner, conference secretary, announced that the 2019 Annual Conference sessions will be from May 30 to June 1 in Topeka.
Special offerings net $15,000
Offerings in three collections during the conference session raised more than $15,000. Those offering totals are as followed.- Opening worship/memorial service: Christmas Camps - $5,446.80
- Youth worship: Youth Service Fund - $6,464.46
- Ordination: Seminary students to participate in mercy and justice experiences - $4,442.08
Watch videos from June 16: Morning worship, CFA report, Nebraska and Kansas UM foundations, nominating committee, Resolution 9 discussion/vote, UMW, UMM, Resolutions 11-13, extended cabinet introductions and adjournment.
Next year’s annual conference is set for May 30 to June 1 in Topeka.
Some conferences endorsing recommendations
During their sessions this month, some annual conferences have endorsed recommendations from the Commission on a Way Forward and the Council of Bishops. Some sessions already have endorsed the bishops’ recommended One Church Model, and some have supported a more traditionalist approach.
Various annual conferences have voted on resolutions related to the Council of Bishops recommendation for a way forward through the denomination’s potentially church-splitting divisions over homosexuality.
In May, a majority of United Methodist bishops recommended what they call the One Church Model.
Some conferences have endorsed that plan, which would leave questions of the ordination of LGBTQ clergy up to annual conferences and same-gender marriage up to local churches. Others have called for stronger enforcement of the denomination’s current prohibitions against same-gender weddings and “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy.
The resolutions are aspirational. Ultimately, decisions about the denomination’s direction will be in the hands of the 864 lay and clergy delegates — elected by annual conferences — to attend the special General Conference in 2019.
The U.S. annual conference season is still very much in full swing with more votes to come. Here is a brief overview of some of the actions thus far.
MORE ON ANNUAL CONFERENCES
Annual conferences are yearly, regional gatherings around the globe that combine United Methodist worship and business. They celebrate the licensing, commissioning and ordination of new clergy and as well as clergy retirements.
United Methodist News Service is posting annual conference reports as we receive them.
See reports.
At least two annual conference sessions — Baltimore-Washington and Northern Illinois — approved resolutions that support the One Church Model.
The Baltimore-Washington Conference, by a vote of 310 to 233, approved a motion to “welcome the leadership of the Council of Bishops in its proposal of the One Church Plan to the 2019 Special Session of General Conference.”
In the Michigan Conference, voters approved the “Call for Unity in Diversity” resolution that urges the General Conference to "affirm unity in our diversity, and challenge in love all that divides and offer to all people God's saving grace through Jesus Christ that transforms the world."
The vote for the resolution was overwhelming and brought together United Methodists across the theological spectrum, said the Rev. Melanie Carey, a General Conference delegate who presented the resolution.
“In our families, we don’t agree with everybody,” she said. “The church is like a giant family. We don’t agree, but we still get together. Sometimes in families, people don’t talk to each other or they break apart. But we’re hoping we’ll be able to work it out.”
The North Alabama Conference voted against a similar resolution on unity by a written vote of 412 no to 240 yes.
The Holston Conference substituted a One Church Model endorsement with a motion calling on its General Conference delegation to study the upcoming bishops’ report and subsequently set up listening sessions around the conference ahead of the 2019 session.
The New York Conference, which encompasses United Methodists in the greater New York City area and western Connecticut, reaffirmed its longtime stance that the denomination should remove language excluding LGBTQ individuals from the life of the church. The resolution also urges General Conference delegates to consider “the marginalized in any proposed changes in church structure.”
The conference — as permitted by the denomination’s Book of Discipline — also elected a new slate of eight delegates and eight reserves to the special General Conference. Of the 16-member delegation, seven are LGBTQ, 11 are people of color, 10 are women and five are immigrants. Some of the straight delegates elected identify as LGBTQ allies.
The high number of LGBTQ United Methodists was by design, said Dorothee Benz, who is openly gay and will be a lay delegate in 2019.
“At the very center of this effort was our conviction that we must do whatever we can to rectify the exclusion of LGBTQI people not just from equal standing in the church but from even being in the conversation,” she said. The initials stand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex.
The Upper New York Conference voted against two resolutions — one urging the end of all forms of discrimination against LGBTQ individuals and another urging a four-book study that advocates a traditionalist approach to sexual ethics and celibacy for gay people.
The conference did approve a resolution urging the General Council on Finance and Administration to add a “non-binary” column to the denomination’s membership statistical reports to allow the reporting of members who do not identify as male or female.
Other conferences are calling for an alternative to the bishops’ recommendation.
The South Georgia Conference approved a resolution urging affirmation of “the present standards of our Discipline” with added accountability when the Discipline is violated.
The South Carolina Conference also referred a resolution affirming the current language in the Discipline to its General Conference delegation. The conference also amended a resolution on lay volunteers and lay staff to say it would “encourage all United Methodist congregations in South Carolina to follow” employment and volunteer practices that are aligned with the denomination's Social Principles. The resolution goes on to encourage local church policies for lay volunteers and employees "based solely on merit and without regard for sexual orientation or gender identity."
The Peninsula-Delaware Conference amended a resolution that called for “openness to diverse perspectives in matters of human sexuality” to instead “maintain the current language” in the Discipline concerning matters of human sexuality.
At the same conference, Chelsea Spyres announced she was withdrawing from appointment as a licensed local pastor as long as LGBTQ individuals are barred from ordination.
For those who want to maintain the church’s prohibitions, the Rev. Rob Renfroe promised a traditionalist plan will be on the table at the special General Conference. Renfroe is the president of Good News, an unofficial advocacy group that seeks to strengthen enforcement of church laws on homosexuality.
At a luncheon with likeminded United Methodists in the Texas Conference, Renfroe declared he and other traditionalists would defeat the One Church Model at General Conference.
He also urged bishops who support that model to leave The United Methodist Church.
“Admit you no longer have the moral authority to lead this church,” he said. “And if you want to lead others out to something other than The United Methodist Church, we will bless you as you go.”
The bishops plan to make their report to General Conference public after it is translated into the main languages in which the church does business — English, French, Kiswahili and Portuguese. The deadline to submit legislation to the special General Conference is July 8.
The U.S. annual conference season will continue through the end of June with more annual conference meetings planned around the globe before the special General Conference.
Delegates often take annual conference actions into consideration, but they are not obligated to reflect the opinions of those who elected them. The church’s Judicial Council has stated that delegates must vote “as their conscience dictates” for what is good for the church of Jesus Christ.
Hahn is a multimedia news reporter for United Methodist News Service. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests
Read news from other Annual Conference sessions.
Next year’s annual conference is set for May 30 to June 1 in Topeka.
Some conferences endorsing recommendations
During their sessions this month, some annual conferences have endorsed recommendations from the Commission on a Way Forward and the Council of Bishops. Some sessions already have endorsed the bishops’ recommended One Church Model, and some have supported a more traditionalist approach.
Photo by Kathleen Barry, UMNS
Members of the 2018 Michigan Annual Conference meet in Traverse City, Mich. Conferences, including Michigan, voted on resolutions that signal their aspirations for the special General Conference in 2019.
Annual conferences mixed on bishops’ plan
Clarifies Michigan, South Carolina actions b
After singing “And Are We Yet Alive,” a number of U.S. annual conferences have weighed in on how The United Methodist Church might live in the future.
y Heather Hahn
, UMNS
Various annual conferences have voted on resolutions related to the Council of Bishops recommendation for a way forward through the denomination’s potentially church-splitting divisions over homosexuality.
In May, a majority of United Methodist bishops recommended what they call the One Church Model.
Some conferences have endorsed that plan, which would leave questions of the ordination of LGBTQ clergy up to annual conferences and same-gender marriage up to local churches. Others have called for stronger enforcement of the denomination’s current prohibitions against same-gender weddings and “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy.
The resolutions are aspirational. Ultimately, decisions about the denomination’s direction will be in the hands of the 864 lay and clergy delegates — elected by annual conferences — to attend the special General Conference in 2019.
The U.S. annual conference season is still very much in full swing with more votes to come. Here is a brief overview of some of the actions thus far.
MORE ON ANNUAL CONFERENCES
Annual conferences are yearly, regional gatherings around the globe that combine United Methodist worship and business. They celebrate the licensing, commissioning and ordination of new clergy and as well as clergy retirements.
United Methodist News Service is posting annual conference reports as we receive them.
See reports.
At least two annual conference sessions — Baltimore-Washington and Northern Illinois — approved resolutions that support the One Church Model.
The Baltimore-Washington Conference, by a vote of 310 to 233, approved a motion to “welcome the leadership of the Council of Bishops in its proposal of the One Church Plan to the 2019 Special Session of General Conference.”
In the Michigan Conference, voters approved the “Call for Unity in Diversity” resolution that urges the General Conference to "affirm unity in our diversity, and challenge in love all that divides and offer to all people God's saving grace through Jesus Christ that transforms the world."
The vote for the resolution was overwhelming and brought together United Methodists across the theological spectrum, said the Rev. Melanie Carey, a General Conference delegate who presented the resolution.
“In our families, we don’t agree with everybody,” she said. “The church is like a giant family. We don’t agree, but we still get together. Sometimes in families, people don’t talk to each other or they break apart. But we’re hoping we’ll be able to work it out.”
The North Alabama Conference voted against a similar resolution on unity by a written vote of 412 no to 240 yes.
The Holston Conference substituted a One Church Model endorsement with a motion calling on its General Conference delegation to study the upcoming bishops’ report and subsequently set up listening sessions around the conference ahead of the 2019 session.
The New York Conference, which encompasses United Methodists in the greater New York City area and western Connecticut, reaffirmed its longtime stance that the denomination should remove language excluding LGBTQ individuals from the life of the church. The resolution also urges General Conference delegates to consider “the marginalized in any proposed changes in church structure.”
The conference — as permitted by the denomination’s Book of Discipline — also elected a new slate of eight delegates and eight reserves to the special General Conference. Of the 16-member delegation, seven are LGBTQ, 11 are people of color, 10 are women and five are immigrants. Some of the straight delegates elected identify as LGBTQ allies.
The high number of LGBTQ United Methodists was by design, said Dorothee Benz, who is openly gay and will be a lay delegate in 2019.
“At the very center of this effort was our conviction that we must do whatever we can to rectify the exclusion of LGBTQI people not just from equal standing in the church but from even being in the conversation,” she said. The initials stand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex.
The Upper New York Conference voted against two resolutions — one urging the end of all forms of discrimination against LGBTQ individuals and another urging a four-book study that advocates a traditionalist approach to sexual ethics and celibacy for gay people.
The conference did approve a resolution urging the General Council on Finance and Administration to add a “non-binary” column to the denomination’s membership statistical reports to allow the reporting of members who do not identify as male or female.
Other conferences are calling for an alternative to the bishops’ recommendation.
The South Georgia Conference approved a resolution urging affirmation of “the present standards of our Discipline” with added accountability when the Discipline is violated.
The South Carolina Conference also referred a resolution affirming the current language in the Discipline to its General Conference delegation. The conference also amended a resolution on lay volunteers and lay staff to say it would “encourage all United Methodist congregations in South Carolina to follow” employment and volunteer practices that are aligned with the denomination's Social Principles. The resolution goes on to encourage local church policies for lay volunteers and employees "based solely on merit and without regard for sexual orientation or gender identity."
The Peninsula-Delaware Conference amended a resolution that called for “openness to diverse perspectives in matters of human sexuality” to instead “maintain the current language” in the Discipline concerning matters of human sexuality.
At the same conference, Chelsea Spyres announced she was withdrawing from appointment as a licensed local pastor as long as LGBTQ individuals are barred from ordination.
For those who want to maintain the church’s prohibitions, the Rev. Rob Renfroe promised a traditionalist plan will be on the table at the special General Conference. Renfroe is the president of Good News, an unofficial advocacy group that seeks to strengthen enforcement of church laws on homosexuality.
At a luncheon with likeminded United Methodists in the Texas Conference, Renfroe declared he and other traditionalists would defeat the One Church Model at General Conference.
He also urged bishops who support that model to leave The United Methodist Church.
“Admit you no longer have the moral authority to lead this church,” he said. “And if you want to lead others out to something other than The United Methodist Church, we will bless you as you go.”
The bishops plan to make their report to General Conference public after it is translated into the main languages in which the church does business — English, French, Kiswahili and Portuguese. The deadline to submit legislation to the special General Conference is July 8.
The U.S. annual conference season will continue through the end of June with more annual conference meetings planned around the globe before the special General Conference.
Delegates often take annual conference actions into consideration, but they are not obligated to reflect the opinions of those who elected them. The church’s Judicial Council has stated that delegates must vote “as their conscience dictates” for what is good for the church of Jesus Christ.
Hahn is a multimedia news reporter for United Methodist News Service. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests
Read news from other Annual Conference sessions.
Clergy Excellence
Church of the Resurrection's Young Preachers Festival is next week
The gathering is designed to engage and empower young people across the country to pursue their call to ministry and to further inspire and develop preaching gifts in those who have already answered that call. The festival is intended for persons age 18-34 who are graduating high school seniors, college-aged ministry participants, seminary students, declared candidates for ordination, youth directors and young clergy already serving in churches.
The festival’s featured preachers/speakers include: Adam Hamilton, Sarah Heath, Kevin Murriel, Jerusha Neal, Charley Reeb and Scott Chrostek.
Experiences for festival participants include:
Learning about the craft of preaching, sermon preparation and preaching skills from a panel of featured speakers
Participating in inspiring worship and hearing some of today’s denominational leaders preach the Gospel
Preparing and presenting a sermon and receiving feedback
Meeting and connecting with other young church leadersAdditional details and registration can be found at www.youngpreachersfestival.org. Contact sharechurchevents@cor.org or 913-232-4139.
Compassion Without Fatigue’
workshop offered in July
“Compassion Without Fatigue,” a workshop for caregivers, clergy and those in the helping professions, is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, July 12, at First Lutheran Church, 1551 S. 70th St., Lincoln.
The workshop is designed for anyone who is feeling on the edge of burning out, or simply aware that the trauma of other people is weighing on yourself.The cost is $80, including a light lunch. Three continuing-education credits are available. Registration can be made online or through a Facebook page.
It is being offered by the Rev. Stephen Griffith, a retired United Methodist pastor, and Contemplate Lincoln, a nonprofit hub for contemplative lifestyle and prayer
Equipping Disciples
One week left to nominate a young person for the Summit Youth Academy
“From me to you, there wasn’t a better opportunity for her. She came home from the experience a changed individual. I couldn’t have imagined a better opportunity for her than she had there that actually opened her mind to listening to what God was maybe calling her to do. … I finally saw that she had a spark and that she was actually going to use skills and talents – God-given talents – that she had that she just didn’t realize that she had. I would recommend, if you’re even thinking about the Summit… Send your kid. Because it was the best decision that we had ever made.”
Nominate a young person this week for the Summit at www.summityouthacademy.org. p
United Methodist Youth Institute
includes twice-daily worship, quiet time
Evening worship is held at Baldwin First United Methodist Church. Instituters have worshiped in this local church since it was built over 85 years ago. They even purchased the central stained glass window in the sanctuary when the church was constructed after a devastating fire destroyed the previous structure. Evening worship is a great time to be challenged in faith.
The Spiritual Life Coordinator for the week of Institute is the Rev. Jeff Clinger, pastor of Topeka First UMC. He will be leading us through our theme for the week "Beyond Belief.” Come to worship expecting to be comforted, challenged and called out into the world. Worship is a great time to consider what it means to have a faith that goes "Beyond Belief.”
Kevan Welsh will be returning as the Musician in Residence. He will be working with two youth, Jess Smith and Jessie Fish, who will be serving as Youth Musicians in Residence.
On Wednesday night, visitors are invited to worship in the Baldwin First UMC sanctuary. Family, friends, clergy and alumni can come and share in worship on Wednesday night.Learn more and register for the UMY Institute.
Mercy & Justice
Learn more about creation in July
farm tour near Marquette, Nebraska
Time to feed your soul and BE in creation! In the midst of so much distress about our planet, it does the soul good to celebrate the creation care models that are working!
You are invited to the annual Grain Place Farm Tour & Field Day on Saturday, July 14, at the Grain Place Farm near Marquette, Nebraska.
From our friends at the Grain Place: In the morning of our annual farm tour, we will give you an up-close view of our 280-acre organic farm, which has been pioneering organic, regenerative agriculture in central Nebraska for decades. Walk the fields with us, and see some of what we have learned.
After lunch (organic and locally sourced), we will feature our keynote presentation by Kyle Garner, CEO of ORGANIC INDIA. He will present on: Agriculture Innovation, Protecting Small and Family Farms and a Vision: Challenges Facing Organic Agriculture and Trade.
Organic India is a leading mission-driven manufacturer of herb-based wellness teas and functional herbal supplements. Since 1999, Organic India has worked directly with thousands of family famers in India, creating sustainable communities through fair-market agriculture, access to healthcare, education and gender equality and empowerment programs. ORGANIC INDIA products are certified organic and wildcrafted on over half a million acres of traditional and converted farmland throughout India.In commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the publication of “My Ántonia,” University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor and Willa Cather Foundation board member Andrew Jewell will briefly share about the way "My Ántonia" helps us appreciate the distinctive landscape and communities of central Nebraska.
Invite friends and make a day of it! Get your tickets at this link. (Your Creation Care Team)
Administration
Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation provides many services
SERVICES
- Investment services
- Scholarships and grants
- Stewardship
- Capital campaign
- Stock gifts
- Life-income gifts
- Donor-designated funds
- Certificate of Participation program
- Loans
- Free estate-planning services
- Foundation programs and seminars
- A higher level of service to the account holders, and more advantageous fee arrangements with our multiple professional money managers.
- Our investment services allow church leaders and staff members to spend more time focusing on their programs and ministries, rather than the day-to-day financial transactions.
- Seek to make a positive contribution towards the goals outlined in the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church.
- Monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or year-end reports
- Distributions on a scheduled basis or as requested
- An annual financial audit
- A full-time professional staff, investment Committee and Investment Adviser
Across the Connection
EmberHope Youthville celebrating
90th anniversary this weekend
Now known as EmberHope Youthville, a 90th anniversary celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 900 W. Broadway St. in Newton.
Home away from home
Home away from home
EmberHope Youthville’s 90th anniversary celebration will be held on June 23. The organization serves foster children and recently moved its corporate headquarters back to Newton. [PATRICIA MIDDLETON/NEWTON KANSAN] by Patricia Middleton / Newton Kansan / @kansanmiddleton
When one man left money in his estate for the foundation of the Methodist Children’s Home, it created a legacy of service to orphans and foster children that has gone on for many decades.
Now known as EmberHope Youthville, a 90th anniversary celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 23 at 900 W. Broadway St. in Newton.
“It’s going to be such a fun day,” said Megan Harris, development manager at EmberHope Youthville. “It’s free, it’s open to the public. Anyone is welcome to attend.”
A brief recognition ceremony honoring the organization’s supporters will start off the event’s time of free, family-friendly entertainment.
Games including ladderball and cornhole will be offered. A chalk art contest will take place between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. There will also be a scavenger hunt for attendees to complete.
“If you find everything, we’ll put your name in a drawing for some wonderful gift cards that places in Newton and Wichita have donated,” Harris said.
While cake and cookies will be served free of charge for attendees, a lineup of food trucks will also be present at the celebration. Ken N Barbie’z Rollin Diner, Consuelo’s Street Grill, Bibimbap N’ Go and Twisted Joes will serve up lunch menu items.
“We tried to get a variety, that way there’s something for everybody,” Harris said.
A 1927 Model T will be on campus for attendees to stuff with twin-size bedding. Those who donate bedding will receive raffle tickets to win prizes. The bedding will be used in a re-opened residential cottage that the public can tour.
“You can walk through and see what it’s like, living in a residential facility as a foster child,” Harris said.
The theme for EmberHope Youthville’s event is “Back to our roots — come help us grow.”
“We’re going to have history displays so you can see where we’re at and what we’re growing into,” Harris said.
When EmberHope Youthville began, the city of Newton chipped in to aid the organization’s purchase of 30 acres of land, 19 of which it still owns today. In 1930, the campus housed 48 children. It continued to grow through the years, adding more residential cottages and a chapel.
“Dr. Hertzler of Halstead provided free medical care for the children,” said Nickaila Sandate, CEO of EmberHope Youthville.
The campus also featured a barn with livestock. Participating in farm chores was a big part of the children’s lives for many years.
Supported by the Great Plains United Methodist Conference, EmberHope Youthville currently offers a residential campus for foster children, supports foster homes, works with children whose parents are in jail, facilitates counseling for teens addicted to drugs or alcohol and matches children with adoptive families in facilities across Kansas, Texas and Washington.
“We continue to expand our services to meet the needs of the state,” Sandate said.
EmberHope Youthville’s headquarters moved to Wichita in 2001, but returned to Newton late last year.
“We want to let Newton know we are back and here to stay and looking forward to spending another 90 years serving children,” Harris said.
For more information about EmberHope Youthville, visit http://www.emberhope.org or call 855-260-4673.
When one man left money in his estate for the foundation of the Methodist Children’s Home, it created a legacy of service to orphans and foster children that has gone on for many decades.
Now known as EmberHope Youthville, a 90th anniversary celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 23 at 900 W. Broadway St. in Newton.
“It’s going to be such a fun day,” said Megan Harris, development manager at EmberHope Youthville. “It’s free, it’s open to the public. Anyone is welcome to attend.”
A brief recognition ceremony honoring the organization’s supporters will start off the event’s time of free, family-friendly entertainment.
Games including ladderball and cornhole will be offered. A chalk art contest will take place between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. There will also be a scavenger hunt for attendees to complete.
“If you find everything, we’ll put your name in a drawing for some wonderful gift cards that places in Newton and Wichita have donated,” Harris said.
While cake and cookies will be served free of charge for attendees, a lineup of food trucks will also be present at the celebration. Ken N Barbie’z Rollin Diner, Consuelo’s Street Grill, Bibimbap N’ Go and Twisted Joes will serve up lunch menu items.
“We tried to get a variety, that way there’s something for everybody,” Harris said.
A 1927 Model T will be on campus for attendees to stuff with twin-size bedding. Those who donate bedding will receive raffle tickets to win prizes. The bedding will be used in a re-opened residential cottage that the public can tour.
“You can walk through and see what it’s like, living in a residential facility as a foster child,” Harris said.
The theme for EmberHope Youthville’s event is “Back to our roots — come help us grow.”
“We’re going to have history displays so you can see where we’re at and what we’re growing into,” Harris said.
When EmberHope Youthville began, the city of Newton chipped in to aid the organization’s purchase of 30 acres of land, 19 of which it still owns today. In 1930, the campus housed 48 children. It continued to grow through the years, adding more residential cottages and a chapel.
“Dr. Hertzler of Halstead provided free medical care for the children,” said Nickaila Sandate, CEO of EmberHope Youthville.
The campus also featured a barn with livestock. Participating in farm chores was a big part of the children’s lives for many years.
Supported by the Great Plains United Methodist Conference, EmberHope Youthville currently offers a residential campus for foster children, supports foster homes, works with children whose parents are in jail, facilitates counseling for teens addicted to drugs or alcohol and matches children with adoptive families in facilities across Kansas, Texas and Washington.
“We continue to expand our services to meet the needs of the state,” Sandate said.
EmberHope Youthville’s headquarters moved to Wichita in 2001, but returned to Newton late last year.
“We want to let Newton know we are back and here to stay and looking forward to spending another 90 years serving children,” Harris said.
For more information about EmberHope Youthville, visit http://www.emberhope.org or call 855-260-4673.
Read more in this story from The Newton Kansan.
Mead’s Corner, the coffeeshop ministry of Wichita First United Methodist Church, will close at the end of next month, leaving The Gathering – the fellowship that sprouted from the decade-old venue – looking for a new home.
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As Mead's Corner closes, a church community seeks a new home BY KATHERINE BURGESS kburgess@wichitaeagle.com
Worship music mingles with the smell of coffee Sunday evenings in Mead's Corner.
Now, the little church service that meets in the coffee shop is looking for a new home.
Past and current members say the nature of the space is important to The Gathering at Mead’s Corner and they hope they can find another public venue in which to worship together.
“It’s a bond that is strong in a way that I don’t experience in similar secular contexts,” said Kate Davis, a lay worship leader at The Gathering. “It’s also very welcoming. It’s very open. We don’t put any restrictions on what you have to believe or how you talk or what you think.”
The Gathering is a worship service of First United Methodist Church that has met at Mead’s Corner since the shop opened in 2008. Before that, it met in the basement of First United Methodist Church. The church’s website describes The Gathering as a place for people who “enjoy poetry readings, book clubs, and open mic nights.”
“The Gathering is a worship experiencing mixing current experiential ideas with ... ancient liturgical traditions for a rich, bold flavor, just like your favorite coffee,” the website reads.
Mead's Corner is the coffee shop ministry of First United Methodist Church. They serve fair trade coffee and have donated thousands to charitable causes. A steep rent increase is forcing the ministry to close.
For the Rev. Elizabeth Winger Young, The Gathering (called “Next” until a re-branding in 2013) was a place where she found her voice as a preacher.
More of a classic worship person, she found herself drawn to The Gathering because of the community, a mix of ages and income levels that meets together for worship and regular meals. Eventually she became a rotational preacher for the service. Today, she is pastor at Argonia United Methodist Church and Harper United Methodist Church.
The service at Mead’s Corner allowed the community to think outside the box and reach out to others, Young said.
“It meant that people who weren’t comfortable going to church in a regular church setting who’ve maybe been hurt by the church before felt comfortable there,” Young said. “It meant that you didn’t have to sit in a pew and listen, that you could be part of a dialogue."
Learning that Mead’s Corner would close was “gut wrenching,” Young said. The coffee shop wasn’t only a place of worship for her. Her husband proposed to her in Mead’s Corner and it was in the shop that they announced her pregnancy with their second child.
“It was just such a diverse community because people would walk off the street,” she said. “It will be hard to find a space that’s open to everyone and everyone can see that it’s happening the way it happens there.”
Leslie Coates, venue leader for The Gathering, said he was about to start asking other businesses about a new place to meet. Members of The Gathering made it clear that the public nature of the church was important, leading him to look at coffee shops, restaurants, parks and similar spaces.
While only about 15-20 people call the church home, many more come for shorter periods of time, dropping in for coffee and ending up staying for worship, Coates said.
They hope to stay in the downtown area and keep their 5 p.m. start time. Coates hopes they will find a new space before Mead’s Corner closes July 28.
Davis started to attend The Gathering almost by accident. She had been invited to Mead’s Corner by someone she had met at a weekend retreat. Thinking she was being invited out for coffee, she arrived at Mead's Corner on Sunday evening.
“I showed up and it turned out it was church,” she said.
She then volunteered to serve breakfast with members of The Gathering at a homeless shelter. Soon, she found herself loving the community.
Now, her feelings change day by day about the closure of Mead’s. Some days she’s excited for the opportunity. On other days she’s sad or scared.
What she hopes is that The Gathering will retain its core identity as a space welcoming to many different people, she said.
“I’ve never been in a church that regularly has the kind of diversity that we have at The Gathering,” she said. “Sometimes that means racial diversity, but more often it's theological diversity, income diversity, age diversity. … I think that’s really precious to me and really special.”
Coffee with Christ cafe opens in Belleville
After nearly 20 years as an elementary school teacher, a mother of five has opened a Christian coffee shop at 6 Wade Square. by Cara Anthony
Katherine Burgess: 316-268-6400, @kathsburgess.
As coffeehouse closes, church community seeks new home
As Mead's Corner closes, a church community seeks a new home BY KATHERINE BURGESS kburgess@wichitaeagle.com
Worship music mingles with the smell of coffee Sunday evenings in Mead's Corner.
Now, the little church service that meets in the coffee shop is looking for a new home.
Past and current members say the nature of the space is important to The Gathering at Mead’s Corner and they hope they can find another public venue in which to worship together.
“It’s a bond that is strong in a way that I don’t experience in similar secular contexts,” said Kate Davis, a lay worship leader at The Gathering. “It’s also very welcoming. It’s very open. We don’t put any restrictions on what you have to believe or how you talk or what you think.”
The Gathering is a worship service of First United Methodist Church that has met at Mead’s Corner since the shop opened in 2008. Before that, it met in the basement of First United Methodist Church. The church’s website describes The Gathering as a place for people who “enjoy poetry readings, book clubs, and open mic nights.”
“The Gathering is a worship experiencing mixing current experiential ideas with ... ancient liturgical traditions for a rich, bold flavor, just like your favorite coffee,” the website reads.
Mead's Corner is the coffee shop ministry of First United Methodist Church. They serve fair trade coffee and have donated thousands to charitable causes. A steep rent increase is forcing the ministry to close.
For the Rev. Elizabeth Winger Young, The Gathering (called “Next” until a re-branding in 2013) was a place where she found her voice as a preacher.
More of a classic worship person, she found herself drawn to The Gathering because of the community, a mix of ages and income levels that meets together for worship and regular meals. Eventually she became a rotational preacher for the service. Today, she is pastor at Argonia United Methodist Church and Harper United Methodist Church.
The service at Mead’s Corner allowed the community to think outside the box and reach out to others, Young said.
“It meant that people who weren’t comfortable going to church in a regular church setting who’ve maybe been hurt by the church before felt comfortable there,” Young said. “It meant that you didn’t have to sit in a pew and listen, that you could be part of a dialogue."
Learning that Mead’s Corner would close was “gut wrenching,” Young said. The coffee shop wasn’t only a place of worship for her. Her husband proposed to her in Mead’s Corner and it was in the shop that they announced her pregnancy with their second child.
“It was just such a diverse community because people would walk off the street,” she said. “It will be hard to find a space that’s open to everyone and everyone can see that it’s happening the way it happens there.”
Leslie Coates, venue leader for The Gathering, said he was about to start asking other businesses about a new place to meet. Members of The Gathering made it clear that the public nature of the church was important, leading him to look at coffee shops, restaurants, parks and similar spaces.
While only about 15-20 people call the church home, many more come for shorter periods of time, dropping in for coffee and ending up staying for worship, Coates said.
They hope to stay in the downtown area and keep their 5 p.m. start time. Coates hopes they will find a new space before Mead’s Corner closes July 28.
Davis started to attend The Gathering almost by accident. She had been invited to Mead’s Corner by someone she had met at a weekend retreat. Thinking she was being invited out for coffee, she arrived at Mead's Corner on Sunday evening.
“I showed up and it turned out it was church,” she said.
She then volunteered to serve breakfast with members of The Gathering at a homeless shelter. Soon, she found herself loving the community.
Now, her feelings change day by day about the closure of Mead’s. Some days she’s excited for the opportunity. On other days she’s sad or scared.
What she hopes is that The Gathering will retain its core identity as a space welcoming to many different people, she said.
“I’ve never been in a church that regularly has the kind of diversity that we have at The Gathering,” she said. “Sometimes that means racial diversity, but more often it's theological diversity, income diversity, age diversity. … I think that’s really precious to me and really special.”
Coffee with Christ cafe opens in Belleville
After nearly 20 years as an elementary school teacher, a mother of five has opened a Christian coffee shop at 6 Wade Square. by Cara Anthony
Read more from The Wichita Eagle.
On June 10, First United Methodist Church in Columbus, Nebraska, dedicated a Peace Pole.
At the end of the regular church service the congregation was led to the church front yard singing “Let There be Peace on Earth.” The four-sided pole has “May Peace Prevail on Earth” inscribed in English, Spanish, Korean and sign language.
Around the bottom of the pole are hand prints from children in the congregation. A special dedication prayer was read in each language. The congregation was challenged to live out Micah 6:8, “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
The Peace Pole is a monument that bears the universal message and prayer “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” They have been planted in every region of the world and are now recognized as one of the most prominent international symbols dedicated to peace.
Planting a Peace Pole is a way of bringing people together to inspire, awaken and uplift the human consciousness.
The Christian Social Witness Team presented the Peace Pole to the church.
These women heard from the Rev. Venedith Varges about the 32 Great Plains girls and their adult sponsors who traveled to the Southwest to tour and volunteer at several United Methodist institutions.
They also heard from Marilyn Zehring regarding the 150th anniversary of United Methodist Women and their Legacy Fund.
Holly Heyroth Opundo told about her passion for Angel House Orphanage in Tanzania where the children are learning tailoring.
Everyone present received a cloth zippered bag made at Angel House.
In other news
Newsletters
You are members, not delegates: A self-described social media rant by the Rev. Evelyn Fisher, who retired last year as director of congregational excellence for the Great Plains Conference, let several opinions fly: “UMC friends, you are only a ‘delegate’ if you are attending Jurisdictional or General Conference. Whether lay or clergy, you are a ‘member’ of Annual Conference. Common but crucial mistake. Annual conference is your home base.”
Why do UMC pastors change churches?: The United Methodist Church’s unique system of deploying clergy has its roots in the earliest days of Methodism. Learn more about itinerancy and appointments in the latest installment of Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications.
The week ahead
Nebraska church dedicates its Peace Pole
At the end of the regular church service the congregation was led to the church front yard singing “Let There be Peace on Earth.” The four-sided pole has “May Peace Prevail on Earth” inscribed in English, Spanish, Korean and sign language.
Around the bottom of the pole are hand prints from children in the congregation. A special dedication prayer was read in each language. The congregation was challenged to live out Micah 6:8, “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
The Peace Pole is a monument that bears the universal message and prayer “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” They have been planted in every region of the world and are now recognized as one of the most prominent international symbols dedicated to peace.
Planting a Peace Pole is a way of bringing people together to inspire, awaken and uplift the human consciousness.
The Christian Social Witness Team presented the Peace Pole to the church.
UMW gathers for fun, fellowship
during annual conference
When more than 70 United Methodist Women gathered at First United Methodist Church in Wichita for fun, fellowship and food during the Great Plains Annual Conference.These women heard from the Rev. Venedith Varges about the 32 Great Plains girls and their adult sponsors who traveled to the Southwest to tour and volunteer at several United Methodist institutions.
They also heard from Marilyn Zehring regarding the 150th anniversary of United Methodist Women and their Legacy Fund.
Holly Heyroth Opundo told about her passion for Angel House Orphanage in Tanzania where the children are learning tailoring.
Everyone present received a cloth zippered bag made at Angel House.
In other news
- Rio Texas offers hurricane recovery tour
- Young adults start soup kitchen in South Africa
- Missionary: To boost church, boost marriages
- UM Insurance helps churches prepare for disaster
- N. Alabama Conference works toward equal pay for female pastors
- John Wesley tattoo has meaning for pastor
Newsletters
- United Methodist Communications: Resources for Ministry
- Discipleship Ministries: 5 New Ideas
- Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Leading Ideas
- United Methodist Church: United Methodist Now
- United Methodist Communications: MyCom
- Lewis Center for Church Leadership: Leading Ideas
- Ministry Matters: June 20, 2018
Blogs and opinion
Why do UMC pastors change churches?: The United Methodist Church’s unique system of deploying clergy has its roots in the earliest days of Methodism. Learn more about itinerancy and appointments in the latest installment of Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications.
The week ahead
- Today-Friday: GP Licensing School -- Week 1, Aurora, Nebraska
- Saturday-June 27: NUMB ride
- Tuesday-June 29: South Central Jurisdiction Bishops Week, Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, Kansas
- Overbrook UMC seeks administrative assistant
- North Loup UMC seeking Cave Quest 2016 VBS material
- Great Plains Conference seeks district administrative assistant
- Director of worship arts and media sought at First UMC in Salina
- Organist needed at First UMC in Lawrence
- Openings available in family & children and music ministries at St. Paul's Lenexa UMC
- Director of connecting and discipleship ministries needed at Water's Edge
Lincoln office Topeka office Wichita office
Lincoln, NE 68504 PO Box 4187 Suite 110
402-464-5994 Topeka, KS 66604 Wichita, KS 67207
785-272-9111 316-684-0266
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