News

October 18, 2023

New Beginnings at the ARK in Panama City Beach

(Rev. Corey Truett) - Starting a new church will have its challenges and be done in multiple phases. The Ark hasn’t had a United Methodist presence in several years, so the first phase has been getting to know the ministry, staff,...

October 12, 2023

An Update from the AWF Conference Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees of the Alabama-West Florida Conference has worked diligently since Annual Conference 2023 to process local churches seeking disaffiliation under Paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline. They have been ...

October 11, 2023

Registration for November 2023 Special Called Session

Dear Clergy and Lay Members of the Alabama-West Florida Conference, Registration is now open for the November 12, 2023, Special Called Session of Annual Conference to be held by Zoom Webinar. The purpose of the special session is...

October 03, 2023

Disaster Response Ministry Continues to Serve Tornado Survivors

(Rev. Chris Ackerman) - AWFUMC’s Disaster Response & Recovery Ministry has been actively walking alongside survivors of the January 2023 tornado outbreak that impacted several counties across central Alabama. Thanks to multiple ...

September 25, 2023

FUMC Cottondale relaunched as Restoration UMC

(Amanda Leeser) - Restoration UMC in Cottondale, Florida, officially launched on January 1, 2023, after a soft opening on Christmas Eve. “There were a lot of fellow United Methodists who had helped to restore the old First UMC of ...

September 18, 2023

Glimmers of hope and reconciliation emerge following AWF Annual Conference

(Rev. Kelli Hitchman-Craig) - Following a difficult year processing over 190 church disaffiliations, the Alabama-West Florida Conference Board of Trustees is proud to share their newly adopted re-affiliation policy. The policy was...

September 14, 2023

AWF Conference Trustees Release ¶2549 Policy for 2024

As requested by the Dean of the Cabinet at the 2023 Alabama-West Florida Conference, the AWF Conference Trustees have approved a ¶2549 agreement and policy for churches to use for exit from the denomination. This policy goes into ...

September 13, 2023

Alabama-West Florida Conference Announces New Treasurer

The Council on Finance and Administration (CFA) of the Alabama-West Florida Conference proudly announces Rev. Angie Long as the new treasurer and director of administrative services. Rev. Long is an ordained elder in the ...

September 12, 2023

AWF Delegation Gathers for Fall Retreat

The Alabama-West Florida Conference delegation met on Sunday, September 10 and Monday, September 11 on the campus of Huntingdon College for a time of work, worship, and fellowship. This delegation was elected in 2019 and 2023 due ...

August 31, 2023

Foundry UMC Welcomes Full Congregation in Renewed Building

(Rev. Kelli Hitchman-Craig) - Like many small towns across the United States, there’s something special about Opelika, Alabama. Though nestled right next door to Auburn University, Opelika’s story and legacy holds its own place in...

August 28, 2023

Tropical Storm Idalia Perparedness

Friends, As many of you have seen in the news, tropical storm Idalia is expected to be upgraded to a hurricane soon. At this time we do not expect this storm to make a significant impact on the Alabama-West Florida Conference. ...

August 24, 2023

Open Door UMC Open to All

(Amanda Leeser) - With Open Door UMC’s success in reaching out to the community, this church plant is living up to its name as being a place where everyone is welcome. Pastor Mark Lilly remarks, “It has been exciting and ...

August 23, 2023

Bishop Appoints Wilson to lead Healthy Clergy and Congregations Initiative

Bishop David Graves, resident bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Conference, has announced that Rev. Robin Wilson will be appointed to lead the Healthy Clergy and Congregations Initiative.   The conference recently announced four ...

August 15, 2023

2023 Charge Conference Information

Dear Pastors, I hope that you have found some time for rest and renewal this summer. I am praying this fall that you and your congregation will be reenergized for the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the ...

August 10, 2023

Alabama-West Florida Conference Looks to Future with Priority Alignment

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation. I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—but...

August 07, 2023

Bishop Announces Alabama-West Florida Conference Staff Changes

Bishop David Graves is announcing three staff changes in the Alabama-West Florida Conference. Celeste Eubanks, current Director of Connectional Ministries, is taking a new job with Emory University in Atlanta, GA. She will serve ...

August 07, 2023

DeFuniak-area Church Start Off to Encouraging Start

(Amande Leeser) - Resurrection Fellowship UMC is a new church in DeFuniak Springs, and it’s off to an encouraging start.   "We are forming our own identity, bringing in enough funds in tithes and offerings to cover rent and more, ...

August 03, 2023

Alabama-West Florida Conference Seeks Treasurer

The Alabama West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church is seeking to fill an upcoming opening for the position of Conference Treasurer.  We express our thanks to Ms. Suzanne Jones, who has filled this role for many ...

July 25, 2023

AWF COSROW Announces 2023 Alice Lee Award Winner

(Rev. Chelsey Brown) - This year's recipient of the Alice Lee Award is Rev. Sarah Goolsby! Rev. Goolsby was presented the award by Rev. Chelsey Brown, Co-chair of Commission on the Status and Role of Women, at Auburn UMC on ...

July 19, 2023

AWF Disaster Response Ministry Continues Tornado Repair Work

(Rev. Chris Ackerman) - AWF Disaster Response Ministry has been on the frontline assisting survivors of the March 25,2021, tornado outbreak since impact. Our team has been working in Hale, Perry, Bibb, and Chilton Counties ...

July 18, 2023

Child's Baptism Request Multiplies to Make More Disciples

(Rev. David Morris) - In the life of the church baptisms are always such an incredible moment. As a pastor it is always a joyful moment when a parent wants to have their child initiated into Christ’s family through the sacrament ...

July 11, 2023

Blue Lake Camp Reduces Debt Through Faithful Annual Conference Giving

(Rev. Kelli Hitchman-Craig) - Hidden in the towering pine trees of the Conecuh National Forest in Andalusia, Alabama sits the crown jewel of the Alabama-West Florida Conference—Blue Lake Camp. Established in 1952 as an assembly ...

July 06, 2023

Alabama-West Florida Conference Receives $2 million UMCOR Grant

(Rev. Chris Ackerman) - The Alabama-West Florida Conference is incredibly thankful for our partnership with UMCOR and we are grateful to announce that we have received a $2,000,000 grant from UMCOR to assist with various tornado ...

July 05, 2023

AWF Deacon to Lead 2024 General Conference Delegation

(Rev. Kelli Hitchman-Craig) - The United Methodist Church has been celebrating the unique calling of deacons since 1996. Through their work and witness, deacons serve in a ministry of connection—connecting the church to the world ...

June 15, 2023

2023 Annual Conference: In Review

Clergy and lay members and their guests attended the Opening Worship Service of the 2023 Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference session in the Mitchell Center on the campus of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL, on ...

June 14, 2023

Annual Conference Day Four, June 14, 2023

In the News Full Recap coming this Thursday! Stay tuned to www.awfumc.org/ac2023 for an overview of the conference. You may use any content from this review in your local churches.  Morning Worship: The final day of annual ...

June 14, 2023

A Statement Regarding Post-retirement medical benefits

On June 13 at the 2023 session of annual conference an overwhelming majority of clergy and laity approved the AWF Board of Pension and Health’s clarification to an existing policy that retiring and retired clergy members must ...

June 13, 2023

Annual Conference Day Three, June 13, 2023

In the News Morning Worship: Day three of annual conference began with morning worship. Rev. Ben Mayfield offered the call to worship and Elizabeth Whatley offered the Prayer for Illumination. Rev. Emily Kincaid gave the moving ...

June 12, 2023

Annual Conference, Day Two, June 12, 2023

In the News Morning Worship: Each day of annual conference will begin with morning worship. Rev. Richard Williams preached a challenging sermon titled, "It's About Love " based on Nehemiah 1:4-11, which was read by Rev. Jackie ...

June 11, 2023

Annual Conference Day One, June 11, 2023

In the News Opening Worship: Clergy and lay members and their guests attended the Opening Worship Service of the 2023 Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference session in the Mitchell Center on the campus of the University of South ...

June 07, 2023

AWF Conference Trustees Release Updated Disaffiliation Eligibility Policy

On April 25, 2023, the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church published a ruling (JD1476) addressing specifically the Alabama-West Florida Conference and its Trustees. This ruling clarified the Annual Conference Trustees’...

May 24, 2023

A Response to the Bethlehem United Methodist Church (Marianna-Panama City) Narrative

In the past several days a narrative has been circulated by Dennis Tanton, former pastor of Bethlehem United Methodist Church in the Marianna-Panama City District of the Alabama-West Florida Conference. This past fall the church ...

May 23, 2023

New Ministry Strategy Team Begins Work in the Alabama-West Florida Conference

May 23, 2023 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. -Isaiah 43:18 The Alabama-West Florida Conference has created a new ministry ...

May 18, 2023

Alabama-West Florida 2023 Annual Conference Information

May 18, 2023 The Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church will hold its 2023 Annual Conference session Sunday, June 11-Wednesday, June 14 at the Mitchell Center on the campus of the University of South ...

May 11, 2023

A Response to the Century UMC (Pike Road) Narrative

In the past several days a narrative has been circulated by the leadership of Century UMC, a church seeking disaffiliation from the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Century UMC was ratified for ...

May 07, 2023

Alabama-West Florida Conference Ratifies Local Church Disaffiliations

The Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church ratified 193 local church disaffiliations at its special-called session held on Sunday, May 7, 2023. This special session was called by Bishop David Graves, ...

April 25, 2023

General Church Roll Provides Safe Home for Committed United Methodists

(Rev. Kelli Hitchman-Craig)-In this new chapter of United Methodist history, a new type of Methodist is becoming more and more prevalent: the church-less United Methodist. In the wake of recent disaffiliations with more ...

April 13, 2023

Alabama-West Florida Conference Announces New Ministry Strategy Team

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” -2 Corinthians 5:17 In this season of resurrection and new life, the Alabama-West Florida Conference proudly announces ...

April 05, 2023

Lifelong United Methodist Helps New Church Start

(Rev. Kelli Hitchman-Craig) - Billy and Rebecca Crews moved to Prattville, Alabama in 1970. Their first order of business? Finding a church. Quickly, the Crews found their home at Prattville First United Methodist Church. Little ...

March 27, 2023

2023 Annual Conference Registration Information

Registration is now open for BOTH the May 7, 2023, Special Called Session of Annual Conference to be held by Zoom Webinar AND the main session of Annual Conference to be held in-person June 11-14, 2023, in Mobile, AL.  Important ...

March 23, 2023

Bishop Announces Task Force on the Structure of the Alabama-West Florida Conference

Bishop David Graves, resident bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, announced a task force to address structuring matters of the conference.   At the conclusion of their work, the committee ...

March 22, 2023

United Methodist Pastor Simultaneously Serves Local Church and Country

For one local pastor and local church, not even 4500 miles could keep them apart! For the past few months, Rev. Craig Bailey has been preaching and teaching at Tabernacle United Methodist Church every Sunday and Wednesday even ...

February 23, 2023

A Word from Bishop Graves: 2023 Appointment Timeline

Friends of the Alabama-West Florida Conference,   Each year the cabinet and I publish a detailed outline of the appointment-making timeline with precise dates of how our work will unfold and when pastors will be notified if they ...

February 07, 2023

A Word from Bishop Graves: The Harm Caused by Church Conferences Voting to Disaffiliate

Friends of the Alabama-West Florida Conference, This is the third in a series of four articles I am releasing related to church disaffiliations. The first week of the new year I shared with both Alabama-West Florida and South ...

January 31, 2023

Alabama-West Florida 2023 Annual Conference Information

The Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church will hold its 2023 Annual Conference session Sunday, June 11-Wednesday, June 14 at the Mitchell Center on the campus of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, ...

January 24, 2023

Even in the Darkest Times, Christ is With Us

(Rev. Chris Ackerman) - In the midst of a terrible disaster, I experienced Christ this past week. On Saturday morning, I began my drive from Panama City, FL to Selma, AL. It was a blessing to be able to go on Saturday after having...

January 19, 2023

New Beginnings: Two Churches Launch to Serve Communities, Offer Hope

(Kara Witherow for the AWFUMC) - Out of death comes new life. That’s at the heart of every Christian’s story, and it’s also at the center of the story of two new Alabama-West Florida faith communities. In the small town of ...

January 15, 2023

Important UMC Connectional Information Regarding Alabama Tornadoes

On Thursday, January 12, 2023, multiple tornadoes touched down within the bounds of the Alabama-West Florida Conference killing at least seven and destroying numerous communities.  The next day a leadership team from the AWF ...

January 10, 2023

A Word from Bishop Graves: This is NOT a business deal

Friends of the Alabama-West Florida Conference,   Last week I communicated some critical information related to decisions from our AWF Trustees. These decisions are meant to help those who wish to wait and see what happens at ...

January 05, 2023

New AWF Training Workshops to Strengthen the Work of the Local Church in 2023

The cabinet and staff of the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference are excited to announce seven training workshops planned to strengthen the clergy and lay leadership of our local churches. These one-hour workshops will be held ...
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