News

May 31, 2015

Annual Conference, Day One, May 31, 2015

In the News Opening Worship: The Opening Worship Service of the 2015 Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference session was held Sunday evening, May 31, in the Sanctuary of Frazer Memorial UMC in Montgomery, AL. Bishop Mike Lowry of ...

May 26, 2015

Guide to Annual Conference

Guide to Annual Conference  The Guide to Annual Conference is now available for download. It contains all orders of worship and special announcements pertinent to annual conference. Printed bulletins will not be available so ...

April 27, 2015

Q and A with Rev. Dan Pezet

Rev. Dan Pezet is the new AWF Director of Congregational Vitality and has served in this appointment since July 1, 2014. In his brief ten months, he has canvassed the bounds of the conference to identity many churches with growth ...

March 24, 2015

Annual Conference 2015 Information

Annual Conference 2015 is quickly approaching! This year's theme is the third part of the SEND Model many in the conference have adopted. It is, "The Great Commission: Nurturing Disciples." We are most appreciative to Dr. Tim ...

March 23, 2015

Guest Commentary: Dr. Jeremy Pridgeon

(Dr. Jeremy Pridgeon) - Like so many of you, at least once each week I receive correspondence from an organization seeking support for a ministry. And while these entities are involved in worthwhile initiatives, often they are not...

March 17, 2015

We Remember: Bishop Charles "Handy" Hancock

Bishop C. W. "Handy" Hancock, 91, of Macon, GA, died Friday, March 13, 2015. Services will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2015, at 5:00pm at Mulberry Street United Methodist Church, Macon, Georgia. The Reverend Mike McAfee, ...

March 15, 2015

Bishop Announces District Superintendent and Conference Staff Appointments

March 15, 2015 (Montgomery, AL) – Bishop Paul L. Leeland is pleased to announce two new district superintendents to the Alabama-West Florida Conference appointive cabinet. Rev. June Jernigan and Dr. Tim Trent will begin their new ...

March 12, 2015

UMW President Urges Attention to Human Trafficking

(Lynn Hamric/UMW) - I have never considered myself privileged. Growing up in a small rural area of Alabama on a small farm, I was well taken care of. I always had what I needed, perhaps not always what I wanted. I had a loving ...

March 11, 2015

AWF Historical Society Holds Annual Meeting

(Sharon Tucker) - The Alabama West Florida Conference Historical Society (AWFC-HS) held their 2014 annual meeting at DeFuniak Springs United Methodist Church on January 24, 2015. The meeting was held on this date so that it would ...

February 26, 2015

Huntingdon College Offers Summer Leadership Academy for United Methodist High School Students

Montgomery, Ala.—Huntingdon College invites pastors and youth ministers who serve United Methodist churches in the Alabama-West Florida and North Alabama Conferences of The United Methodist Church to sponsor high school juniors ...

February 25, 2015

A Life-changing Ministry to Those Whose Lives Have Changed

For older adults, many life changes occur that can disrupt their level of comfort and sense of belonging. A move into an assisted living or nursing facility may often be traumatic due to the loss of independence a senior once had—...

February 20, 2015

2015 Legacy Of The Apostle Paul Cruise With Dr. Wachob

You are invited to join Dr. Wesley Wachob on a 13-day Journey following the Legacy of the Apostle Paul from September 14-26, 2015. Dr. Wachob will teach aboard the Rhapsody of the Seas, by Royal Caribbean International as ...

February 10, 2015

A Word from the Bishop: February 10, 2015

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.   Yesterday, the state of Alabama began to recognize same gender marriage as a result of a Federal Court order. The polity of our United Methodist Church did ...

February 09, 2015

January Cabinet Meeting Recap

(Dr. Jeremy Pridgeon) - Bishop Leeland and members of the Cabinet held their first meeting of 2015 in Montgomery.  The session focused on the continued training of superintendents and extended cabinet members as coaches, a review ...

February 03, 2015

GBHEM announces key leadership positions in UMEA, Collegiate Ministry

Upon recommendation by the search teams and confirmation by Bishop Virginia Taylor, Holston Annual Conference, and Bishop Bill McAlilly, Tennessee Annual Conference, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry announces the...

January 28, 2015

An Invitation from Bishop Leeland: Bishop's Day Apart

Dear Friends in Christ,  Periodically, we have the joy of reflecting and sharing our call to ministry with others, and the privilege of serving the congregations of our Alabama-West Florida Conference. There is not another ...

January 13, 2015

A Word from the Bishop: January 13, 2015

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.   With the conclusion of the Southeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops this past week, I returned to our Alabama-West Florida Conference with an awareness of...

January 13, 2015

Upcoming Standing Rules Deadlines

To: Members and friends of the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church: Greetings in the name of Christ. As preparations are underway for the 2015 meeting of Annual Conference, May 31-June 3 at Frazer ...

January 09, 2015

Huntingdon Cross and Flame Award Available to United Methodist Students

Montgomery, Ala.—Huntingdon College President J. Cameron West announced today that the College's Cross and Flame Award, having increased by $500 to $11,000  for full-time day students entering in the fall of 2014, has contributed ...

December 18, 2014

Advent Greetings from Bishop Leeland & the Conference Office

Merry Christmas from Bishop Paul Leeland and the Alabama-West Florida Conference Office. We hope you enjoy this video as we reflect on the meaning of Advent and our hopes for 2015.  http://vimeo.com/114780745

December 14, 2014

Bishop Announces Cooper to Bay Minette FUMC

(Montgomery, AL) Bishop Paul L. Leeland announces that Rev. Jay Cooper has been appointed to serve as pastor of Bay Minette First United Methodist Church, effective February 1, 2015. Rev. Ed Deabler, previous appointed pastor, is ...

November 21, 2014

Responding to the Ebola Crisis: The Council of Bishops

To the People of The United Methodist Church: The Ebola outbreak in three countries of West Africa is one of the most threatening health crises of our day. As of November 7, 2014, more than 13,000 cases had been reported with ...

November 19, 2014

Alice Lee, United Methodist leader, Dies at 103

(Sam Hodges, UMNS) - Alice Finch Lee may be a footnote in literary history as the older sister of Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” But in United Methodist circles, she’s being remembered as an exemplary laywoman ...

November 18, 2014

A Call for Prayer: Ferguson, MO

I’ve preached twice in recent weeks in St. Louis and as I visited in our churches, the tension is palpable as people await the news from the grand jury in the Michael Brown case. Fear runs deep that there will be more violence. ...

November 16, 2014

AWF Conference Continues Red Bird Partnership

(Susan Hunt) As we drove through northern Georgia and Tennessee to get to Kentucky, the trees were breathtaking. The fall colors were at their peak. That seemed like a good sign of things to come for our journey as we headed to ...

November 07, 2014

Bishops Call United Methodists to Prayer in Human Sexuality Statement

(UMNS) - Oklahoma City, Okla.: The Council of Bishops issued a statement concerning human sexuality, addressing their diverse perspectives and calling the people of The United Methodist Church to be in prayer, both for their ...

October 09, 2014

Mission Agency Prepares for Long-term Integrated Response to Ebola

October 8, 2014—Since June 2014, the General Board of Global Ministries’ United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and Global Health unit have been working in collaboration on a global scale to coordinate an integrated approach...

October 07, 2014

United Methodist Agency to Reshape Its Global Mission and Ministries

New York, NY, October 3, 2014—The United Methodist Church’s global mission agency will create a network of offices around the world linked and accountable to headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, beginning in late 2016. Part of the ...

October 05, 2014

A Word from the Bishop: Reflections on Acts 15

Bishop Paul Leeland is part of a reading group, initiated by Bishop Ken Carter of the Florida Conference. The group, including many bishops and laity from across the world, are reading one chapter of Luke and Acts, which totals 52...

September 23, 2014

Circles of Transformation: Transforming People, Congregations, and Communities

(Fred Blackwell) - “I’ve got people now!” So exclaimed Jose Maya, a recent Circles graduate in Dothan, Alabama. Dothan is the pilot site for Circles start-up in the AWFUMC. Maya is typical of those who can benefit from the Circles...

September 08, 2014

Imagine No Malara: An Update from the AWF Director of Mission & Advocacy

(Susan Hunt) - 65,321. That is roughly the population of the city of Dothan, Alabama. That is also how many people in Africa will now have the chance to live because of the effort you, the Alabama-West Florida Conference, have ...

September 05, 2014

Blue Lake Board of Trustees Announces New Director

The Blue Lake Camp Board of Trustees are pleased to announce Steve Lewandowski as its new executive director following the recent retirement of Ms. Phyllis Murray.  Steve grew up in Tulsa, OK, where he was heavily involved in his ...

September 05, 2014

Know Your DS: Dr. Chris Eckert

The next three editions of the NewsCONNECTION will feature a district superintendent that has not yet been featured before. This edition's spotlight is on Dr. Chris Eckert, Demopolis District Superintendent. What Brought You to ...

August 25, 2014

Guest Commentary: Dr. Jeremy Pridgeon

During a sociology of religion class, our professor shared that religious belief and participation helps to hold the elements of life together. As a Christian and a pastor, I would agree but contend that for us as followers of ...

August 21, 2014

Know Your DS: Dr. Doug Pennington

The next four editions of the NewsCONNECTION will feature a district superintendent that has not yet been featured before. This edition's spotlight is on Dr. Doug Pennington, Mobile District Superintendent. What Brought You to the...

August 19, 2014

Bishop Schnase's Statement on Ferguson

Dear friends, People have asked about what the United Methodist Church is doing in response to the events in recent days in Ferguson, Missouri, and so I’d like to lift up a few significant points of engagement and offerings of ...

August 18, 2014

QuadW Missional Internship Receives YCI Grant of $86,000

(Rev. Don Woolley) - The QuadW Missional Internship has been awarded an $86,000 grant from the Young Clergy Initiative, administered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) of the United Methodist Church. ...

August 14, 2014

An Invitation To Catapult 2014

One of the emphases of my address to the annual conference was that every church can be a missional-invitational church. Every church within the bounds of the Alabama-West Florida Conference can embody the God who sends and the ...

August 11, 2014

New Cabinet Meets in Scheduled July Session

(Dr. Jeremy Pridgeon) - The Cabinet of the Alabama-West Florida Conference met recently in Montgomery. The session was devoted primarily to reviewing the overall mission and ministry of the conference. Bishop Leeland and the ...

August 11, 2014

The Power of a Small Envelope

Life-changing moments are expected to happen with the birth of a child, marrying your true love, saying goodbye to a parent, perhaps even being called into the ministry. It’s the unexpected moments and generosity of others that ...

August 07, 2014

Know Your DS: Dr. Larry Bryars

Many of you will remember the spotlight on our eight district superintendents. The next five editions of the NewsCONNECTION will feature a district superintendent that has not yet been featured before. This edition's spotlight is ...

July 24, 2014

Know Your DS: Rev. Sara Shaver

Many of you will remember the spotlight on our eight district superintendents. The next six editions of the NewsCONNECTION will feature a district superintendent that has not yet been featured before. This edition's spotlight is ...

July 17, 2014

Strong Support Moves Alabama-West Florida Toward Imagine No Malaria Goal

United Methodists in Alabama-West Florida had cause to celebrate at their annual gathering this year: An outpouring of grass-roots support has put them at almost 60 percent of a $1 million goal for Imagine No Malaria. Earlier this...

July 17, 2014

Texas Bishops Respond to Border Crisis in Joint Letter to all Texas Methodists

The bishops of the five Texas Annual Conferences have issued a letter to all Texas Methodists in response to the humanitarian crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Bishops’ prayer is that the letter be shared with local ...

June 19, 2014

June 18, 2014, Flood Update

Below is a recap from Amelia Fletcher, AWF Conference Disaster Response Coordinator.   Alabama: Baldwin County has set up a Long Term Recovery operation with officers. An office has been set up at Prodisee Pantry in Spanish Fort. ...

June 05, 2014

Poll: Making disciples tops United Methodists priorities; sexuality ranks low

June 4, 2014 Poll: Making disciples tops United Methodists’ priorities; sexuality ranks low More than 90 percent of members say church shouldn’t split over issue NASHVILLE, Tenn.—A new poll of United Methodists in the United ...

May 19, 2014

Pensacola District Disaster and Fire Response

I couldn't help but think of the Lent, Easter, Pentecost cycle as I prepared to worship this morning with the Mount Carmel United Methodist Church in their first service after the loss of their sanctuary on Wednesday. As you know,...

May 18, 2014

Prayers for Daleville UMC

Rev. Dan Morris, District Superintendent of the Dothan District, reports that Daleville UMC suffered a fire early this morning. Preliminary reports say the church is a total loss but a cause is unknown at this time.  {Photo ...

May 15, 2014

Prayers for Mt. Carmel UMC in Jay, FL

Mt. Carmel UMC in Jay, FL, suffered extensive damage from a fire yesterday morning. Firefighters from around the area worked for hours to extinguish the flames, but were unable to save the sanctuary. Thankfully, no one was ...

May 08, 2014

Bishop Cancels Cabinet Meeting to Visit Storm Damaged Areas

The southern parts of the Alabama-West Florida Conference have experienced extreme flooding with predictions of more rain to come this weekend. Due to these circumstances, Bishop Paul Leeland has canceled the regularly scheduled ...
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