2010 Annual Conference: In Brief
Written: 6/15/2010
(Montgomery, Ala.) The 2010 Alabama–West Florida Annual Conference was held June 6-9 in Montgomery, Ala., with the theme “Partnership in the Gospel: Nurturing Disciples.” Bishop Paul L. Leeland, presiding over his second Annual Conference session since becoming the resident bishop, welcomed clergy and lay members to Frazer Memorial UMC in Montgomery, Ala.
Prior to this year’s conference, Bishop Leeland urged the churches of the conference to receive a special offering for the Central Conference Pension Initiative (CCPI). The people of the AWF Conference responded by contributing over $49,000.
The 2010 Annual Conference session was opened on June 6 with a mass choir made up of close to 200 voices from throughout the conference. Bishop William Morris, who previously served as resident bishop of the AWF Conference, delivered the sermon.
For the first time in the history of the AWF Conference, more women than men were ordained at the 2010 service of Ordination & Commissioning. The average age of those ordained was 44 years.
Four deacons and 13 elders were ordained as members in full connection; and one provisional deacon, and two provisional elders were commissioned during the service on June 7 at First United Methodist Church of Montgomery, Ala.
Twenty-four clergy and clergy spouses who died in the past year were remembered during a Service of Commemoration and Holy Communion. Dr. John Ed Mathison delivered the sermon.
Seventeen clergy retiring this conference year were honored on June 7. Together, they represent 370 years of combined service to the United Methodist Church.
The Conference was blessed by the outstanding leadership of several guest speakers. Dr. David Stevens, author of Jesus, M.D., delivered the 2nd Annual “Mary Ellen Bullard Leadership Address” during Tuesday’s Laity Banquet. Dr. Mickey Efird, Professor Emeritus of Biblical Interpretation, Duke Divinity School, led the conference in two morning Bible studies: Rev. Grace Imathiu, pastor of Brown Deer UMC, Brown Deer, Wis., led two teaching sessions.
The Annual Conference adopted four resolutions during the 2010 session. Two resolutions dealt with gambling in the state of Alabama. One resolution advocated for the continuation of the National Day of Prayer, and one resolution dealt with tax reform in Alabama.
Throughout the conference, Bishop Leeland encouraged moments of prayer concerning the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico: “As the days have unfolded, each of us has watched the news that has continued to increase our anxiety and uncertainty about the impact of this disaster on our environment and our people. This is the time for us to be the Church and not give into despair.”
He encouraged those in attendance to find ways to link resources and help those in the affected areas with financial and emotional struggles. He expressed appreciation for all those that are leading the conference in response efforts and for the particular sacrifices of the coastal churches already affected by the oil spill. Rev. Neil McDavid, Director of Connectional Ministries, invited churches in the AWF Conference to partner with a church in the area directly affected by the oil spill. These partner churches will provide prayer support for those dealing with circumstances surrounding environmental and economic stress as a result of the spill.
The conference also:
- Participated in an UMCOR relief kit drive yielding 2,375 relief kits headed for Haiti. Churches also provided funds to cover shipping costs and numerous bulk supplies;
- Established an $11.4 million budget for mission and ministry for 2011, down 35.6 percent from 2010. The decrease is due in large part to the conference’s 2009 adoption of directly billing for clergy and lay employees health insurance and pension, as well as a slightly more than 9 percent cut from conference Connectional Ministries;
- Served as a host for the Upper Room Living Prayer Line; and
- Introduced a new WalkingWorks program for AWF Conference health insurance participants aimed at fostering healthier lifestyles.
Membership stands at 148,803 down 1,071 from the previous year. Worship attendance stands at 69,324, up 179. Church school attendance stands at 31,123, up 294.
Full coverage of the 2010 AWF Annual Conference may be found at www.awfumc.org/AC2010
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