The 2025 Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference began on Sunday, June 8, 2025, with the clergy executive session and the laity celebration and continued through Tuesday, June 10. This year's laity celebration featured a reimagined gathering of over 200 faithful laity, led by Pat Luna, Heather Howell and the laity leadership team. "A Taste of Pensacola" was served and featured culinary favorites from local restaurants.
Worship Services
Day two of the conference welcomed clergy and lay members and their guests to the Opening Worship Service in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church, Pensacola. This year’s theme was, “Make Us One,” from our communion liturgy. The Journey Praise Band from Gulf Breeze UMC offered the musical prelude. The service was opened with three blasts of the conch shell representing the Holy Trinity and unique to our host church and location. Bishop L. Jonathan Holston, resident bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Conference, preached a sermon titled, "Accepting the Challenge." Rev. Emily Kincaid offered the invitation and Bishop Holston presided over Holy communion. Dr. Geoffrey Lentz led the congregation in a baptismal remembrance. A highlight of the service was the collective voices in the choir who are clergy in the Alabama-West Florida Conference. They sang spirited renditions of "Amazing Grace" and "Draw the Circle Wide."
The Service of Commissioning and Ordination was held Monday evening in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church of Pensacola. The congregation represented family members and special friends of those being commissioned and ordained. Prior to the start of the service, the sanctuary choir of FUMC Pensacola presented worshipful music led by Dr. Rick Branch and accompanied by Heidi Branch. Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball, visiting bishop from the Western Pennsylvania Conference, preached a sermon titled, "Becoming One with Each Other". Those honored were:
Provisional Deacon
Rev. Chelsey Brown
Provisional Elders
Rev. Lucy Burch
Rev. Jesse Guffin
Rev. John Kelsoe
Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig
Rev. Jennifer Poole Precht
Rev. Sarah Roberts
Deacon in Full Connection
Rev. Wilson Newell
Elders in Full Connection
Dr. Kitsy Dixon
Dr. Cheryl Miles-Stevenson
Rev. Melanie Stafford
Twenty-five clergy and clergy spouses who passed since the 2024 AWF Annual Conference session were remembered during the Service of Remembrance and Holy Communion. The St. Paul UMC choir set a tone of remembrance with the act of praise, "I Trust in God." Rev. Chris Walker, chair of AWF Archives, read each name, which was followed by a chime. Stanzas of "For All the Saints" were sung and bookended the names we remembered. Rev. Bill Curtin, Senior Pastor of Foley UMC, preached a sermon titled, "May I Tell You a Story or Can I Get a Witness." He honored the ministry and deep care each of the remembered poured into those around them. Anna Safko sang a stunning version of "And God Shall Wipe Away All of the Tears." Dr. Mike Pearson, West-Central District Superintendent, and Dr. Sterling Boykin, Southeast District Superintendent, lighted a candle for each person we remembered on Tuesday. Bishop L. Jonathan Holston presided over Holy Communion to those in attendance. Rev. Josh McLamb offered a stunning vocal rendition of, "How Great Thou Art." The AWF Commission on Archives and History hosted surviving family members at a special luncheon at the conclusion of the service. Click here to see the names of those who were remembered.
Both the Opening Worship Service and Service of Remembrance featured clergy and laity from the Panhandle District and local mission agencies.
Recognitions and Special Moments
This year the conference planning team made a concerted effort to highlight ministry ongoing in the conference. In Monday morning's celebration of conference ministries, we heard from Communities of Transformation, Blue Lake Camp, Alabama Rural Ministry, Quad W and Embrace Alabama and Florida Kids. Conference members heard from district and local mission organizations including Bright Bridge Ministries, The Ark, Dumas Wesley, Mobile Inner City Mission, The Beacon Center and Point Washington Medical Clinic.
Bishop Holston took time to give thanks for Dawn Hare's service as the General Secretary of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women. She retired after 12 years of service in this role and is a member of Monroeville UMC. Rev. Stephanie Arnold York, incoming General Secretary, was in attendance and was welcomed by the body.
Four local pastors receiving their license for the first time were introduced and recognized by Rev. Julie Hare and greeted by Bishop Holston during today's afternoon business session. They are:
Rev. Jerry Chastain
Rev. Kathy Minor
Rev. Nathan Persell
Rev. Jennifer Knox Porto
Thirteen clergy were recognized upon their retirement by Rev. Amy Persons during Monday's session. They are:
Rev. Alecia Cargill
Rev. Alecia Glaize
Rev. Karen Evans
Rev. Kathy Knight
Rev. Holly Morales
Rev. Michael Proffit
Rev. Sarah Shaver
Rev. Ed Shirley
Rev. Pam Avery
Rev. Patricia Grindle
Rev. Robin Noble
Rev. Roger Whitaker
Rev. Tonya Elmore
Together, these thirteen clergy have over 236 years of service in our conference!
Highlights from the Monday's business session included the Connectional Ministries Report given by Rev. Ashley Davis. Rev. Davis announced the EDGE priorities that the conference will focus on in the coming years. Mr. Frank Jenkins, AWF lay leader, presented the laity address. He also invited Betty Helms, AWF United Women in Faith president, and Heather Howell, AWF Director of Lay Servant Ministries, to present on their respective ministry areas. Also present with the lay leadership were Celeste Eubanks and Laurel Akin, two deaconesses from our conference. The afternoon session concluded with the Teaming with Tanzania report from Rev. Eric Soard. Dr. Anthony Leigh, President of Huntingdon College and Episcopacy Committee member, gave the heartfelt report on behalf of the committee. He expressed his deep appreciation for the Holston's faithfulness and their commitment to our conference. Dr. Leigh also brought greetings on behalf of Huntingdon College. Rev. Dan Baughman and Rev. Jennifer Precht, cultivators on the New Ministry Strategies team, presented this report. They celebrated the life-changing work of the numerous new church starts and other expressions of ministry happening throughout the conference.
In Tuesday's business sessions the members heard several reports celebrating the ongoing ministry work in the conference. Rev. Chris Ackerman, AWF Director of Disaster Response, updated the body on the remarkable work this group is doing in the conference and how close to 1,000 case management services have been conducted to help those after Hurricane Michael. Rev. Chelsey Brown and Katy Wrona presented the report from the AWF Committee on the Status and Role of Women. They gave a brief summary of their time at the quadrennial summit in Atlanta and announced Rev. Kelli Hitchman-Craig as the new chair. The AWF Board of Campus Ministry and Higher Education report was presented by Rev. Jenni Hendrix, chair. She highlighted the work these ministries are doing on five campuses. This year's conference missional offering is going to the AWF Wesley Foundations. Click here if you have not yet given.
The 2025 Annual Conference Awards were reimagined by Rev. Ashley Davis, Pat Luna and an extraordinary team of leaders who understood how important it was to reinstate these special recognitions. This year a new award was created called the "Clara Ester Award." Created by the AWF Board of Church and Society, this awards honors someone who embodies our baptismal vows to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves. Ms. Ester was the inaugural winner of this award. Also new this year was the addition of the #BeUMC Awards. These inaugural awards from UMCom and the AWF Conference honor a layperson, clergy and church who embody #BeUMC–living our Wesleyan heritage, the power of connection and Christ’s call to love and serve.
The recipients of this year's awards are:
Eva Ellenburg, Denman Evangelism Award Lay Winner
Rev. Kelli Hitchman-Craig and Rev. Chris Krol, Denman Evangelism Award Clergy Winners
Harper Parkes, Denman Evangelism Award Youth Award
The Promised Land UMC, One Church Matters Award Winner
Rev. Rhett Butler, Francis Asbury Award Winner
Gulf Breeze UMC, Local Church Heritage Award Winner
Rev. Michele Statkewicz, Alice Lee Clergy Award
Vicki Abrams, Alice Lee Laity Award
Kassidy Terry and Eva Ellenbury, Jane Walker Scholarship
Clara Ester, Inaugural Clara Ester Award
Rev. Emily Kincaid, BeUMC Clergy Award
Juddy Stephenson, BeUMC Laity Award
Metropolitan UMC, BeUMC Church Award
Click here to see recipients.
Conference Business and Financial Reports
Rev. Angie Long, AWF Treasurer, presented the equitable compensation report. The conference approved the minimum salary at $44.546, a 2% increase, for all full-time clergy for 2026.
Rev. Dana Brady, Chair of the Standing Rules Committee, presented several standing rules changes related rules four and thirteen. Those changes were approved.
Three resolutions were passed by the voting body. Dr. Olivia Poole, Chair of the Committee on Resolutions and Petitions, presented these three items of business. One friendly amendment to the resolution titled, "Wesley Foundation Sunday," updated wording to include all Wesley Foundations and those that could be created. All three resolutions were approved.
The Past Service Rates of $889 for clergy and $621 for surviving spouses was presented by Rev. Allison Posell, Chair of the AWF Board of Pensions and Health Benefits, and was approved by clergy and lay members.
Rev. Emily Kincaid is the Chair of the AWF Trustees and presented on behalf of her committee including property matters and updates to Safe Sanctuaries materials. The chancellors of the conference updated the body on legal matters from the past year. Rev. Kincaid also mentioned the two UMC Judicial Council decisions regarding paragraph 2549 in ruling numbers 1507 and 1512. She thanked Christy Crow, a lay person from FUMC Union Springs, for her nine years of faithful service on the conference Board of Trustees.
Prior to conference the AWF Board of Pensions and Health Benefits announced the establishment of an endowment fund to leverage reserves to fund ministry. With guidance from Wespath, legal counsel and other financial professionals, the Board of Pensions and Health Benefits has developed a spending plan that carefully draws on a modest 5% of the endowment’s value each year. The result is a one-time gift of $1 million dollars to the 2026 proposed budget. Comprehensive due diligence has occurred over the past few months to ensure that the use of the income from these reserves is completely in line with our ethical, legal, and fiduciary obligations as an annual conference.
The conference established a $3.74 million budget for mission and ministry for 2026.
The aforementioned $1 million gift, in its entirety, from the Board of Pensions and Health Benefits will strictly be used for in-conference ministries. Just over 2.7 million dollars will be apportioned to local AWF congregations, which is a significant decrease from last year's figure, which was $3.1 million.
In 2024, 132 churches paid 100% of their apportionments. Thank you for your faithful giving! The recommended district superintendent salary for 2026 is $130,568, remaining the same from 2025. District superintendent costs have been reduced by 50% since 2019. The 2024 audit is pending. After discussion, this report was approved by the voting body and presented by Mark Davidson, CFA chair.
A new AWF apportionment guide called, "The Theology Behind Apportionment/Missional Giving" guide has been published by a task force to help better explain our covenant of apportionments. Click here to see guide.
Rev. Jean Tippit presented the cabinet report which included church closures and change in charge lines. She also celebrated Kim Doss, Southern District Administrator, who has announced her retirement at the end of 2025.
Dr. Geoffrey Lentz took a point of personal privilege to announce a celebratory moment to update the body on the work of the Great 50 Days. 54 churches participated in this year's challenge! He celebrated the incredible reports from the participants with 556 new members in 50 days in the Alabama-West Florida Conference and invited each church to participate in 2026.
The 2025-2026 Appointment Book may be found here.
Special offerings were collected for AWF Wesley Foundations and the Ministerial Education Fund.
The 2026 session of the AWF Annual Conference will be held June 7-9, 2026, at First UMC Pensacola.
Click here to access the bulletin insert. We invite you to use this in your upcoming worship services.
Click here to take the post-conference survey.
Click here to access archived sessions. Click here to see photos by Luke Lucas.
Full coverage of the 2025 session of Annual Conference may be found at www.awfumc.org/ac2025.