The Alabama-West Florida Conference
delegation continues to meet monthly in preparation for the 2024 General Conference and Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference.
The October and November Zoom meetings focused on the delegation summary to the Southeastern Jurisdictional (SEJ) Committee on Episcopacy, which will make a recommendation about shared Episcopal areas in January of 2024. This committee recommendation will be voted upon at the July SEJ meeting at Lake Junaluska.
On Friday November 3, the Committee on Episcopacy for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church asked each delegation to develop an executive summary of their recommendations as a delegation related to episcopal leadership and episcopal area alignment. The Committee on Episcopacy noted that in 2024 there is currently no conversation about merging or changing conference boundaries this quadrennium, instead we are to “take our next faithful step” by recommending the creation of shared episcopal areas. The delegation has hosted Zooms with neighboring conference delegations to better understand the landscape of other conference needs and current circumstances. It is expected that several conferences will share a bishop starting in 2024. The delegation members welcome sharing an episcopal area with North Alabama and/or continuing with South Georgia. The statement submitted to the SEJ Committee on Episcopacy expresses openness to sharing a bishop and conference resources in ways that best further the mission of the United Methodist Church in our area.
“We continue to take our role as delegates very seriously,” stated Rev. Emily Kincaid, delegation chair. “The Alabama-West Florida Conference has entrusted this highly capable group of leaders with important work in leading the conference forward in the next quadrennium. While these times are challenging, we remember that God called us for such a time as this.”
The delegation expects announcements regarding the schedule of the conference, updated Advanced Daily Christian Advocate (ADCA) and volunteer and marshal information after the new year.
In previous meetings, the delegation
was assigned General Conference legislative committees to have representation from the conference in all committees. While the Alabama-West Florida Conference has four clergy and four lay delegates to General Conference, most of the Jurisdictional delegates and alternates will also be attending the Conference to support our delegation, serve as monitors in committees, and offer expertise in their respective areas.
To contact the delegation,
click here.
