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CONFERENCE NEWS

2010 ANNUAL CONFERENCE SESSION
Recap
The 2010 session of the Alabama - West Florida Annual Conference met (June 6-9). Full details may be found at www.awfumc.org/ac2010

The 2011 Annual Conference will be
held at Frazer UMC in Montgomery, Ala. June 5-8.

2010-2011 Clergy Appointments
Click here for the 2010-2011 Appointments.

Annual Conference Wrap-up
Click here to read a wrap-up of the 2010 Annual Conference Session.

Wrap-up Bulletin Insert
Click here to download a bulletin insert for use in your local church to help you tell the story of Annual Conference

Videos of Sessions
Video segments of the 2010 Annual Conference session may be found online here. Click here for an order form to order a full-length DVD of any of the segments. Please note, the Ordination and Commissioning service video will be added in the coming days.

Annual Conference Session Daily Highlights

• Sunday, June 6
• Monday, June 7
• Tuesday, June 8
• Wednesday, June 9

Annual Conference Session Photos

• Sunday, June 6 
• Monday, June 7
• Service of Ordination & Commissioning (Monday, June 7)
• Tuesday, June 8
• Wednesday, June 9

Annual Conference Session Offerings: Thank You!
--CCPI Special Offering: $60,965.24
--Ordination & Commissioning Service Offering for the Ministerial Education Fund: $2,641.36

Journal
Click here to pre-order the 2010 Conference Journal and/or Clergy Directory

UMCOR Relief Kit Drive
The 2010 UMCOR relief kit drive yielded 2,375 kits headed for Haiti. Churches also provided funds to cover shipping costs and numerous bulk supplies. Special thanks to Coleman American Moving Services for their generosity in providing the truck and sign, as well as for transporting the kits and supplies to the Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, Louisiana.

Oil Spill Response
Please visit www.awfumc.org/oilspill for helpful information regarding the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and how churches can respond. There are also links to the BP claims website.

"On Target" Payments
These reports celebrate the local churches within the AWF Conference who are "on target" with their support of connectional giving. "On Target" giving is defined as systematic giving equaling at least 1/12 of the annual connectional giving amount per month. 

• Click here to view the "on target" report through May 2010.

AWF Conference To Send Second Mission Team to Haiti -- August 17-25
(Susan Hunt) In May, our first conference UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers In Mission) team went to Haiti to work with UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), UMVIM and the United Methodist Church in Haiti after the devastating earthquake on January 12. This team was one of the first 5 teams to go to Haiti in the new system coordinated through UMVIM. Working with the Methodist Church of Haiti will ensure the work we do there will be meaningful and helpful, and the work teams do is what the Haitians have decided they need the most.

We are currently scheduling a second team to travel to Haiti August 17-25. If you are interested in participating with this team, contact Glenn Glover, Conference UMVIM Coordinator, at umvim@awfumc.org, or 334-703-1115. There is space on this team for 12 people. The goal is to have as many potential team leaders on this team who will lead future teams there, so first priority will be given to those willing to take future teams.

UMCOR is employing two Haitians for every American team member who serves there. The people they employ are assisting teams as cooks and interpreters, and also working as carpenters, painters, de-construction workers, and more. Plus, UMCOR is matching the project funds brought by each team ($3,500 per team). Funds are used for building materials and to hire laborers. 

The people of Haiti are very grateful for the teams who are coming to help because our teams show them they are not forgotten or in this alone. It shows we care because we’re there, and that brings them hope. The UMVIM motto – Christian Love in Action – is lived out through our teams.

The media has already moved on to other matters so we rarely hear about Haiti in the news anymore, but the situation in Haiti is as dire as ever. The immediate needs for trauma care are not as revalent. However, the current health issues are still serious and revolve around diseases such as malaria and typhoid as well as other healthcare problems such as diabetes and malnutrition. The unsanitary conditions and destruction are everywhere; the need for teams will continue for many years to come. 

GBHEM Announces Exemplary Teacher Awards for 2010
(GBHEM) Forty professors at United Methodist-related schools, colleges, and universities have received the Exemplary Teacher Award from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM).

This program, an important partnership with United Methodist-related educational institutions, expresses the church’s support of and appreciation for outstanding teaching on our campuses. The recipients of the annual award receive a certificate of appreciation and $500.

“Outstanding teaching is a hallmark of the United Methodist-related school, colleges, and universities. These professors are the stars who share their expertise in such a way as to inspire our students to greater achievement and often to explore new vistas,” said Wanda Bigham, interim associate general secretary of GBHEM’s Division of Higher Education. “We are proud to recognize and honor these teachers who have been chosen by their institutions for 2010.” Some institutions give the awards during spring semester, others make the award in the fall. The following faculty member in the AWF Conference was selected this spring by their institutions for this award:

Jennifer Anne Fremlin, Huntingdon College

Congratulations Jennifer! To learn more about United Methodist-related educational institutions, visit www.gbhem.org/education.

Catapult Conference - September 22-24
From Bishop Paul L. Leeland: "On September 22-24, lay and clergy leaders of the Conference will gather at Christ UMC in Mobile for our first ever Catapult Conference. This is a phenomenal opportunity to learn from some of the most influential leaders in the Church today. Keynote speakers include Mike Slaughter, Alan Hirsch, Deb Hirsch, Reggie McNeal and Dr. Brian Russell of Asbury Seminary. In addition, numerous break out sessions will focus on action and implementation, one of which will be led by Lance Ford of shapevine.com.

This training is a response to the dramatic changes that have re-shaped our culture, and a recognition that our churches are not in a healthy position to effectively reach today’s non-Christians. The United Methodist Church in the U.S. loses 1,500 members every week and the rate of decline is increasing! While we might bemoan our losses, the real tragedy is the huge and growing number of people with no experience of the life-transforming love of Jesus Christ."

Catapult gathers Jesus followers of any tribe for encouragement and equipping in a post Christendom world. We explore how organic movements, innovations, and creative partnerships help the Church to be signs of the reign of God.

Community sessions reinforce the truth of God’s mission in the world. Breakout sessions equip for participation in the mission of God. Networking creates a web of innovation and encouragement for this North American mission field. Catapult sends you as an agent of transformation in your neighborhood, your church, your city, your world. Catapult will be held September 22-24, 2010 at Christ UMC in Mobile, Ala. Find out more, and register, at www.catapultconference.com. 

CONNECTION NEWS

Red Bird school seeks funds to reopen
(UMNS) After 89 years of educating and shaping the faith of youngsters in rural Appalachia, Red Bird Mission School is at risk of shutting its doors. In May, the Red Bird Mission Board voted to suspend classes during the 2010-2011 academic year. The kindergarten-through-12th-grade school, with operating expenses of about $1.8 million last year, needs to build up its cash reserves after years of dwindling donations. Still, the mission’s new executive director, Taylor Collins, has hopes the school can reopen this fall. He has set a goal of raising $1 million by Aug. 1. more>>

Arrest made in church worker’s murder
(UMNS) Agents with the U.S. Marshals Service in Washington state have arrested a suspect in the beating death of an elderly United Methodist woman, The Associated Press reported. Rene Patrick Bourassa Jr. is wanted in the death of 80-year-old Lillian Wilson, whose body was found June 6 beneath an overturned pew in Central United Methodist Church in the eastern Arkansas community. U.S. Marshal Supervisory Deputy Rick Ploof told The Associated Press the arrest was made June 10 in Bremerton, on the Kitsap Peninsula west of Seattle, after marshals received a tip that Bourassa had been seen there.

Advisory Group Reports on Church Debt and Guaranteed Clergy Appointments
(Newscope) A new report shows that the congregational debt load of local churches rose from approximately $260 to $420 per member between 2000 and 2007, growing about 6 percent faster than the annual inflation rate. “The UMC tracks the major demographics of the nation,” explained the Rev Stan Sutton, treasurer of the West Ohio Annual Conference. Since then, Sutton said, the level of debt has started to drop. But indebtedness has affected the ability of some congregations to pay their apportionments. “When you look across the statistics, you see that it’s not that 35,000 churches have taken on a little debt; it’s that a few churches have taken on a lot of debt,” Sutton said.

Sutton is a member of the Sustainability Advisory Group. The study group formed in the wake of the economic recession that put pressure on conferences and brought greater attention to the financial challenges already facing the church. Barbara Boigegrain, top staff executive of the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (GBPHB), in March 2009 requested volunteers to examine the sustainability of the church’s financial obligations. Staff members from 15 conferences, including benefits officers, treasurers and a director of connectional ministries, joined the endeavor. The group also received support from staff members from the GBPHB and the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA).

The report examining the church’s short- and long-term financial challenges was released in May. Overall, the report suggests some tough solutions may be necessary to help the denomination remain financially viable as membership continues to decline. Such solutions range from eliminating clergy job guarantees to closing and selling “unsustainable” churches to revamping clergy and lay pension plans. In terms of increasing debt, the Sustainability Advisory Group report found that debt levels “appear to be inversely related” to a local church’s financial support of The UMC’s connectional ministries. In 2007, the more than 20,000 churches that paid 95 percent to 100 percent of their apportionments to the general church had an average debt of $476 per congregant. For the more than 8,000 churches paying less than 95 percent, the debt figure was more than 50 percent higher—$721 per church member.

The report recommends that the Book of Discipline be amended to require approval of local church loans by the annual conference itself. The group also suggests establishing debt analysis training for churches and district boards and distribution of a debt analysis process across the connection. The Texas Methodist Foundation has created one model for the analysis process.

The study group report said the church must also confront a hard financial reality regarding guaranteed appointments: The denomination now has fewer people responsible for supporting more clergy. The UMC in the United States has seen its membership decline by 25 percent to fewer than 7.8 million members since its peak in 1968, the report said. More than 80 percent of local churches now have fewer than 125 congregants. Yet the number of active clergy has held relatively steady and the number of retirees has grown by 250 percent. The group suggests following the examples of the Indiana and Missouri annual conferences. The Indiana Conference helps clergy who might do better in another profession with the “Called Anew” program, which includes three to six months of severance. The Missouri Conference provides intervention and training for struggling clergy. But if no improvement happens, the conference counsels ineffective clergy out of pastoral ministry. Another possible savings, the study group said, is extending the terms of appointments. The report is being distributed to bishops, conference benefit officers and task forces studying the future of the denomination.

HAITI: Six Months Later
(UMCOR) It has been nearly six months since a 7.0-magnitude earthquake inflicted widespread destruction and death on Haiti. It was the most massive quake to strike the country in 200 years. In April, United Nations Head of Mission Edmond Mulet revised casualty totals and said that the quake had taken the lives of 250,000 to 300,000 people, injured 300,000, and left more than a million homeless. UMCOR has been on the scene in Haiti from the start, laying the groundwork for a long recovery. Generous donors have given more than $37.2 million to this effort, but more is needed. Your gift to Haiti Emergency, UMCOR Advance #418325, helps the people of Haiti rebuild their homes, places of worship, and, most importantly, their lives. more>>

Lake Junaluska Seeks New Executive Director
(LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C.) Lake Junaluska Assembly is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Lake Junaluska Assembly Executive Director. Since June 2000, Rev. Dr. Jimmy L. Carr has served as the Executive Director of Lake Junaluska. Carr recently announced his retirement, effective at the conclusion of 2010. The Lake Junaluska Executive Committee and Bishop Larry Goodpaster, the President of the Lake Junaluska Board, are in the process of searching for the right person to fill the position. Applications must be received no later than August 10, 2010. "One of the things we want to communicate is that Lake Junaluska has a long history and time honored traditions, but it faces the challenge of moving into the 21st century and to become a premier conference and retreat center," said Bishop Goodpaster. "I think the opportunity is really exciting going into the future, and we will build on previous executive directors such as Jimmy Carr's 11 years of experience. Upon his retirement, it's time for us to look to the future in creative ways."

The Lake Junaluska Executive Committee are looking for the following qualifications in a candidate: A proven track record of entrepreneurial skills and success in fund raising development in leading a multi-faceted business toward financial stability; possession of leadership skills necessary to guide a not-for-profit United Methodist Christian retreat center, and the ability to serve a clear sense of God's call for this ministry of leading a time-honored organization into a relevant and engaging future. A full description of qualifications can be found online.

Candidates for the Executive Director position must submit a 500 word cover letter expressing his or her interest, passion and vision for the position, including proven knowledge, skills and previous experience relevant to the position, in addition to an application with salary history and a résumé.

For more information, or to download and print a full job description and application, visit www.lakejunaluska.com/executive-director or contact Karen Kirby, Director of Human Resources at Lake Junaluska Assembly, at 828-454-6707 or kkirby@lakejunaluska.com.  Lake Junaluska Assembly is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

FOR MORE GLOBAL AND LOCAL UNITED METHODIST NEWS,
check out the press room!

Resources Available for Father’s Day
(GBOD) The General Board of Discipleship has resources for celebrating Father’s Day at church and in the home. The board suggests Bible verses and prayers that are fitting for the occasion as well as a “Litany for Men’s Day” that churches can use. In addition, the board offers gift ideas such as a coupon book of chores and other activities youngsters can do for their fathers. One such coupon entitles Dad to a day when his children will laugh at all his jokes. Resources are available here.

InfoServ Now Offers Live Chat
(UMCom) InfoServ, the official information service of The United Methodist Church, now offers an online “Live Chat” feature that allows customers to communicate directly with representatives. Launched June 1, 2010, “Chat with InfoServ” encourages real time conversations between members, church pastors, agency staff and others with questions about The United Methodist Church.

InfoServ is a ministry of United Methodist Communications. Started in 1974 as a “reference desk” for those who have questions about United Methodist beliefs, worship practices, positions on social issues, local church questions and more, InfoServ averages about 1,700 inquiries a month.

In August 2009, the agency announced that InfoServ would discontinue phone support and transition to only e-mail and online service to provide better stewardship of resources, while continuing to offer high quality service. Over the past several years, at least 60% of contacts with InfoServ have come via e-mail. Comparisons of satisfaction levels, as shown in customer surveys, indicated that e-mail provides an effective means for assisting consumers. Additional information and “frequently asked questions” were also added to the website to provide a self-service option that customers can access anytime.

“This “Live Chat” feature restores an immediate person-to-person connection with those who depend on InfoServ for answers to their questions about The United Methodist Church,” said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. “Not only is it customer-friendly, it is budget-friendly as we continue to provide answers quickly, accurately and economically.”

Customers are able to submit questions via e-mail at infoserv@umcom.org. Answers to the most frequently asked questions are also available online at infoserv.umc.org.

Degree Meets Needs of Military Chaplains
(Newscope) Iliff School of Theology in Denver is offering a new master of arts degree in pastoral and spiritual care for military chaplains who already hold a master of divinity degree. Iliff’s military chaplaincy program begins in August and is usually completed with a summer unit of clinical pastoral education the following year. To learn more, contact Iliff’s Admissions office, admissions@iliff.edu or (800) 678-3360.

Two Notes from the Fiscal Office
(Frank Dunnewind, AWF Conference Treasurer) Churches the have hired or will hire new certain new employees may benefit from some tax savings provided by recently passed legislation. Check this link for more information: 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services posted a brochure on their website that describes the tax-free, one-time rebate check for $250 for people who enter the Part D coverage gap and are not eligible for Medicare Extra Help. The first checks were mailed June 10, and then checks will be mailed monthly after people enter the coverage gap. To help fight fraud, CMS is reminding seniors that there are no forms to fill out or any information to provide; Medicare will automatically send the check. (AON Consulting)

ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE!

Strengthening the Black Church (SBC21) Event
July 22-24, 2010, Montgomery, AL

All are invited to the opening worship service: NO REGISTRATION FEE required! Bishop James E. Swanson, preaching. Thursday, July 22, 7 p.m, Ligon Chapel, Huntingdon College, Montgomery, Ala.

What can your church do to become more effective in ministry?  Come to this seminar at Huntingdon July 22-24, 2010. Top-quality speakers will present plenary sessions and workshops on topics such as worship, evangelism, leadership, hospitality, and more. 
Registration begins on Thursday, July 22, at 5:00 pm.  The closing worship and sending forth will conclude at 1:00 pm on Saturday, July 24.  For participants coming from outside of the Montgomery area, lodging will be available on campus at Huntingdon College.
Cost is $75 per person to stay on the Huntingdon Campus, which includes housing and meals and registration fees.  There will be a $20 commuter fee for those staying off campus. For more information, the brochure, and to register, visit the website www.awfumc.org/sbc2010, or contact Susan Hunt at 888-873-3127.

Featured Event: SOULfeast
Register for SOULfeast, July 17 and July 18–22 at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. Preachers Juanita Rasmus, Jay Williams, Jerry Haas, and Bishop Hee-Soo Jung join our teacher Phyllis Tickle for five days
of worship, teaching and preaching. With worship visuals by Karla Kincannon, a 3-day workshop especially for worship leaders with Dean McIntyre, and a SOULfeast Saturday pre-conference retreat for songwriters with Jay Voorhees, SOULfeast offers those who lead worship fresh experience and vision to take back to their local congregations. For additional information or help contact Sharon Conley, Marketing Manager, Upper Room Ministries Division, GBOD (sconley@upperroom.org; 615-340-7525; 877-899- 2780ext.7525 [toll free]).

Featured Event: School of Congregational Development
The annual School of Congregational Development will bring together speakers and workshop leaders on July 29–Aug. 2 to help UM leaders learn to develop better disciple-making faith communities. The event,
sponsored by the General Board of Discipleship, Path 1 and the General Board of Global Ministries, will be held at the Renaissance Hotel and Nashville Convention Center and area churches. Participants can
choose from a variety of learning options which includes 16 Intensives, 25 Ministry Tracks, 11 Teaching Churches and 15 Workshops for Leader Development. For online registration, go to www.scdumc.org.
For questions, contact Deborah Carvin at GBOD (877-899-2780 Ext. 7051 [toll free]; dcarvin@gbod.org).

Featured Event: Beyond These Walls Mission Conference 2010
Looking for means to transform congregations and equip them for effective, life-transforming ministry? Moving people from self-centered to Christ-centered is often the result of an effective missions program and this is the purpose of the Beyond These Walls 2010 mission conference, Oct 7-9 at McEachern UMC in Powder Springs, Ga.  “Best of the best” missions teaching and training will help you mobilize, revitalize, and equip congregations so they can fulfill their divine calling – making disciples of all the nations.

Keynote speakers will be Dr. Tony Campolo, teacher and author who epitomizes serving beyond our walls, and Jorge Acevedo, the innovative pastor of Grace Church UMC that operates one of the largest and most effective recovery ministries in America. You will have the opportunity to tailor your learning time by selecting from multiple workshops. The growing list of offerings, along with other conference details, can be found at www.missionconference.org.

Other Upcoming Events

• UMCH Softball Tournament, June 19
• Alabama Poverty Project - Hunger Workshop, June 22
• Grandparents Camp, June 25-28
• ARM Cycle of Service, June 25-27
• Student Leadership Institute, July 5-9
• Spiritual Direction Training, July 13-16
• PAUMCS Certification Institute, July 18-23
• SBC 21 Gathering, July 22-24
• School of Christian Mission, July 23-24
• African American Women's Leadership Conference, August 5-7
• Willow Creek Leadership Summit Simulcast, August 5-6
• Soul Care, August 9-10
• Teacher Training, August 21
• AWF Conference Leadership Summit, August 28
• UMVIM Team Leader Training, September 11
• Catapult Conference, September 22-24
• Living with the Wesleys, September 27-30
• Energize {Fall Rally}, October 1-3
  2011
• SEJ Clergywomen's Consultation, April 4-7

FOR MORE EVENTS, check out the online calendar!