WV Annual Conference 2007
Annual Conference was once again held at West Virginia Wesleyan College last month. Wesley Chapel is an ideal place for a church conference. Bishop Ernest Lyght delivered the sermon at opening worship of Annual Conference this year, and his message was, �Let�s give them something to talk about,� that something being the love of Christ and the ways as Christians and United Methodists that we can share our faith. There was an emphasis throughout the Conference upon prayer and evangelism (the two going hand in hand) with ideas about reaching the unchurched and importance of reaching out to youth. The Conference discussed plans for implementing evangelism as the major priority for the 2009-2012 quadrennium.
Several members from our church attended annual conference. The two lay members from Johnson Memorial were Kim Matthews and Sue Woods. Other members of JM�s laity who attended were Steve Matthews (lay equalization member), Jim McKay (Chair, Children and Poverty), and Jeff Taylor (Lay Leader of Western District), Vicky Shreve, and Jake and Jonah McKay. We were well represented on the clergy side as well � Pastors Joe, Carol and Suzanne attended conference.
Resolutions approved include the following:
� Urging the defeat of local referendums that would allow table gambling in certain counties
� Calling for comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S. that would include reducing the obstacles for �all who want to settle here
� Asking the General Commission on Archives and History to designate the Mother�s Day Shrine at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, WV, as a United Methodist Historic Site
Because this was an Annual Conference immediately prior to a General Conference, several petitions were brought to the floor, seeking our conference approval prior to their submission to the General Conference. Delegates, both lay and clergy, were elected to the General Conference and the Jurisdictional Conference.
The president of West Virginia Wesleyan outlined five challenges the college is addressing with ongoing success. The Conference heard news that three new campus ministry relationships are being formed, �something to talk about.� This is in addition to six established campus ministries of Higher Education. Sarah Lamb serves as the United Methodist pastor on the Marshall University campus.
Conference passed a budget $11.75 million, which is a reduction of 2.25% from last year. The reduction was enabled by a shifting of cost for health insurance. The programming budget was actually increased.
We celebrated that in May of 2007, the United Methodist Foundation of West Virginia reached a milestone. Due to the investment performance of funds and to new gifts and deposits, the total assets under management reached 50 million dollars � funds to enhance and expand ministries all across the state. That�s definitely something to talk about!
Worship at Annual Conference is �something to talk about.� Sermons were delivered by James Salley, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement at Africa University, Rev. Ellis Conley (First UMC, Elkins), Rev. Deborah Shreve (Mathias Charge, Potomac Highlands district) and Bishop Lyght. Worship was a highlight of the conference with beautiful music and inspiring sermons.
The new Nothing but Nets campaign was introduced; we hope you hear more about this in the coming months, but its purpose is to purchase anti-malaria nets. The Bishop has set a goal for the state of the purchase of 10,000 nets (at $10 each). This is a wonderful program!
Of interest to Johnson Memorial specifically:
� Jim McKay delivered the Children�s Moment during worship on Saturday morning, and did a wonderful job.
� Carol, as chairman of the Nomination Committee, gave her report with the utmost professionalism.
� Judi Kenaston (Phil and Jean Modlin�s daughter, the late Glenn and Sally Kenaston�s daughter-in-law) was elected to both General and Jurisdictional conference. She also served as the Conference Secretary. Judi and Joe�s daughter, Diane Kenaston, was elected to Jurisdictional Conference.
� Rev. Dick Harrold was one of the many pastors remembered in a memorial service on Friday evening.
� Cecelia Underwood Baker led the Thursday evening worship processional, bearing a star.
The focus of the West Virginia Annual Conference for the next four years will be evangelism. It�s time to start talking about God and about His church. It�s time to start showing our neighbors who God is, and it�s time to be the hands and feet of Christ in this city of Huntington. Let�s give them something to talk about.
If you have questions about Annual Conference, would like to hear more about it, or would like one of us to make a presentation about the event to your class or group, please feel free to contact either of us. We are happy to �talk about it!�
Kim Matthews and Sue Woods