Bishop Ward talks about the journey between the 2012 and 2013 Annual Conferences as the NC Conference has moved into 8 districts.
Christ’s peace and grace and strength to you, as you live as Christ’s witness in the world.
Very soon we will gather at the 2013 session of the North Carolina Annual Conference. It will be a birthday of sorts, a first birthday for 8 districts, created by an overwhelming vote of the North Carolina Annual Conference 1 year ago.
It’s been a journey of experimenting, of learning, of listening, of watching, of growing, and of conversation, as we have sought to strengthen our new life together.
One of the ways in which the Cabinet and I have engaged this opportunity, is a series of retreats, led by Gil Rendle. We met in these retreats with the Cabinet of the Western North Carolina Conference and with Bishop Goodpaster.
The Western North Carolina Conference also moved in the last couple of years to a structure of 8 districts. The 8 District Superintendents in Western North Carolina and the 8 District Superintendents in the North Carolina Conference have been prayer partners across this year.
As we met together, we have shared our experiences of the new structure, our questions of ways in which to make our lives together and in mission more effective and more fruitful, and we decided, in both Annual Conferences, to create district mission strategy teams.
As we gather for Annual Conference, let us give thanks for the journey, and let us give thanks for the ways in which we are learning day by day, to follow Christ faithfully, in this time, and in this place.
I look forward to seeing many of you in Greenville very soon and for being engaged with others of you on the web as Annual Conference unfolds.