Welcome to our series that spotlights ministries of the NC Conference. Read about other conference ministries as these stories are published weekly.
Jennifer Burns
Jennifer Burns is a Certified Lay Minister serving at Princeton United Methodist Church in Princeton, NC, in Johnston County. She has more than 10 years of ministry experience, including previous positions as a Church Secretary, Visitation Minister, and managing social media and digital ministries for a number of congregations. Jennifer serves at Princeton UMC as their Social Media Coordinator, acts as the Lector during worship services, and sits as an Ad Hoc member on many church committees.
The Social Principles Project
Jennifer’s ministry is called The Social Principles Project (SPP). The objective of the Social Principles Project is to educate United Methodists on the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church. The SPP seeks to make enlightening connections between our Sunday morning worship and how we live out our faith in the world, answering the calls to action that we see as people of faith.
The SPP also seeks to consolidate and promote news of work being done by by UMC agencies and caucus groups (General Board of Church and Society, Strengthening the Black Church, Commission on the Status and Role of Women, Reconciling Ministries, UMCOR, etc.) on behalf of United Methodists around the world in a way that is more easily accessible by people who are either unaware of these agencies or who are experiencing information overload.
This ministry primarily consists of maintaining a Facebook page that shares information and resources. Jennifer also records and posts weekly “mini messages” focusing on a variety of social justice topics with the hopes that pastors and other ministry leaders will share these messages with their congregations. The ultimate goal for the SPP is that the people of the North Carolina Annual Conference would represent a denomination (and a Conference) on the front lines of being the change we want to see in the world for the glory of God.
Loving Boldly, Serving Joyfully, Leading Courageously
This ministry lives into the new UMC Vision Statement because it focuses on how we can Love Boldly by not turning a blind eye to the needs of our neighbors (particularly BIPOC and immigrants) and to Serve Joyfully and Lead Courageously by answering the calls to protect, stand up for, and speak out for those who are unable to stand up and speak out for themselves safely. This ministry’s end goal is to ensure that we are living not just as people with our nose in the Bible but with eyes, ears, and mouths open and answering the needs of those Jesus loved and gave his life for.