- Welcome & Ordering
Bishop Ward called the Annual Conference session to order and opened with prayer. Conference Secretary Jerry Bryan welcomed members of the conference to this gathering. He thanked the Communications Office for making this virtual gathering possible. Jerry announced his retirement from this position after 25 years as Conference Secretary.
An overview of the Lumi platform was given so members could get familiar with the voting procedure to be used during the conference.
Timothy Russell asked for a Bishop’s ruling on whether the standing rules of order for the 2021 Annual Conference had been properly approved since members were asked to approve them in advance without privilege to discuss, amend, or debate. Bishop Ward’s ruling was that the standing rules of order were properly approved.
Rev. George Speake, chair of the Rules Committee, asked for the ratification of all the business and reports approved at the 2020 Annual Conference. The Conference ratified these decisions.
Rev. Speake then explained the lay equalization plan that would be in place for the 2022 Annual Conference. (pgs. 11-13 of the Conference Workbook). Ken Ripley made a motion to amend the list in Step 4 on pg. 12 to include V. District Co-Lay Leaders and W. District Directors of Lay Ministry. The amendment passed and the Report on Lay Equalization was approved as amended. - Election of Conference Officers
George Speake was re-elected as the Conference Statistician.
With the retirement of Jerry Bryan as Conference Secretary, the bishop announced an Associate Conference Secretary (not to be elected or compensated beyond normal business expenses) – Rev. Paul Woo-Il Lee. Jerry Bryan then made a nomination of Gray Southern to serve as the Conference Secretary. Southern was elected.
Eric Stevens was elected Conference Chancellor.
- Celebration of Mission & Ministry
Ernesto Barriguete, Director of Racial Equity & Justice Ministries, shared how the conference is engaging in racial justice and anti-racism strategies from the local church to the conference level. - Christian Unity
Bishop Kenneth Monroe of the AMEZ Church of Eastern NC brought greetings.
Rev. Grayson Dye, chair of the Commission on Christian Unity & Interreligious Relations highlighted an ecumenical milestone within our conference between Christ Community UMC (Clayton), Greater Heights UMC (Clayton) and the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) church who have discerned a call to enter a covenantal relationship. If approved by the congregations, the NC Conference, and the Central NC Conference of the AMEZ, Christ Community and Greater Heights UMCs would be classified under the Book of Discipline as a “union” church, meaning one church with a unified membership roll but related to two denominations. Conference members were asked to affirm the ongoing work of unity between Christ Community UMC, Greater Heights UMC, and the Central North Carolina Conference of the AMEZ church. The conference overwhelmingly affirmed this covenant. - Celebration of Laity Ministries
The Bishop introduced the Laity Report by first giving thanks for the leadership and blessed memory of former conference lay leader, Gary Locklear.
Conference lay leader, John Hall, introduced reports from the Conference Youth, United Methodist Women, United Methodist Men, Deaconesses & Home Missioners, and Lay Servant Ministries. Our three newest deaconesses were introduced – Sharon Brignon, Annette Greer, and Effie McGill.
- Conference Delegation Update
Belton Joyner and Christine Dodson gave an update on General Conference and the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (SEJ). The 2020 General Conference has now been postponed until Aug 29-Sept. 6, 2022 in Minneapolis, MN. The SEJ Conference will have a short virtual meeting July 21, 2021 to vote on the merger of the Memphis Conference and the Tennessee Conference. A regular business session of the SEJ Conference hopefully will take place in November, 2022.
Gray Southern, chair of the Conference Episcopacy Committee, introduced a video message from Bishop Leonard Fairley who will become our presiding bishop on Sept. 1, 2021.
Announcements
Opening Worship/Memorial Service
Order of Worship
The Rev. Edie Gleaves offered the message, “A Well-Watered Garden” based on the Annual Conference scripture – Isaiah 58: 11.
The following clergy and clergy spouses were honored and remembered:
2019-2020
Clergy: Carson Olin Wiggins, Richard Farmer Lewis, Milford Oxendine, Jr., Claude T. Nethercutt, Diane June Yentes, Elwood Larry Myrick, Kenneth Bryan Sexton, Sr., Charles Scott Parsons, Charles Vernon Bryant, George Bruce Skipper, William L. Wolfe, William Gray Sharpe IV, Jerry Addison Jackson, Hector Manuel Millan, Madison Newton Hankal, James Michael Durner, John Wayne Young, John Sidney Paschal, John Earl Richardson Sr., Ramon E. Atkins, Roger Addison Armistead, Hubert Howard Hodgin, Gilbert W. Beeson, Jr., Daniel Thomas Earnhardt, Wallace Hines Kirby
Spouses: Barbara Barnes Davis, Wynell Hoogerland, Janet Wellons Smith, Claudia S. Wilson, Neila Jean Mangum, Joseph Henry Smith,
Elizabeth Jane S. Williams, Kimberly A. Mann-Guthrie, Elgie U. Garner, Dennis Hickey, Colleen Dennis Newman, Grace Stafford, Leatrice Smith Creech, Carol W. Midgett, Luella Eller Ellis, Nancy Pitzer Thomas, Martha P. Brown, James A. Sawyer, Jr., Sylvia J. Teachey, Ruth Ellen Aitken, Carol Brown, Willie Davis Johnson, Sara L. Coile, Sarah Meadows, Lillie H. Horne, Wanda Henry McLaurin, Priscilla McDougald Thompson, Jean Carol Tilley, Erma B. Woodworth.
2020-2021
Clergy: Robert Tappan Osborn, Frank Irwin Lloyd, Jr., Judith Smith Stephens, Wilbur Ivan Jackson, Ernest Ray Porter, Robert Lee Baldridge, Theodore Claborne Garrett, Lewis Hardie Dodson, Roy Keith Nanney, Robert H. Crouch, Colin Patrick Inman, Leonard Thomas Sheppard, Jesse Virgil Bone, Sr., Deborah S. Wilkins, Herbert Charles Davis, Joseph W. Forbes, Charles Howard Hutchinson, David Eugene Bostian, Jr., John L. Stokes III
Spouses: Nancy Jo Simonton McLain, Emma Deana Bass, Jean Kelly Price, Robbie Williams Barrett, Joyce A. McDonald, Maxine Tingle, Eunice Bray Parker, Linda Sue Smith, Frances Bellamy McMillan, Rebecca Edge Bideaux, Edith Mae S. Crowder, Caroline Boyd Stott, Maryella Bruton Cameron, Council Graham, Myra McLawhorn Supplee
connections: Ordination 2021
Thirty-eight elders and two deacons were ordained for Christian ministry at this year’s Annual Conference.
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.
A highlight of Annual Conference last week was the ordination of 40 of God’s servants on Friday. They were glorious services. Ten persons were ordained in each of the four services.The highlight of the service of ordination is the laying on of hands. “Take thou authority.” These three words resonate in our hearts and minds as we pray for the 40 who were ordained last week. May your ministry abound in peace and in joy as you serve Christ in the years to come.
Creation Care Book of the Month: Hope Matters
Next Creation Care Book Discussion Monday, June 28, 2021 10:30am – 11:50am
Join us for a discussion of Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think Is Critical to Solving the Environmental Crisis by Elin Kelsey
“In the face of extreme eco-anxiety, scholar and award-winning author Elin Kelsey argues that our hopelessness—while an understandable reaction—is hampering our ability to address the very real problems we face. Kelsey offers a powerful solution: hope itself.” Amazon.com
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1771647779/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_imm_awdb_M95BYMNJYZT4S7CAGKNP
You must register in advance for this Zoom meeting:
When: Jun 28, 2021 10:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sf–spzMrH9If3yMDK979-96mDf0_T3md
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Local Church Online Giving – Ending August 31, 2021
Many individuals took advantage of giving online to their local church on the Conference website while staying at home during the worst parts of the pandemic. Since starting this program in March 2020, the Conference Treasurer’s Office has served 150 different churches and processed over $260,000 in tithes and offerings, depositing funds directly into church accounts twice per month. We have been honored to help in this way during these difficult times.
The demand for this service has gone down over the last several months, and we will be discontinuing it at the end of August. The pastors and finance teams of the churches who used this service have been notified by email and are encouraged to investigate opportunities for implementing their own electronic giving programs.
Here are some resources to help with that research.
GCFA Partners:
https://www.gcfa.org/partners/
Vanco
Subsplash
Other popular providers:
Paypal
Stripe
Pushpay
Tithe.ly
EasyTithe
Givelify
Here’s a blog that discusses several of those listed above. https://outreach.com/blog/best-church-online-giving-platforms/
Here’s a helpful comparison of fees charged by different providers: https://givingfees.com/#church
AC 2021: Updates & Information
As we anticipate gathering at 10 am tomorrow for the 2021 Annual Conference session, here are things that may help you prepare to fully participate in the sessions.
The Lumi platform will open at 9 am so you can log in and make sure your equipment is working. Please do not try to log in before 9 am. Send a message to support@nccumc.org if you have a problem logging in.
You may view a detailed agenda, the Conference Workbook, and the Opening Worship/Memorial Service bulletin on the website or in the conference app.
Laity Executive Session
Did you miss the Laity Executive Session or maybe the last part when it unexpectedly cut off? We apologize for this error. Watch the archive on the AC 2021 page or in the app.
Ordination Services
The ordination services will be livestreamed on Friday, June 18 on live.nccumc.org and in the app. Each ordination service is listed in the detailed agenda and includes start times and those to be ordained in each service. You will also find a consolidated ordination bulletin online.