NC Conference UMVIM Coordinator, Miles Hunt, shares updates, stories, and information about the ministry over the past year.
Announcements
UMC Support Webinar on Department of Labor Updates
Join Tricia Baker, Director of Human Resources at the General Council on Finance and Administration, for a webinar on June 5 at 2 pm to learn more about the latest updates to labor laws beginning July 1, 2024.
AC 2024: Worship Leaders, Book Signing, and Briefing Session Recording
š¶ Worship Leaders
Meet the worship leaders for AC 2024!
Kylan Pew
Kylan Pew is a worship leader, creator, speaker, social entrepreneur, and proud millennial. In 2014, he launched The Believers’ Outlet, a platform dedicated to marginalized faith believers in church and society. Pew created The Black Seminarians Table in 2019, a platform to support and amplify the voice and experience of Black seminarians.
Pew holds a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Wiley College and a Master of Divinity with an emphasis on Community Development from Gammon Theological Seminary at The Interdenominational Theological Center.
Paul Saik
Paul Saik is a vocalist, pianist, and organist. Saik began playing the piano at the age of three and the organ at age sixteen. He has performed with opera companies around the world, led worship at annual conferences and events, and released several sacred music albums.
Saik studied piano and organ at Mississippi College and received a Bachelor of Music degree in piano and a Master of Music degree in church music and organ at Baylor University.
š Thursdays in Black
Annual Conference members are encouraged to wear a black colored outfit in support of “Thursdays in Black” on June 13. Established by the World Council of Churches, this global movement seeks to create a world without rape and violence.
š NC Conference Authors Book Signing
Join us at the NC Conference Authors Book Signing on June 13 at 7 pm in the Emerald Room of the Greenville Convention Center. Meet seven NC Conference clergy authors, buy your own copy of their books, and get them signed. Bring your church members, college students, youth, and children – there’s a book for everyone!
šļø Important Dates & Information
Below you will find information and deadlines relating to Annual Conference 2024. Please continue to visit the AC 2024 website or download the app for more details.
š» Briefing Session
Missed the AC 2024 Briefing Session? Watch the recording of the Briefing Session and First-Time Attendee Zoom on the Annual Conference website or in the NC Conference app.
Partnership with New Faith Communities and the Ormond Center
The Office of New Faith Communities partnered with the Ormond Center at Duke Divinity School to share in a Common Learning Day hosted at Village Church Rolesville. The day and a half event was designed for church planters and those discerning a calling to church planting and was filled with learning and conversation about relational discipleship. The Ormond Center fostered our imagination to become agents of thriving in our churches and in our communities based on the power of cultivating strong relationships.Ā
Day one began with a theological grounding of the Trinity and Jesusā great commandment to love God, neighbor, and ourselves. Planters were reminded that relationships are everything! The Ormond Center spoke about their vision and how they might come alongside planters to help with training, learning opportunities and research. In particular, planters learned about the importance of Christian Social Entrepreneurship and opportunities to be a part of the Ormond Centerās Church & Community Placemaking Lab. This lab seeks to generate social impact by helping participating communities align community interests, leverage church real estate, and attract investment opportunities. We often forget that our church spaces provide opportunities for relationships that are meaningful and impactful for both the local church and community!
In the afternoon, participants engaged in peer-learningĀ breakout sessions with leaders from the Ormond Center to share about their contexts in ministry. Then, lay leaders from Village Church Rolesville came in for a panel discussion sharing about the development of Village Church Rolesville. They shared about the power and importance of āB3 Groupsā (Belong, Become, Bless -small groups) for the church and how making space for people to belong has helped to embody the mission of the church to ālive like family and love like Jesus.ā
On Day 2, the Ormond Center led an interactive activity connected to Asset Based Community Development. Planters were asked to choose something interesting that they would like to teach others. After developing a short teaching plan, they shared their teaching idea with others. At the conclusion, the group as a whole named the surprising skills and unique assets within the New Faith Community Pastors and Leaders cohort. Planters were encouraged to continue to tap into the knowledge and skills of their peers and colleagues moving forward. In the same way, pastors and planters can also cultivate relationships in their community to find and map the assets that exist there. Everyone brings something to the table!
Thank you to the Ormond Center for helping to foster renewed imagination and a will and desire to develop relationships in our community so that our churches can be agents of thriving!
NC Conference Authors Book Signing at Annual Conference
Please join us at the NC Conference Authors Book Signing on Thursday, June 13, at 7:00 pm during the Ice Cream Social at Annual Conference. In the Emerald Room of the Greenville Convention Center, we will have ten NC Conference clergy and leaders selling and signing books that they have authored.
- Jason Villegas, Conference Director of Youth Ministries, Claire Cox-Woodlief, co-founder and board chair of the NC Institute for Spiritual Direction and Formation, and Lib Campbell (not attending), pastor emeritus of St. Mark’s UMC (Raleigh), all contributed to a collection of essays, Wisdom of Our Elders: Living in Spirit, Wisdom, Deep Mercy, and Truth.
- Heejun Yang, pastor of Star UMC (Star), is the author of Asian Case Studies on Translating Christianity: Toward God’s Self-Communication and the Trinitarian End of Asian Theology and Trinitarian Responses to Worldliness: Towards a Trinitarian Theology of Inculturation.
- Francis Daniel, retired pastor and former District Superintendent, is the author of a new children’s book, The Wish of a Fish.
- Charlie Baber, pastor at University UMC (Chapel Hill), is the author of two graphic novels, Incompatible: How the Church Cast Out LGBTQ Christians & Where We Go Next and Submitting to Be More Vile: The Illustrated Adventures of John & Charles Wesley.
- Dan Blair, pastor of First UMC & Fellowship UMC (Hamlet), is the author of Impending Doom or Incredible Promise: A Study of the Book of Revelation.
- Taylor Mills, pastor of Trinity UMC (Southport), is the author of Toward the Cross: Heart-Shaping Lessons for Lent and Easter.
- Tom Greener, pastor of St. James UMC (Greenville), is the author of Finding Our Way: How Ancient Practices Help Us Navigate through Stress, Anxiety, and Alienation.
- Donna Fowler-Marchant, pastor in the Methodist Church in Britain, is the author of Mothers in Israel: Methodist Beginnings Through the Eyes of Women.
Although all of these books can be borrowed from the NC Conference Media Center, the book signing event is a great opportunity to meet these authors, buy your own copy of their books, and get them signed. Bring your church members, college students, youth, and children – there’s a book for everyone!
NC Council of Churches Releases Report
The NC Council of Churches recently released a report highlighting their current priority areas and activities. Jennifer E. Copeland, Executive Director for NC Churches said, “With 18 denominations representing over 6,200 congregations in N.C., the Council provides incarnational evidence of Christian Unity. By creating unity without expecting uniformity, member bodies collaborate on matters that contribute to the flourishing of Godās creation.”