Announcements

A Prayer for the SEJ Conference

Announcements Published on
November 1, 2022

O Lord, you who are all wisdom and understanding: we come to you now, praying for those who are preparing to gather as representatives of the Southeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. We pray for all of those who will attend: for clergy, for laity, for those who will be working behind the scenes. We pray for those who will lead in times of worship and prayer. We pray for those who will be voting, and we pray for those who have graciously accepted nominations for leadership. And we pray for all of the communities of faith represented in our Jurisdiction.

God, grant your wisdom and discernment for all of the decisions that will be made in these days of holy conferencing. May all those present be aware of your Holy Spirit in all of their conversations. And may there be grace upon grace for the work that is done and peace beyond all human understanding in all that transpires. We lift this prayer to you, God, the one who has created us and called us and who even now sustains us for the journey ahead. Hear our prayer, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

For more information about the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference, including how to watch and follow, visit our SEJ page.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Last Month in the NC Conference: October 2022

Announcements Published on
November 1, 2022

We’d like to keep everyone up-to-date about the happenings all across the NC Conference offices and committees, so we’ll be posting a roundup of all the major news at the end of every month.

Here’s an overview of NC Conference events and updates from the month of October.

NC Conference

The #BeUMC focus theme for October was World-changing. View #BeUMC resources, watch video testimonials, and share A Prayer for the World-changing People of God.
Read Bishop Fairley’s message, “Paying it Forward.”
The Health Ministry Team shared an update from Disaster Medicine expert, Dr. Wes Wallace.
Read Bishop Fairley’s message, “We Weep, We Pray, and We Act.”
Read Bishop Fairley’s message, “From Mourning to Morning.”
“As people rooted in the Wesleyan tradition, we will continue to seek ways to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” Read more.

Archives & History

The NC Conference Historical Society held a fall meeting on October 8.

Center for Leadership Excellence

Over 60 people attended “Leading During Anxious Times”, an in-person Day of Learning.

Christian Formation

The Board of Church and Society created a newsletter that will highlight an issue of justice, how you can get involved in advocacy as a United Methodist, or shares a story of good work happening in our communities. Sign up for the quarterly newsletter.
View new church safety and security resources on the Safe Sanctuaries page.
Over 20 people attended a conference-wide online lay servant ministries class on “Leading Bible Study” taught by Alan Felton.

Media Center

View resources for the World-Changing People of God.
View Christian resources on domestic violence.
View a new sexual ethics resource collection.

New Faith Communities

The New Room Society gathered for Common Learning Day to discuss theological and practical training in liturgical worship. The church planters partnered with Iglesia La Semilla in service by facilitating a food distribution event, which impacted nearly 750 people in Durham.
Read the October New Room Society newsletter.

Outreach Ministry

Congregations for Children celebrates NCCU Wesley Campus Ministry’s summer literacy program.
Creation Care met for a monthly online book club discussion. The next discussion is on November 28 at 10:30 am.
Disaster Ministries hosted three Early Response Team training sessions and shared disaster response updates.
Disaster Ministries sent ERT volunteers to Florida to assist with Hurricane Ian recovery efforts. ERTs from our Conference have also traveled to Kentucky to assist with flooding recovery efforts.
The Health Ministry Team continues to share information about maintaining healthy church environments through COVID, flu, and RSV seasons.
Rev. Bill Haddock and volunteers at MERCI are collecting and sorting Project Agape Christmas boxes.
The Mission Team received 20 Mission Seed Fund applications and is in the process of reviewing the applications.

Treasurer’s Office

Hosted webinars and in-person meetings with the Wespath Health Team about the new HealthFlex insurance plans.

Youth Ministries

Read the NC Conference Youth Ministries Director’s reflections on attending the National Young People’s Ministry gathering.

A Prayer for the Diverse People of God

Announcements Published on
November 1, 2022

O God who has created the great biodiversity of life, we celebrate that you have made all things well. You created life to weave together in harmonic symbiosis and called it good. Though we are created in your image, we repent that we humans have often rebelled against your design. We have caused species to go extinct. We do not love and care for human life as we ought.

May the power of the Spirit fill us to respect, care for, and nurture all life to thrive. May we see an end to harm as we come into alignment with your will. May we love and cherish all life forms, including people celebrating enthusiastically the diversity of skin colors, ethnicities, sexual expressions, ability, and neurodiversity. Where we see another in pain, may we come alongside and help ease the pain. May we be just, merciful, and humble like Jesus. Amen.

Written by Rev. Sung Moy. Used with permission

Sixty-Eight Percent of United Methodist Churches in the NC Conference to Remain

Announcements Published on
October 27, 2022

As The United Methodist Church moves through a period of discernment and transition, the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church is also in a time of change. Some churches in the Conference have decided to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church. On November 19, at a special called annual conference in Fayetteville, the Conference Board of Trustees will present those requests for disaffiliation, effective December 31, 2022.

The membership of these churches represents approximately 22 percent of the total membership of the conference. Since many of these votes were not unanimous, we know there are more that want to stay United Methodist. While portrayed as a traditionalist/progressive split, both traditionalist and progressive United Methodists are staying and remaining committed to the mission of The United Methodist Church. People in churches that voted to disaffiliate wishing to remain United Methodist can move their membership to another United Methodist Church or move their membership to a new faith community in the Conference until they find a new church home.

The Conference’s Office of New Faith Communities is working with the Cabinet and Leadership Team to create new spaces for new people where communities may no longer have a United Methodist presence after the disaffiliation process is complete.

Sixty-eight percent of the current churches in the Conference will remain United Methodist as we move into 2023. Conference leaders project the financial impact to be an approximate 25 percent reduction, and conference agencies and committees will evaluate their ministry priorities and adjust budgets in the coming months.

We mourn that there are those compelled to leave The United Methodist Church. These are people we have studied with, worshiped with, communed with, and shared in ministry. We have laughed together and cried together. We love our brothers and sisters. We pray they find a home where they can be in fruitful ministry and mission.

Moving forward, our churches will continue to be safe havens for all seeking a personal relationship with God, places of welcome, respect, belonging, understanding, and love.

Moving forward, we will continue to live out the love of Jesus in the world. We will preach our faith in God through Jesus Christ as the only source of our salvation. We will live that faith not only in our churches but in our communities and the world – in schools, hospitals, prisons, and in places of war, famine, disease, and natural disaster. We will move forward in unity as diverse, generous, disciple-making, justice-seeking, grace-filled, Christ-centered people of God.

As people rooted in the Wesleyan tradition, we will continue to seek ways to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

As Bishop Leonard E. Fairley states, “today is not an ending but a beginning. I cannot wait to see what God births. I know it will be beautiful despite our painful journey. I pray God will continue to sustain each of us as we move into God’s preferred future.”

Media Contact:
Derek Leek
Director of Communications
dcleek@nccumc.org
9192752436

Image credit: Helen Coats

Invitation to the Special Called Annual Conference Session 2022

Announcements Published on
October 27, 2022

Dear Friends:

Grace and peace from Jesus Christ.

You are receiving this letter because you are a member of the NC Annual Conference, either lay or clergy. You are therefore invited to attend the Special Called Session of the Conference to be held on Saturday, November 19, 2022, beginning at 10:00 am in Huff Concert Hall at Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC. The called session has previously been announced by Bishop Fairley; he is calling it to deal solely with the question of ratifying the disaffiliation agreements of the various churches in the NC Conference that have requested disaffiliation from The United Methodist Church. No other business is allowed per The Book of Discipline.

All clergy are members of the Annual Conference. Lay members are those who were elected to serve as lay members of Annual Conference for 2022 (or the elected alternate for the elected lay member if the elected lay member is unable to attend).

Methodist University is a gracious host, and we thank them for their hospitality. However, there is limited parking, so carpooling will be helpful. The University asks that we help them with security, so please keep the parking permit you receive in the mail and put it on your dashboard as you approach the Welcome Center at the entrance to the University; using the permit establishes you as a member of the Annual Conference. If you are not the lay member who will attend to represent your church or charge, please make certain that you give your alternate the permit to use so that they can readily enter MU’s campus.

Registration starts at 8:30 am. There is sufficient seating for all the voting Conference members. It is possible that any guests or visitors will have to stand as is often the case at sessions of the Annual Conference. The Session will be livestreamed, so watching from home is a ready option for those who will not vote at Annual Conference. We anticipate that the Special Session will not last past noon. Childcare for a limited number of children is available thanks to St. Andrews UMC, immediately adjacent to the University.

You can find the agenda, a pre-Special Session briefing video, and the Conference Board of Trustees report, including a list of churches asking for disaffiliation, on the NC Conference website at nccumc.org/scac2022.

I look forward to seeing you on November 19. Please keep the NC Conference and our ministries in your prayers as we honor the Lord and go forward as Bishop Fairley calls on us to do in his letter.

In Christ,
H. Gray Southern
NCC Secretary

From Mourning to Morning

Announcements Published on
October 27, 2022

It feels like Good Friday.

We have all experienced moments where we stand at the threshold of leaving behind what once was, grieving the loss of what is familiar. The disciples of Christ were at that place as they looked upon the cross of Jesus. I am sure none of them wanted to be in that place of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty.

Sisters and brothers who have shared the sorrows and joys of ministry and mission have made decisions to separate using disciplinary paragraph 2553. It is painful to be here. However, I give thanks to God that God does not leave us in the darkness of Good Friday.

We cannot and must not stay here wallowing in pain, hurt, anger, disappointment, and, as experienced by some, betrayal. If we stay here in our frustration, we will miss the truth that Easter is just beyond this cross of disaffiliation and separation.

We are Easter people. We are called to new life. And our new life lies in the care of God, who empowers us to continue making disciples, welcoming all people, and transforming the world God loves enough to give us the gift of Jesus.

Easter people are blessed by Pentecost. As we ask for the Holy Spirit again and move from Easter to Pentecost—where God will truly add passionate spiritual disciples to the number of water-washed Spirit-born children of God—I pray we do so with the courage to bless one another. We go forward not in bitterness but with a renewed sense of our calling to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Today is not an ending but a beginning. I cannot wait to see what God births. I know it will be beautiful despite our painful journey. I pray God will continue to sustain each of us as we move into God’s preferred future.

In Christ,

For more information on the special session, visit the Special Called Annual Conference page.

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