Pastor Named Director of Travel
Harold Salmon (RO: Trinity/Olivet), who is retiring at Annual Conference, will receive an extension ministry appointment, effective July 1, as the North Carolina Conference director of travel for Education Opportunities, Bishop Al Gwinn has announced.
Board of Church & Society has internship position available
The United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) has an opening for an Immigration and Criminal Justice Reform intern. The intern will assist the GBCS director of Civil & Human Rights. This is a paid position for a 10-month period starting in August, at the United Methodist Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Qualified applicants will have had experience working within immigrant communities and be fluent in Spanish. Applicants should have theological and/or missiological training and be able to write clear and publishable educational resources and Bible studies. Applicants should be familiar with The United Methodist Church, the U.S. political process, and a general knowledge of immigration and criminal justice issues. Intern must work a minimum 35 hours per week and will be given appropriate time off during employment. To apply, send a resume with three recommendations, cover letter and writing sample via e-mail to Bill Mefford, (bmefford@umc-gbcs.org) by May 31. A complete job description is available at Intern Position or go to the GBCS website: www.umc-gbcs.org, and click on Job Openings at the bottom of the home page.
Conference Youth Rally Day
Conference Youth Rally Day will be Sunday, April 25 at NC Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount. Rally Day begins at 3:00pm with fellowship and recreation activities, and concludes with a worship service ending around 6:00pm. There is no cost to Rally Day, although an offering will be taken for Youth Service Fund, and items for YSF and snacks will be available for purchase. We do invite youth groups to offer acts of worship during the worship service. Please contact Rev. Dennis Peay (dcp@nccumc.org) if your group would like to participate. The details and sign-up sheet for Rally Day are available at the Conference website: www.nccumc.org/youth/events.
NC Council of Churches to celebrate 75th anniversary
May 18 will be day of celebration for the 75th anniversary of the North Carolina Council of Churches. There will be a gathering at Duke University for a time of reflection and fellowship, dinner, and a celebratory service led by Bishop Hope Morgan Ward. For the past 75 years, the history of our state has been reflected in the work of the North Carolina Council of Churches. By speaking for the least of these, the Council has been a crucial faith voice for progressive social justice in North Carolina. Click NCCC Anniversary to join in the celebration on May 18. Dinner reservations are needed by Tuesday, May 11.
UMB Staff preparing to move
The United Methodist Building will be closed on Monday, April 26, to allow staff to participate in the 2010 Go Green: Productive Environments Day. This day is geared to clearing clutter and organizing business files in preparation for the upcoming move to the new facility in late June 2010. Phone calls will be received through voice mail on Monday, April 26, and will be returned on Tuesday, April 27.
Grants available to rural churches
The Renfro Trust Fund is pleased to offer rural churches in the conference the opportunity to apply for grants of up to $5,000. The Trust Fund provides grants to be used for establishing and supporting United Methodist churches in rural areas within the Southeastern Jurisdiction. The guidelines and application are available at www.sejumc.org/renfro-trust/. Applications to be considered for 2010 grants must be completed with all required signatures and received by Lake Junaluska Office of Development and the Foundation no later than September 1, 2010. If you have questions or concerns, call Raúl Alegria at 828-454-6712
North Carolina Conference Historical Society Workshop
The NC Conference Archives and History Commission and Historical Society are sponsoring a workshop that will provide teaching and learning for gathering oral histories and employing media to preserve local church history on October 2 at First UMC, Wilson, from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Excellent leadership will help participants use formats and technologies to collect and store sacred memories. A box lunch is the only cost (free will offering) for this professional training experience. Please register with Robin Harry at: rharry@nccumc.org. Church historians and their guests (including media-savvy youth) are encouraged to attend.
Youth 2011 event website launches
A website kicking off Youth 2011, next year’s national youth gathering for The United Methodist Church, is now online with information and links about the quadrennial event sponsored by Young People’s Ministries, a division of The General Board of Discipleship. For the first time, the four-day conference in July 2011 will be held twice on opposite sides of the country to better serve the denomination. The event theme is “More Than,” and the youth participants will be shown that with the presence of God they can be “more than” just ordinary. The launch of www.youth2011.org provides a gateway to this event for youth and their leaders. Youth 2011 will be held at Purdue University in West Lafayette on July 13-17 and at the Sacramento Convention Center in Sacramento on July 27-31.
Lecture on evolution to be held at Methodist University
The annual Templeton-Bullard Lecture in the field of Science and Religion will be held at Yarborough Auditorium, Clark Hall, Methodist University on Monday, April 26, at 11 a.m. The topic will be “The Battle Over Evolution: Who’s Fighting Whom About What?” The lecturer will be Ted Peters of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, a graduate of the University of Chicago, who teaches at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and The Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, CA). He is a co-author of “Bridging Science and Religion” (2003), “God And Evolution” (2006), and “A Scientific and Theological Commentary on Darwin’s Origin of Species” (2008). The public is invited to attend; there is no cost. Inquiries may be directed to Lloyd Bailey (919-489-8731 or at lloyd@duke.edu.