Annual Conference Report
From Thursday, June 13, through Saturday, June 15, Methodists from across Eastern North Carolina gathered in Greenville for our Annual Conference. Hayes Barton was represented by our pastors and lay delegates, Patti Young, Bill Deerhake, and myself.
This was my ninth annual conference. Usually, I start the report by announcing our pastoral appointments. I am excited to welcome Molly White and her family to the Hayes Barton family.
Also, as you know, Rick and Adam have been reappointed; Rick begins his fifteenth year and Adam his second. Hayes Barton continues to be blessed with outstanding ministerial leadership. Hope Morgan Ward begins the second year of her second four-year term. Bishop Ward’s overarching theme for this four-year term is Generosity. This year’s Conference focused on Generosity for all of Creation.
Thursday evening, the Conference celebrated the fiftieth birthday of the United Methodist Church. On April 23, 1968 in Dallas, Texas, the Methodist Church and Evangelical United Brethren merged to create the United Methodist Church. The combined church offered this prayer, “Lord of the Church, we are united in Thee and in Thy Church.”
Saturday afternoon, the Conference closed with the Ordination Service led by Bishop Ward. Both Pastor Molly and Pastor Adam were Commissioned at the Service. Please join me in congratulating them on accomplishing this important step on their Ordination journey.
One of the things that I enjoy most at Conference is the worship services. Bishop Jonathan Holston, Episcopal leader of the South Carolina Conference, delivered a powerful message, “For God’s Purpose,” on II Corinthians 4:5-12. “The Church is not a fragile piece of crystal,” he declared. “It stands on a firm foundation. The Church has withstood whatever has been thrown at it. There will not be a United Methodist Church if Jesus is not the center of our joy.” I highly recommend going to the Conference website to view the talks: nccumc.org/ac2018/live/
Each year, it always strikes me that we are a large, diverse Conference. As usual, the music reflected this diversity. With everything from the Piney Grove gospel choir, blue grass by Benson Memorial’s pastors, and all the new and old hymns in between.
The Conference received an update from the Commission on a Way Forward by commission member, Julie Love of the Kentucky Conference. The Commis- sion presented their proposals to the Council of Bishops in May. Based on these proposals, the Council of Bishops made their recommendation for the Special General Conference to be held in St. Louis, February 23-26, 2019. The recommendation is currently being translated into four languages and will be released in July.
In addition to the business reports, the Conference voted on one amendment to the Constitution of General Conference. The amendment was a re-vote of one the five that were voted on at last year’s Conference. Due to technical issues, it had to be voted on by all Conferences again this year. The amendment was ap- proved by two-thirds of the delegates at the last General Conference. To be added to the Constitution, two-thirds of delegates to all local Conferences must vote to approve. The votes of the individual local conferences are not published.
The amendment can be found on the Conference website. The amendment voted on this year is the first one, Gender Equality, nccumc.org/ac2017/2017/06/16/5-constitutional-amendments-head-vote/ Four resolutions were presented and passed by the Conference. The resolutions are on the Conference website, nccumc.org/ac2018/resolutions/
As always, thank you for the privilege of representing Hayes Barton.
