February 26, 2018/Volume 17, No. 4

Conference News

Renowned Therapist, Real, Leads Bishop's Day Apart

Over 225 clergy gathered from around the conference for the annual Bishop’s Day Apart held Tuesday, February 20, 2018, at St. James UMC. This year’s day apart addressed a necessary topic: clergy mental health. Mr. Terry Real of REAL Relational Solutions from Boston, MA, was the guest speaker. Claire Bowen, who has worked closely with our conference since the assignment of Bishop David Graves, identified Real and after hearing him in person, felt he would be a relevant choice for this year’s gathering. More here. Click here to see photos.

Courageous Conversations Ongoing in AWF Conference

Courageous Conversations are ongoing now in the Alabama-West Florida Conference. These conversations will be held in twenty-seven locations throughout the bounds of the conference, with one session being offered in Spanish. Bishop David Graves is inviting all to come together for Christ-honoring time together regarding human sexuality and the United Methodist Church. The "Courageous Conversations" project will be used to hold these conversations. Full details here. Click here or on the image above to see a video from Rev. Allen Newton and Dr. Debora Bishop.

A Word from Bishop Graves: Florida School Shooting

Yesterday we, as a nation and church, shared in a day where love and the cross came together. Many of you were a part of an Ash Wednesday Service. Yet it was a day where we witnessed another school shooting in Florida. The Alabama-West Florida Conference extends our prayers to our neighboring Florida Conference and the families of all those affected by this evil act. Full statement here.

Around the Conference

Healthy Growing Church Conference Draws Hundreds from Around Conference

(Crosspoint UMC) - With a heart to share best practices and encourage vitality and health in the local church, Crosspoint UMC hosted its 2nd “Becoming a Healthy Growing Church Conference" February 9-10 with almost 300 attendees from approximately thirty-eight churches in the AWF Conference. The conference opened with “Attitudes, Approaches, and Adjustments to Get a Church Growing” and ended with “Take Home Points for Church Health.” Lead pastor, Rurel Ausley, states, “Through trial and error, building an exceptional staff and a passion for excellence and Kingdom ministry, we’ve learned a few things that are transferable to any local church. Our hope is to offer tangible and practical helps to pastors, staff and lay people so each one would have tools to take their ministry to the next level in this new day of ministry.” More here.

Initial 2018 Annual Conference Details Announced

Annual Conference 2018 will be held June 3-6 at Frazer Memorial UMC in Montgomery. Our theme is, “Imagine: A Church That's the Hope of the World” based on Ephesians 1:18-19. The missional offering will go to Communities of Transformation, a ministry that was launched out of the Alabama-West Florida Conference in 2011. Click on the below links for more information.
Clergy and Lay Member Preparation
Courageous Conversations
Submit entires for the Book of Reports to Rev. Jackie Slaughter
UMCOR Kit Collection

Two Conference Staff Positions Available, Applications Now Accepted

Two conference staff positions are available and applications are now being accepted. Both positions are located in the Alabama-West Florida Conference office in Montgomery, AL. The Director of Connectional Ministries & Conference Secretary position will be open July 1, 2018. Applications will be accepted now through March 15. Rev. Nancy Watson, current AWF Director of Connectional Ministries, will return to the local church. Dr. David Saliba, current AWF Conference Secretary, will serve through the 2018 session of annual conference and then focus on a rapidly growing Perdido Bay UMC and surrounding area. The Treasurer and Director of Administrative Services position is currently being filled by Mr. Mickey Wilson, interim treasurer. Wilson is serving in this capacity after Mr. Frank Dunnewind retired on December 31, 2017. He will continue to serve alongside the chosen candidate until an agreed upon date by conference leadership. Applications will be accepted and reviewed now through March 11, 2018. More here.

Demopolis District COT Site Launches at Pine Hill

(COT) - After being delayed a week because of winter weather, Communities of Transformation launched in the Demopolis District on Thursday, January 25, 2018. Twenty-four people were present, including guest speaker Latrice Mingo and Site Coordinator Margaret Bennett from COT Selma. Volunteers who have been organizing, studying, and restoring their meeting place for COT for a year now gathered for a photo before their first Taste and See.

Connectional News

Bishops to Receive, Discuss Updated Report from Commission on a Way Forward

(COB) - With attention on the missional and theological foundations of The United Methodist Church, the Council of Bishops (COB) is preparing to receive an updated report from the Commission on a Way Forward on possible models addressing the impasse on homosexuality in the global denomination. The 32-member Commission met last month to rework sketches of possible models of the future of the denomination and will present that updated report to the bishops at a special meeting set for next week in Dallas. The Council of Bishops normally meets twice yearly but an additional meeting was added this year to give more time for the bishops to digest and discuss the progress report from the Commission on a Way Forward. Full release here.

Graham Influenced Many United Methodists

(UMNS) — United Methodists were among the many remembering the influence, including on their own lives, of evangelist Billy Graham, who died Feb. 21, at 99. “No voice or message in the past half century has been more powerful and faithful in pointing clearly to Christ,” said the Rev. Eddie Fox, retired leader of World Evangelism for the World Methodist Council. Tom McAnally and Sam Hodges report. Read story.

McMichael, Friend to AWF Conference, Dead at 42

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Rev. Robert H McMichael III. Robert was a friend of the Alabama-West Florida Conference through his musical service at annual conference. Robert and Jarvis Wilson were conference guest musicians and provided spiritually uplifting pieces for the last three annual conference sessions and were planning on attending the 2018 session. He has had a profound impact on thousands through serving the local church, multiple annual conferences and the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference. He was currently appointed to Atlanta FUMC as the Assistant Pastor for Worship Arts and Mission Ministries and the North Georgia Conference as Worship Consultant. He previously served Mt. Bethel UMC. We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife, Dina, and their children. Mt. Bethel UMC, where McMichael previously served, is helping the family in several ways. Click here to learn more.

New Meditation Pier Under Construction at Lake Junaluska

(Lake Junaulska) - A new meditation pier that will extend over 40 feet into the water and seat up to eight people is under construction at Lake Junaluska. The pier, located along the Lake Junaluska Walking Trail on the south end of the Memorial Chapel parking lot, will provide a place for meditation and reflection with incredible lake views. It will be open to the public to use by Easter. Funding for this new pier was given in memory of Erle and Mary Peacock, former summer residents of Lake Junaluska, by their family. The Peacock family has a history with the lake that spans back to its creation, as Erle is a descendant of A.E. Ward, who owned one of the three farms that originally occupied the Richland Creek Valley before the lake was built. More here.

Local Church Resources

Test Your Knowledge of Lent

(UMC.org) — How were ashes distributed by the early church? Test your knowledge with a 10-question quiz about the season before Easter. Take the quiz.

Serving a Church of a Different Racial Background

(Lewis Center) - Unique challenges arise when a church is served by a pastor from a different racial or cultural background or as it struggles to engage a changing community. The Rev. Jasmine Smothers, the first African-American lead pastor of First Atlanta United Methodist Church, shares her perspectives on ministry in cross-cultural settings. Read commentary.