May 2, 2023

The special-called virtual annual conference session start time is at 4pm on Sunday, May 7, 2023. Please reach out to sarah@awfumc.org with any questions. 

Conference News

General Church Roll Provides Safe Home for Committed United Methodists

(Rev. Kelli Hitchman-Craig) - In this new chapter of United Methodist history, a new type of Methodist is becoming more and more prevalent: the church-less United Methodist. In the wake of recent disaffiliations with more disaffiliations on the horizon, many faithful United Methodists find themselves without a church home. This was the case for both Lee Thigpen and Charles Mason. Lee Thigpen, M.D., is a lifelong United Methodist. Born to United Methodist parents, Dr. Thigpen was baptized and confirmed at Crestview First United Methodist Church. His love of the United Methodist church even travelled with him through life to both Florida and South Carolina where he sought out membership in United Methodist churches everywhere he went. Thigpen shared, “The United Methodist Church allowed me to be home wherever I was and that, to me, was everything.” More here. 

Eastertide and Pentecost Prayer Calendar Now Available

The Alabama-West Florida Conference is centering its work around prayer in the coming liturgical year. Daily conference work, meetings and conferences will all have prayer as the focus. Click here for full press release. The next series of prayers is centered around Eastertide and Pentecost. Below you will find the date, scripture passage, prayer prompt and the verse or verses. Click here for pdf of the below graphic. 

2023 Annual Conference Registration Information

Registration is now open for BOTH the May 7, 2023, Special Called Session of Annual Conference to be held by Zoom Webinar AND the main session of Annual Conference to be held in-person June 11-14, 2023, in Mobile, AL. Complete registration information for both sessions may be found here. 

Around the Conference

2023 Annual Conference Delegate Elections

On March 20, 2023, The United Methodist Church’s top court (The Judicial Council) made a ruling that allows the election of new delegates to the postponed 2020 General Conference that will now take place in 2024. Decision 1472 states, “Annual conferences are permitted to hold elections to fill vacancies in the General Conference delegation due to death, resignations, or otherwise, up to the maximum number of allocated delegates, provided vacancies cannot be filled with reserve delegates.” As a result of this ruling, we will elect delegates to fill vacancies in the General Conference delegation at our 2023 Annual Conference session this June in Mobile. While we will not know exact numbers of vacancies for our delegation until after our May 7 special called session, we do know there will be vacancies for clergy and laity that must be filled. More here. 

Youth Pages Needed for 2023 AWF Annual Conference

Do you know of a youth between the ages of 12 and 18 who would like to serve as a Page for the 2023 Annual Conference? Serving as a page is a great way for youth to not only serve the conference but also get hands-on experience in what takes place each year at annual conference. Additionally, great bonds are made between those serving as pages. As was the case last year, the conference will not be able to provide housing and transportation for those serving as pages. Considering this, we are hoping to get pages who live in the Mobile and Baldwin County areas or youth who will be attending annual conference with their parent(s) who are clergy or lay members to Annual Conference. More here.  

Blue Lake Camp Launches Campaign

(BLC) - We are excited to announce the launch of the Be the Spark Campaign. Blue Lake’s financial health continues to improve, but we have one large hurdle to overcome on our path to sustainability. Our goal for the Be the Spark Campaign is to raise at least $450,000 to address two specific needs that we currently have. First, the first goal is to pay off our remaining mortgage which sat at $380,000 in January from its original amount of $1.8 million. The second is to use the additional $70,000 to begin facility updates throughout our site. Here is the great news! The Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church is supporting our efforts with an incredible gift. The Conference will match every dollar we raise in 2023 up to the first $223,000. Every gift we receive will be doubled! More here. 

Initial 2023 Annual Conference Details Announced

The Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church will hold its 2023 Annual Conference session Sunday, June 11-Wednesday, June 14 at the Mitchell Center on the campus of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. The Service of Commissioning and Ordination will be held at Dauphin Way United Methodist Church. This year’s theme is, “When They Prayed” from Acts 4:31 with each day having a specific focus of how Biblical characters prayed. 
Sunday, June 11: like Naomi… When we pray blessings on others, God redeems, based on Ruth 1:8.
Monday, June 12: like Nehemiah… When we acknowledge our shortcomings, God rebuilds, based on Nehemiah 1:5.
Tuesday, June 13: like Mary… When we rejoice and give thanks, God reveals, based on Luke 1:46-56.
Wednesday, June 14: like Peter… When we pray boldly, God revives, based on Acts 9:40.
The clergy and laity session will be in person on Sunday, June 11 at 8pm. More here. 

Disaffiliation Numbers for May Special Session Available

As a notice to all churches, the standard disaffiliation figures for the May 7th Special Called Annual Session are now available on the church dashboard. 

Connectional News

Amid rupture, bishops called to renew church

(UMNS) - Even as they grieve this season of disaffiliations, the Council of Bishops president urged his fellow bishops to work to reclaim, revive and renew The United Methodist Church. “The future of The United Methodist Church hinges on our ability to deeply pray that God will give us the strength and the courage to do what we must, what we have been called to do all along,” preached Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton, who also leads the New York Conference. More here. 

Court rules on exiting clergy and churches

(UMNS) - The United Methodist Church’s Judicial Council weighed in on whether withdrawing clergy must surrender their credentials and other questions related to church disaffiliations. The church court also released rulings stemming from last fall’s jurisdictional conferences, including one examining a resolution on LGBTQ inclusion adopted by all five jurisdictions. Heather Hahn reports.

Church and Society Spring 2023 Board in Montgomery, AL Meeting Highlights

(GBCS) - Last month, the Board of Directors of GBCS gathered in Montgomery Alabama for their first in-person meeting since 2019. Board president, Bishop Sally Dyck presided over a full 3-day agenda of GBCS business, worship sessions, work committee and task force meetings, and a board member visit to The Legacy Museum. The 11,000-square-foot museum, which opened on April 26, 2018, was founded by Montgomery’s Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) and contains more data on racial lynching than anywhere else in the U.S., as well as previously unseen information on the domestic slave trade. Displays provide a link from the past to current social justice issues such as mass incarceration of African Americans and police brutality. More here. 

Events

You’re invited to “Healing a Broken Heart: A Four-Day Academy for Spiritual Formation” on September 24-29, 2023. This is an ecumenical retreat for laity and clergy who desire to deepen their relationship with God through an intentional daily rhythm of prayer, worship, study, and reflection. Sponsored by the AWF and NAL conferences of the United Methodist Church, The Episcopal Diocese of AL, and the Upper Room, this Academy will be held at Camp McDowell just north of Birmingham. Click here for more information and to register.

The Art of Holy Listening: Discovering Belovedness, April 27-30

AWF Special Session, May 7

Church Management Conference, May 9, 16 and 23

2023 AWF Annual Conference, June 11-14