February 20, 2024

Conference News

Bishop Announces District Cabinet Appointments and Part-time Staff Additions

Bishop David Graves, resident bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Conference, has announced two cabinet changes and two part-time staff additions. Rev. Sheila Bates, a member of the Alabama-West Florida Conference who is currently serving in the North Georgia Conference as executive pastor at Impact UMC, will serve as the district superintendent of the Southwest District. Her previous appointments in addition to Impact UMC include lead pastor at Cokesbury UMC (Pensacola), Dauphin Way UMC (associate), director of faith and leadership formation at the General Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry (GBHEM) and director of Tuskegee Wesley Foundation. She was ordained an elder in the United Methodist Church in 2018. Bates completed her undergraduate work at Suffolk University and her seminary work at Gammon Theological Seminary. She has one adult daughter, Kira. Dr. Sterling Boykin will be appointed as the new district superintendent in the Southeast District. Boykin currently serves as senior pastor of Ashland Place UMC in Mobile, AL. His previous appointments include Trinity UMC (Ft. Walton) and Dothan FUMC (associate). Dr. Boykin was ordained an elder in the United Methodist Church in 2008. He completed his undergraduate work at Florida State University, received his Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University and his Doctor of Ministry at Columbia Theological Seminary. He is married to Lee Ann and together they have two children, Ellie and Jes. More here.

Bishop Graves and Bishop Wallace-Padgett form task group for Episcopal area transition

Bishop David Graves and Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett have collaboratively established a task group to begin shaping the future of the United Methodist annual conferences in Alabama West-Florida, North Alabama and South Georgia. This forward-thinking initiative sets the stage for a comprehensive and strategic pre-work plan over the coming year to ensure a seamless transition for the assigned bishop, set to begin on September 1, 2024. In January, the Southeastern Jurisdiction (SEJ) Committee on Episcopacy announced a recommendation for new episcopal areas to take effect September 1, 2024. In the recommendation the Alabama West-Florida, North Alabama and South Georgia Conferences would become one episcopal area served by one bishop. This recommendation must still be voted on by the SEJ delegates, who will meet July 10-12, 2024, at Lake Junaluska, NC. At that meeting, bishops will also be assigned by the SEJ Committee on Episcopacy to the areas that are approved by the delegates. More here.

General Conference Meetings with Bishop Graves Continue This Week

Bishop David Graves, along with the Alabama-West Florida Conference Cabinet and Conference Leadership, has announced dates for pre- and post-General Conference clergy lunch gatherings as well as a post-General Conference informational webinar for laity. The pre-General Conference clergy lunch gatherings will be a time for Bishop Graves to visit with clergy, offer pastoral support, discuss the timeline for 2024 and provide General Conference and Jurisdictional updates. Registration is now open for these pre-conference gatherings. Post-conference gathering dates may be found here. More here. Click here to register.

Around the Conference

Precht Shares Discipleship Program with Connectional Church

Rev. Michael Precht's column on discipleship was recently featured on Discipleship Ministries' Website. Rev. Precht explains how Dauphin Way UMC's discipleship program has evolved over time resulting in a weekly experience for newcomers. Discipleship is one of the Alabama-West Florida Conference's four priorities. This speaks to the need we have in our local churches to empower congregations to grow. He states, “'Dauphin Way 101” has variously referred to (a) a single-session class offered once a month, (b) a six-week experience offered two or three times a year, and (c) an intentional conversation over coffee with any of our pastors. Each approach has had its strengths and weaknesses, usually tied to the continual tradeoff between making the experience convenient versus comprehensive. Three years ago, we decided to offer Dauphin Way 101 every single Sunday. We asked one of our longtime Sunday school classrooms to give up prime real estate in the classroom nearest to our front door. They graciously agreed, and on every Sunday since then, newcomers to the church can find a pastor and/or a lay member of the church waiting to greet them and walk them through that day’s session of Dauphin Way 101. The class meets at 9:15, an hour before our two largest worship services (which take place concurrently at 10:30 a.m.)." More here.

Alabama Rural Ministry Seeks Summer Students and Mission Teams

(ARM) - For youth directors, mission coordinators, and pastors seeking missional opportunities for students and church members: Alabama Rural Ministry (ARM) hosts mission teams in Tuskegee who serve through critical home repair and children's ministry. ARM partners with you to host your team, handle all the details and create a space where your students can engage in compassionate service by making homes warm, safe and dry. Furthermore, there are opportunities for students to also serve with elementary-age children providing enriching and biblical activities. We are currently booking for summer 2024 and beyond. Also, to host these student groups, ARM puts together a team of Christian college-aged students serving as mission camp counselors. We are putting together a team of 7-9 students for our team serving in Tuskegee. There are four positions. These are paid positions and these students live in intentional Christian Community as they serve. More here.

Quad W Seeks Summer Missional Interns

QuadW is again looking for highly qualified candidates for their summer missional internship program. The QuadW Missional Internship places teams of Christian young adults in under-resourced communities where they partner with churches and faith-based nonprofits to serve their neighbors. There are five sites in the U.S. and one on the border in Mexico. Most of the interns' time is spent in meaningful, relational service. Interns will also practice spiritual disciplines - prayer, worship, reading and journaling through Scripture, and accountability/encouragement groups. Additionally, interns will work through a curriculum designed to help them understand their faith and the Church in terms of God's mission. The focus is transformation for the young adult. QuadW believes they are most transformed when faithfully participating in God's transforming work in the world around us. The difference interns make in the lives of others is enormous. They also help their partnering churches and faith-based nonprofits deepen their impact, building new relationships with their neighbors. For some partners, this has led to new life and significant growth. More here.

Connectional News

Celebrating lesser-known figures in Black History Month: Clara Ester

(GCORR)- The life, legacy and dream of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. are well known. But what about the life, legacy and witness of Clara Ester? To help churches celebrate Black History Month, the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race has created free, downloadable PDFs highlighting less well-known historical figures across The United Methodist Church, U.S. culture and internationally. Clara Ester, born in 1948, is a retired United Methodist deaconess whose lifelong commitment to social justice began during her teenage years when she dedicated herself to Christ. During this formative period, she collaborated with prominent figures from the Civil Rights Era, including the revered Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Her activism led her to become a youth organizer for the second Poor People's Campaign in Mississippi, and she went on to hold positions on various boards and agencies in Mobile, Alabama. More here.

A United Methodist Code of Conduct

(COSROW) - Most recently, the Interagency Sexual Ethics Task Force, convened by GCSRW, has completed the following Code of Conduct for our denomination. Promoting civility, integrity, and respect and grounded in scripture and using seven guiding principles, the Code of Conduct will be a resource reflecting a basic ethical commitment shared by all persons working, worshipping, or visiting a United Methodist Church. More here.

Resources

Faithful Lent: Connecting the Practices of Lent and Anti-racism

(GCORR) - This study has been created with the faith-filled assumption that when we take seriously our Lenten traditions and what is necessary for the work of anti-racism, we find the two complement each other, not compete. More here.

5 Addictions the Church Must Overcome to Grow in the Future

(Lewis Center) - Carey Nieuwhof explains that churches must respond to a culture that has become even more digital, mobile, and home-centered since the COVID-19 crisis. He predicts growing churches will focus less on place-based ministry and packed rooms and will adjust budgets and attitudes to fit a new reality. More here.

UMCOR Sunday is March 10

The UMCOR Sunday Special church-wide offering underwrites UMCOR’s administrative costs, allowing 100% of all funds given to humanitarian response and recovery efforts to be used directly for communities in need. View promotional resources here.