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WEEKLY MESSAGE

July 5, 2011

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

REPORT

 

The theme of the 2011 Annual Conference was “Love Unconditionally.” It was part of an ongoing vision which states, “Live, give, love . . . beyond all expectations.”

 

VOTING: One of the key elements of the Annual Conference is the actions (votes) that are taken on a variety of issues facing the United Methodist Church in Wisconsin and the message from petitions that the Wisconsin Conference sends to the General and Jurisdictional Conference.

 

1)      There were twenty-six (26) action items. One, for a church closure was removed because of changes in the church’s status. One Action item dealt with the twenty-nine (29) petitions to be forwarded to the General Conference. The Action Items were as follows:

Action Item Description Status

1 Assignment of Local Church Camping Coordinators passed

2 Establish a Camp & Retreat Emphasis Sunday passed

3 Local Churches to Support New Camp Participants passed

4 Establish Sunday for United Methodist Women passed

5 Establish a Youth Sunday passed

6 Designate Earnings from the “New Ministries Fund” passed

7 Relates to Rental/Housing Allowances for Retired or

Disabled Clergy Persons passed

8 2011 Formal Funding Plan: Pre-1982 Pension Liability passed

9 2011 Formal Funding Plan: Retiree Medical Benefits passed

10 Rate for Past Service Annuity passed

11 Establish Minimum Compensation for Clergy & Pastors passed

12 Resolution Claim Health Care as a Basic Human Right passed

13 Resolution in Support of Collective Bargaining passed

14 Support of “20/20: Visional An AIDS-Free World” passed

15 Affirmation of the “Statement of Counsel to the Church-

2011” Relative to Issues of Race, Gender, Ethnicity, &

Sexual Orientation passed

    16                   Resolution on Financial Report of Trial Costs: Trial of

Rev. Amy DeLong passed

    17                 Resolution Concerning Trial Expenditures: Trial of

Rev. Amy DeLong Out of Order

18 Discontinuance of University UMC-Madison, WI passed

19 Discontinuance of Waldwick UMC-Waldwick, WI postponed

20 Discontinuance of Argyle UMC-Argyle, WI passed

21 Discontinuance of South Wayne UMC-South Wayne, WI withdrawn

22 Balloting Procedures for Delegates to General &

Jurisdictional Conferences passed

23 Petitions to General Conference (see Item 2 below for results)

24 2012 Proposed Budget passed

25 Resolution to Create a Human Sexuality Resource

Development Team passed

    26                Petition to Reduce the Risk of Child Sexual Abuse

in the Wisconsin Annual Conference passed

 

2)      The results of the Petitions to General Conference were as follows: If passed, these are forwarded to General Conference and become part of the voting process at that conference..

Petition Item Description passed

1 Sexuality: Equality in Marriage passed

2 Sexuality: Removal of Condemnatory Language on

Homosexuality passed

3 Sexuality: Update Civil Equal Rights(Civil Marriage

Civil Union) passed

4 Sexuality: Remove Discriminatory Language About

Homosexuality passed

5 Sexuality: End Discrimination and Confusion in

Funding-Homosexuality passed

6 Sexuality: End Discrimination and Confusion in

Funding-Homosexuality passed

    7                       Sexual Brokenness: Definitive Wording of Sexual

Brokenness failed to pass

8 Amicable Separation: of the United Methodist Church failed to pass

9 Sexuality in Relation to Clergy Appointments: End passed

Discrimination Against Homosexual Clergy

10 Sexuality in Relation to Clergy Appointments: Moral passed

Standards of Homosexual Clergy

11 Sexuality in Relation to Clergy Appointments: Offer passed

Blessings of Christian Marriage to Homosexual Couples/

Marriage Equality

12 Sexuality in Relation to Clergy Appointments: End passed

Discrimination in Clergy Charges

13 Observing Prospective Clergy Appointees failed to pass

14 Longer Tenure Appointments for Clergy passed

15 Leadership Development: Term Limits for Delegates to passed

General & Jurisdictional Conference

    16    Leadership Development: Church Leaders to Model

Christian Sharing and  Generosity passed

    17 Leadership Development: Requiring Charge Conference

to Monitor the Terms of Office failed to pass

    18 Leadership Development: Church Council Chair to Serve

on Staff/Pastor Parish Relations Committee (S/PPRC) passed

    19 Leadership Development: Lay Leader Not Exempt from

Term Limit on S/PPRC passed

    20 Stewardship: Administrative Committees-Finance Focus

on Stewardship passed

    21    Stewardship: New Resolution for Stewardship Emphasis at

Annual Conference passed

    22    Charge Conference Powers and Duties Regarding

Apportionments passed

    23    The Church Council to Be Visioning Body in the

Local Church passed

     24 Use of Absentee Ballot for Church Conference failed to pass

     25 New Resolution for Emphasis on Becoming Multi-

Cultural and Multi-Racial Congregations passed

     26   Disability Awareness: New Resolution for Disability

Awareness – Annual Conference Theme passed

     27 Disability Awareness: Establish the Committee on

                Disability Ministries passed

     28 Disability Awareness: Disability Awareness Sunday as a

                Special Sunday with Offering passed

     29 Disability Awareness: Changes Regarding “Incapacity

                 Leave” passed

 

3)      Two of the action items of the Annual Conference were the seeking of approval of the 2012 Conference budget and Proposed Revisions to Conference Rules and Policies. Both of these passed.

4)      The Conference voted for 3 clergy and 3 lay members to General and Jurisdictional Conference with alternates. This is down from 5 of each and relates to the drop in the number of members in the Wisconsin Conference relative to the overall church membership. Lay members elected to General Conference were Lisa King (Fall River); Dorothy Radley (Jackson); William Stimeling (Holcombe); elected to Jurisdictional Conference were Judy Vasby (Cambridge); Diane Odeen (River Falls), and Chris Reynolds (Madison-Trinity); alternates were Gail Burgess (Bristol), John Lawson (Pewaukee), Tom Popp (Lake Mills), and Jennifer Southworth (Madison-Trinity). Clergy elected to General Conference were Dan Dick, Amanda M.D. Stein, and Steve Zekoff; elected to Jurisdictional Conference were Steve Polster, Jeremy Deaner, and Sam Royappa; alternates were Dan Schwerin, Carrie Kreps Wegenast, Jorge Luis Mayorga Solis, and Jennifer Arneson.

5)      Additional resolutions were presented including suggested changes to the Carrying of Concealed Weapons Law before the Wisconsin Legislature; recognition at the Annual Conference of churches that were merging; and a resolution to implement working team sessions at Annual Conference whose intent in to assist in building membership and attendance within the churches. This list is not complete.

 

APPOINTMENT OF CLERGY: Another key element is the appointment and re-appointment of clergy.

There were appointments made to extension ministries, such as Conference appointments, chaplaincies, district superintendents, teaching, or other outreach ministries. As I reviewed the appointments, I would like to share this observation with you. There are a possible 386 district appointments. Of the appointments 36 (9%) were made in which the pastors serving was entering 10 or more years of service to that congregation; 163 (42%) of the appointments were entering the 3rd year or less; and the remaining 187 (49%) were entering appointments of 4-9 years. There was a petition (#14 above) to be sent to general conference that was approved for forwarding that proposed that the term of appointment for clergy be set for longer period (currently 1 year), because there is much strain from these moves and the petition defines this as undesirable. There was also a petition that would allow pastor/parish relations to observe the prospective pastor at his/her current location. This petition (#13 above) to General conference was not approved for forwarding.

 

WORSHIP & VISIONING: There were times of worship, prayer, singing, and visioning.

We have the opportunity to share in these experiences in which first we worship our God and then we share in the past, present and future plans and experiences of the church, such as the church camp & retreat experience, the work of UMCOR, & the work that is being done to realize growth in the church. This year the Dong Bu Conference of South Korea spoke on the growth of the church in their country and their choir performed. The church camps & retreats of Wisconsin were recognized for their significant contributions to discipleship.

The voice of the Youth was heard when they expressed their concern that the 2012 Conference would be May 31-June 3. This has the Conference starting on Thursday and ending on Sunday while school is still in session. Bishop Lee expressed sympathy for their situation, and stated that the Youth would be able to participate Friday through Sunday. It also brought out the situation that there would be several pastors not in the pulpit on that Sunday and that a lay speaker would be needed. A representative from the Coulee District stood and stated that anyone needing a lay speaker should contact her. She would find someone for that pulpit if the church was unable to find someone.

If you would like this information included in the Weekly Message next year, please reply. If you would like more detailed information on any of the above petitions or action items, please contact me by email or go directly to . I hope this has provided you a decent summary of the activities of the 2011 Wisconsin Annual Conference.

 

Merry Kris

 

Prayers of Joy and Concern:

 

•        Rev. Jaime Nolla and his family as they mourn the loss of his mother

•        Dawn Guzman and her family as they mourn the loss of her grandfather.

•        The joy of having so many participate in the 4th of July parade. Thank you everyone for your intentional choice to share the good news of Jesus Christ with our community.

•        Pastor Fid Sailor who is battling an infection in his heel.

•        Marion Johnston who is in the hospital with pneumonia and heart issues.

•        The families of Angie Glenn and Dawn Guzman.

•        All of those individuals in the United States who have been adversely affected by the severe weather conditions.

•        A leader to step forward for the youth praise band and someone to help with Kids Club.

•        Please keep these individuals in your prayers: Steve Azarian, Charles Bowen, DDee Taggart, Don Burdick, Jayne Swanson, Lucy Rooney, Jason Larson, Justin Cody, and Brett Larson.

•        For members of our armed forces and their families at home.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

 

RECIPES: Please remember to bring your recipes by this Sunday to the church for the Youth Group Cookbook Project. Everyone may bring a recipe, but we are especially reminding those of you bringing for on Sunday to bring the recipe as well. A box will be provided in Fellowship Hall where you can place the recipe. Thank you!

 

Sunday, July 10 Christ Church 50th Year Anniversary Celebration:

Mark your calendars and plan to attend the special celebration for Christ Church’ 50th Anniversary! 

The schedule of activities is:

Services: (One only) 10:00 a.m. Pastor Jaime Nolla preaching

Pot Luck Immediately following the service until 12:30 p.m.

in Fellowship Hall**

Kids Games Outdoors from 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

Swing Band Outdoors from 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.

Child care provided

**For the potluck, everyone with the last name beginning with A-K should bring a main dish, and everyone with a last name beginning with L-Z should bring a salad. Dessert and beverage will be provided.

 

The Weekly Message is put together by the staff of Christ Church with the hope that it is helpful to you.  Please send any feedback to christchurchracine@.  Please feel free to share this message with your friends and family.

 

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