Daily aDvocate - South Carolina United Methodist Advocate
Transcription
Daily aDvocate - South Carolina United Methodist Advocate
Back by popular demand, the conference’s Lay Leadership Team will again present the Local Church Mission Fair in the Florence Civic Center Exhibit Ballroom on Monday from 12-2 p.m. The fair will highlight missions and ministries with children in poverty from all 12 districts that have been successful. The theme is “Head, Heart, Hands: Disciples Building Relationships.” Food will be available during the mission fair with food stations set up around the ballroom. Tickets are $8 each and will be available for purchase onsite. “Come take a look at what incredible ministries are taking place all across our annual conference,” said Lay Leader Barbara Ware. “They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, so I would invite folks to drop by the Mission Fair and pick up an idea or two and try to imitate it back in their local church!” Photo by Jessica Brodie Teeing up for Asbury Hills Golfers hit the green at The Traces in Florence June 6, the day before Annual Conference began, to have some fun while raising money to help kids attend summer camp at Asbury Hills. The third annual golf tournament featured food, fun, prizes, a silent auction and more. Coming tomorrow (Tuesday) Daily Advocate, Page 4 • Stop Hunger Now packing • Retirement Celebration • Business Lay nominees for 2016 General, SEJ conferences Beginning today, conference will elect 16 delegates (eight clergy and eight laity) plus alternates to General Conference, and 16 more delegates (eight clergy and eight laity) who will go to Jurisdictional Conference with the General delegates. The following is a list of lay nominees (there are 827 clergy nominees). Read full bios at ac15.umcsc.org: 001 Paul W. Allen 002 Karen L. Ayers 003 Roderick Dennis Beauford 004 J. Kris Bergmann 005 Clarice Blakeney 006 David V. Braddon 007 Carolyn Briscoe 008 Susan Hitt Brooks 009 Harry Lee Brown 010 Vickie Powell Brown 011 Michael Cheatham 012 Mae Ruth Cooke 013 Edd W. Cunningham 014 Baron E. DeKalb III 015 Jean Doscher 016 Linda J. DuRant 017 Donald L. Ellis 018 Robert F. Elwood 019 Emily Rogers Evans 020 Anna J. Feagin 021 Leigh-Ann Forsythe 022 John N. Glover 023 Jim Grayson 024 Becky Green 025 Lollie Haselden 026 Joseph E. Heyward 027 Jacquelyn G. Jenkins 028 Meg Jiunnies 029 Lou Jordan 030 Herman Burns Lightsey Jr. 031 Donald E. Love 032 Chris Lynch 033 Vicki McCartha 034 Willie M. McLaughlin 035 Dan W. Moore 036 Marilyn Murphy 037 Lucille Myers 038 Larry B. Owens 039 Evelyn K. Pauling 040 Jennifer Price 041 John A. Redmond 042 James H. Salley 043 David W. Salter 044 Sheila Shanklin 045 Dennis Sullen 046 Maureen Thomas 047 Martha Fridy Thompson 048 Earline Haywood Ulmer 049 Barbara Ware 050 Cynthia Burrows Williams 051 Katie Woodfin • Balloting • A Celebration of Young Adults and Service (evening worship) Monday, June 8, 2015 Daily Advocate A joint publication of the S.C. Conference of The United Methodist Church and Monday, June 8, 2015 Today’s Agenda June 8, 2015 7-10:30 a.m.Health Screening 7:15- Reconciling Ministries of 8:45 a.m. South Carolina Breakfast Gathering 7:30 a.m. Holy Communion 8 a.m. Registration 8:30 a.m. Conference Organization 9:10 a.m. Bible Study 9:40 a.m. Balloting Orientation and Testing 10 :40 a.m. Report of the Board of Ordained Ministry (Licensing Service) Consent Calendar Committee on Nominations Noon Lunch Recess Local Church Mission Fair African-American Clergy Women’s Luncheon 2 p.m. Balloting Cookies with Collen, SMC Table, concourse 2:30 p.m. Committee Council on Finance and Administration Nomination and election of New Treasurer 3 p.m. Committee Resolutions and Appeals Committee on Petitions to General Conference Balloting The Report of the Laity The Report of the Cabinet 5:30 p.m. Dinner Recess 5:45 p.m. Duke Alumni Gathering 7 p.m. Pre Music 7:30 p.m. Commissioning and Ordination Service Ordination Reception following service The hashtag for all things Annual Conference: #umcsc ‘Becoming Disciples God Can Use’ at Annual Conference 2015 Photo by Allison Trussell Local Church Mission Fair to showcase ministries with children in poverty The Africa University Choir lifts up the Lord during the anthem at opening worship on Sunday evening, June 7. By Jessica Brodie FLORENCE—Thousands of United Methodist clergy and laity gather today for the first full day of Annual Conference 2015—a time of Spirit-filled worship, prayer, celebration, celebration and legislation that ultimately decides the business of the UMC in South Carolina. This year’s Annual Conference explores the theme “Becoming Disciples God Can Use” as the body considers a nearly $16.8 million conference budget for 2016, votes on resolutions and petitions, ordains clergy, elects delegates to General and Jurisdictional conferences and packs 285,000 Stop Hunger Now meals for hungry families. “I truly believe in South Carolina we are the people God has called to make a difference—good people God has poured some hope into and who are making a difference in the midst of the lives of the folk in this place,” Bishop Jonathan Holston preached during opening worship Sunday night. “My friends, could you ask for anything more?” Today’s business kicks off with the call to order, first reading of the budget, presentation of resolutions and petitions, election of the new treasurer—as well as training on the handheld devices used to cast votes. Continued on Page 3 The electronic voting device is similar to a cell phone and easy to use, organizers say. Stop Hunger Now: It’s not too late to donate, volunteer By Jessica Brodie For months, United Methodists in every district in the state have been stepping up for hunger, donating time and money to help the South Carolina Conference host a Stop Hunger Now meal-packing at Annual Conference. All their hard work pays off tomorrow, June 9, with a daylong meal-packing. The Florence Civic Center will turn into a giant anti-hunger operation as volunteers descend upon the lower floor of the center in three shifts to pack 285,000 meals for hungry people through the international hunger-relief organization Stop Hunger Now. The goal is $86,000; funds raised beyond that will go toward both hunger and children in poverty ministries across the conference and shared equally among the 12 districts. As of Friday, the treasurer’s office said $41,256 had been raised—nearly half of the $86,000 needed to pack the meals. To donate: www.umcsc.org (click on the SHN box, top right of page). Chris Lynch, who is coordinating the hunger event, has called the meal-packing “a chance to make a difference on a huge scale.” Volunteers of all ages will pack in one of three shifts: 9-11:30 a.m., 12-2:30 p.m. and 3-6 p.m. Annual Conference will celebrate the meal-packing during Tuesday night’s worship at 7:30 p.m. Even South Carolina Resident Bishop Jonathan Holston and his Cabinet—all 12 district superintendents—have stepped up to join the fight against hunger, making Daily Advocate A joint publication of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate and the South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church Be a part of the conversation! #UMCSC @AdvocateSC facebook.com/AdvocateSC @umcsc Photo by Matt Brodie Even children can help pack meals tomorrow, like this child at the 2013 meal-packing. Volunteers and funds are still needed. To sign up, visit www. umcsc.org (click on Stop Hunger Now box, top right of page). personal donations for Stop Hunger Now. District superintendents also challenged each of their clergy to take up an offering to support the effort. Churches across the state have done everything from special offerings to youth car washes to the “Sacrifice a Meal to Stop Hunger Now” done by North Charleston UMC, North Charleston, encouraging people to skip a meal and donate the cost of that meal to Stop Hunger Now efforts. South Carolina United Methodist Advocate Editor.................................................. Jessica Brodie [email protected] Assistant Editor.........................Allison K. Trussell [email protected] Editorial Intern.............................. Porsche Barton [email protected] The South Carolina United Methodist Advocate Trustees The Rev. Angela Ford Nelson, chairperson; The Rev. Carleathea Benson, secretary Carmen Faulkner, treasurer Dyron V. Anderson; the Rev. David Caughman; Bill Click; Deena Flessas; the Rev. Jerry Gadsden; the Rev. Dean Lollis; Skyler Nimmons; Dr. Ralph Ostrom; Dr. Phillip Stone; Diane Wilson; the Rev. William Wrighten; and the Rev. Kathy James, ex officio The AC2015 Social Calendar ing worship service at Memorial Park (behind Monday, June 8 the civic center) • Mustache Monday • BINGO CARDS, each day is a different color • “Spirit Tunnel” after Ordination Service to Wednesday, June 10 greet newly ordained and commissioned • Fourth annual Unofficial Official UMCSC 5K, • Setup for Stop Hunger Now following Ordina6:30 a.m., meet at campout space tion Reception • BoWednesday (Bow Tie Wednesday) • BINGO CARDS, each day is a different color • First annual Lip Sync Battle Royale, 20 minTuesday, June 9 utes following the final ballot (Waccamaw/ • BINGO CARDS, each day is a different color Pee Dee rooms) • Annual Wiffle Ball Game, 30 minutes follow- Daily Advocate, Page 2 AdvocateSC.org Subscribe today: scan this QR code with your smartphone! $15/year print; $8/year online. Or call 888-678-6272. Monday, June 8, 2015 Continued from Page 1 For the first time ever, the body will use electronic balloting to vote both on legislation and to elect delegates for General and Jurisdictional conferences. The device has a keypad and is similar to a cell phone, but not as complicated as a smartphone, organizers said. The body is slated to have a full hour to learn the new technology and do some test runs. Conference Secretary the Rev. Ken Nelson has said electronic balloting will vastly speed up the voting process, which can take a long time, especially during election years such as this one. Annual Conference will elect 16 delegates (eight clergy and eight laity) plus alternates to General Conference, and 16 additional delegates (eight clergy and eight laity) plus alternates, who will go to Jurisdictional Conference with the General Conference delegates. Resolutions/petitions presented today Several resolutions and petitions are before the body as of press time and will be presented today, though more can be introduced on the floor today, as well. The body will vote on these on the final day of conference, Thursday. Several have drawn heated conversation, both in Advocate letters to the editor and on its website (www.advocatesc.org). Two previously identified as resolutions have been corrected and are now reclassified as petitions to General Conference 2016: • Petition to General Conference 2016 to withdraw the UMC from the Religious Coalition For Reproductive Choice (submitted by four Upstate UMCs, this calls on South Carolina to ask the 2016 General Conference to withdraw the UMC’s General Board of Church and Society and the United Methodist Women from membership in the RCRC because they believe the coalition’s work on abortion rights is in direct conflict with what the Discipline says about abortion) • Petition to General Conference 2016 to amend Para. 161F (regarding the UMC’s stance on homosexuality) of the Book of Discipline of the UMC (signed by more than 100 United Methodist clergy and laity, many part of Reconciling Ministries of South Carolina, Monday, June 8, 2015 the petition calls on the conference to petition the 2016 General Conference to delete the sentence in Para. 161F that states, “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching”) Also before the body: • Anti-Bullying Resolution: More than 100 United Methodists, many part of Reconciling Ministries of South Carolina, call upon the UMC to oppose bullying in all forms and create a safe space for children of God without regard to religion, race, ethnicity, culture, citizenship, socio-economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation and physical or mental ability. The resolution also calls upon Methodists to respond to bullying with acts of compassion and take a public stand against speeches of hate, exclusion, harassment and acts of intimidation and violence; • Resolution Authorizing Sale of the Property Owned by the Board of South Carolina United Methodist Camps and Retreats Ministries Inc. Known as Sewee Coastal Retreat Center; • Resolution to declare as abandoned Jerusalem UMC, Harleyville, Walterboro District; • Resolutions to discontinue Floyds UMC, Horry County, Marion District; Grace UMC, Woodruff, Greenville District; Old Mount Zion UMC, Bishopville, Hartsville District (abandonment); Bethesda-Cades UMC, Williamsburg County, Florence District; Trinity UMC, Florence County, Florence District; Beulah UMC, Williamsburg County, Florence District; First UMC, Kershaw, Rock Hill District; and Twitty UMC, Hartsville, Hartsville District; and • Resolution to approve the merger of Johns Chapel and Bethel UMCs into Holy Trinity UMC, Beaufort Circuit, Walterboro District. Other happenings Annual Conference will also include preaching from Bishop Marcus Matthews of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference, Dr. Tim McClendon, the Rev. Jonathan Tompkins and more. Dr. Paul Harmon, Spartanburg District superintendent, will lead the Bible study, and the Africa University Choir will perform Wednesday night. AC2015 in Brief • Theme, “Becoming Disciples God Can Use” • Tuesday conference-wide mission project Stop Hunger Now • Preaching from S.C. Resident Bishop Jonathan Holston, Bishop Marcus Matthews of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference, Dr. Tim McClendon, the Rev. Jonathan Tomkins and more • Five-day slate of business to include passage of $16.8M budget, retiree pension changes, voting on delegates for General and Jurisdictional Conferences • Dr. Paul Harmon, Spartanburg District superintendent, will lead the Bible study • Africa University Choir to perform • Local Church Mission Fair on Monday • Stay connected through social media at Annual Conference! All conversations will use the hashtag #umcsc and will focus on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Follow the conference on Facebook at www.facebook. com/scumc and on Twitter and Instagram @ umcsc. Follow the Advocate on Facebook at www.facebook.com/advocatesc and on Twitter @advocatesc. • Emergency phone number for civic center: 843-432-1228 Photo by Allison Trussell 33 commissioned, ordained tonight Annual Conference will ordain 16 people as deacons or elders and commission 17 as provisional elders tonight. Here, Bishop Jonathan Holston blesses a new clergy member during last year’s service. Daily Advocate, Page 3
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