2008 ANNUAL CONFERENCE TO CONVENE JUNE 1-4
“BOLD DECISIONS….. FAITH SACRIFICES…. COURAGEOUS ACTIONS”
Lay and Clergy delegates from the churches in the Memphis Conference will come together in Jackson, Tennessee, June 1 – 4, for the 169th Session of the Memphis Annual Conference. The Conference will focus on two study reports:
1) The Bishops’ Task Force was appointed by Bishop Richard J. Wills, Jr., following the 2006 Annual Conference. The Study Committee was given the task “to identify areas where managed cost reduction is possible while sustaining strong effective mission and ministry programs, agencies, and institutions”.
One of the things that was developed by the Study Conference and adopted by the 2007 Annual Conference was a mission statement which read:
“The Mission of the Memphis Annual Conference is to make disciples for Jesus Christ, for the transformation of the world. Our vision to fulfill this mission is by making bold decisions, faithful sacrifices, and taking courageous actions.”
The Study Committee will bring recommendations related to the financial stability of the Annual Conference, both for the short term as well as for the long term. In an effort to address the shortfall between income and projected spending, proposals will be offered related to specific topics:
a) the formula used to determine apportionments for local churches
b) funding for conference agencies and institutions
c) a possible adjustment in the number of districts from 7 to 5
Their report will also include possible recommendations:
i) establish an endowment program for each conference agency and institution
ii) initiate opportunities for cost sharing between the Memphis and Tennessee Annual Conferences
iii) train and equip both lay and clergy in the Methodist essentials of stewardship, missions, outreach, evangelism, spiritual formation and Wesleyan distinctiveness
iv) during the 2008-2012 quadrennium reduce Conference funding of our agencies and institutions by one half
2) The Program Ministry Transition Team has been concerned with the health and ministries of our local churches. From their study, the team is recommending:
a) a fundamentally different structure and approach to connectional ministry
b) five conference priorities
The new structure will consist of a CONNECTIONAL MINISTRIES TEAM with seven ACTION TEAMS: Intentional Discipleship, Church Vitality and Revitalization, Faith Community and New Church Development, Church and Social Action, Leadership Development, Outreach Advocacy, and Communications.
These ACTION TEAMS will focus on addressing our most pressing issues and ongoing emphases:
· Local church vitality and revitalization
· Intentional discipleship with Wesleyan distinctiveness
· Leadership development
· New church development
· The church in society and ongoing outreach advocacy
These are wide sweeping changes that are being proposed. They have been studied, discussed, reviewed, and will be further discussed at Annual Conference. Pray for all of our lay and clergy delegates that God’s Holy Spirit will give them the discernment to help the Memphis Conference of the United Methodist Church make “BOLD DECISIONS….. FAITH SACRIFICES…. COURAGEOUS ACTIONS”
