This is a very brief report on the 5 day Annual United Methodist Conference that was held at Lake Junaluska June 8-12.
There were a few differences this year, Pastor Dianne knows the back ways to enter the Conference grounds, so we missed a lot of the traffic congestion. and she knows where to park. A couple of times we had better parking than the Bishop. AND the AC worked this year.
As always, it was a wonderful time of seeing old friends and meeting new people. There is such sense of unity and connection when we come together to worship the Father and plan for the future of the methodist church.
Part of the business this year was the election of representatives to the General and Jurisdictional Conferences. Also, there were many petitions adopted on the Consent Calendar and 3 determined by individual consideration, including one proposed by Pastor Dianne and myself. The proposal was to add the words, or more to the description of a Union church. It now reads—a union church in which a congregation with one unified membership roll is related to two or more denominations. This was approved.
There was a major change in the number of districts Members of the Conference approved to reduce the number of districts and superintendents from 15 to 8 beginning at the end of Annual Conference next year.
Reasons for this reduction are the “graying” of the church and the lack of younger members. The change is being put in place to help us survive the changes that are coming in the next 10 years. These changes mean that the WNC leadership focus on growing churches and pour the resources into them. And making Legacy churches of the dying churches.
There is a new Union church being created in the Asheville District and a new cooperative parish being created. Many churches are considering what they are going to do.
The question for us to answer is—–What will we do to make sure Pleasant Grove will exist in 10 years? At that time, will we be a vital growing church or a fondly remembered Legacy church?