Connected in Christ

For this year’s conference, Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson chose the theme “A Conference in Three Movements”. The movements were summarized by Bishop Sue as follows:

I can truly say that I experienced the Holy Spirit in all three aspects throughout the conference.

As I had learned last year, the Annual Conference is as much about worship and learning as it is about church business, and the messages and music were spiritually moving and enlightening as well. On Wednesday evening, before the official start of the conference, there was a Juneteenth celebration. Several clergy and lay leaders spoke, each taking a piece of African American history in the United States, from slavery up to the present time, and looking into the future. Their perspectives brought new understanding to me into the meaning of Juneteenth, and why it is a day to be celebrated.

In her message, Biship Sue used her experience during Hurricane Charley, when she was relieved to realize, “There is a grid, and we’re on it”. No matter what storms we face, God is always with us, just as he was with Jacob when he fell asleep on a rock at Luz (which he renamed to Bethel). We were also graced with a very touching message from Florida bishop Tom Berlin, formerly pastor of Floris UMC, who had just lost his mother earlier in the week, and shared with the new clergy and all of us how important it is to never lose hope in the power of Jesus’ resurrection. Additionally, there were great learning opportunities from three pastors from Georgia and Florida who shared about creative Fresh Expression ministries such as “Dog Park Church” and “Tatoo Parlor Church”.

Another new learning opportunity was introduced this year: Lunch Labs. These labs were smaller sessions held during the lunch break that gave opportunities to learn and share about the “why” in mission work and how to reach the people we hope to serve. I attended Lunch Labs on both Thursday and Friday, entitled “The Heart of It All: United Methodist Theology of Mission 101” and “Who is My Neighbor? Reimagining and Transforming Community”. The most significant lesson I learned from both sessions is that we need to have caring and compassionate relationships with those we serve in order to understand and meet their needs. If you’d like to hear more about these Lunch Labs, please reach out to me; I’d love to share more about the sessions.

On the business side of things, there were budgets to approve and motions to consider, as is always the case. Here is a summary of some of the business of the Annual Conference:

• Announcements were made about the Annual Conference Offering. There are two recipients this year, the Partnerships of Hope and the Undue Medical Debt. Community of Faith provided a donation to the offering.
• Rev. Claire Miller will be replacing Rev. Joshua King as Conference Secretary.
• Martha Stokes was confirmed as Conference Lay Leader for the next quadrennium.
• Harrisonburg was approved as the site of the 2026 Annual Conference.
• The Equitable Compensation Commission and Virginia United Methodist Pensions, Inc. (VUMPI) gave their reports on proposed clergy salaries, pensions and benefits for 2025. Both proposals were approved.
• At the 2023 Annual Conference, the Just Compensation Task Force was proposed and approved. That group gave its findings related to compensation and housing allowances. It was proposed and approved that this task force continue its work through 2025.
• The General Conference Delegation gave their report. One vote that was not brought before this this Annual Conference, was the ratification of Regionalization, which had been approved by the General Conference, but must be approved by all of the Annual Conferences. The reason this measure was not voted upon is because the voting protocols have not yet been communicated. That measure will be voted upon in 2025, and the final result will be announced in 2026.
• Two new faith communities were introduced, Appomattox UMC and King William Campus of New Song UMC. Appomattox was the reformation of a disaffiliated church in that town.
• VA UM Housing Development and Wesley Housing will merge into a single company to assure that affordable housing development will continue to be an expression of the VAUMC’s desire to provide more opportunities for housing to Virginia’s citizens in need. The combined companies will represent a portfolio of over 5000 apartment units across Virginia, with another 1000 units in the immediate pipeline.
• A motion was brought forward to make a Resolution of Apology to LGBTQ persons. After much discussion and deliberation, a group of pastors, including Rev. Rob Vaughan, brought forward a new motion to create a Commission of Truth Telling and Reconciliation to further study the Apology resolution. This new motion was overwhelmingly approved.
• Mr. Brian Christoffersen from the Creation Care Team presented a motion for the Annual Conference to create a Work Group to study how we can go Net Zero by 2050 for all churches. The motion was passed.
• Rev. Kirk Nave was recognized as the new District Superintendent of the Northern Virginia District.
• The following were recognized/ordained:  6 Local Licensed Pastors, 3 Provisional Deacons, 11 Provisional Elders, 2 Ordained Deacons, and 9 Ordained Elders.

Let me again express my gratitude to the staff and members of Community of Faith for allowing me to serve as your lay delegate. I am at once filled with pride and humility when I see all God’s work that is being accomplished by Community of Faith, the Virginia Conference and our entire United Methodist denomination. There are always new opportunities to serve. If you’re interested in serving in any capacity, please reach out to me or anyone on the Leadership Board.

I’ll leave you to ponder some quotes I jotted down while at the Annual Conference: