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Letter from Upper New York Conference Lay Leader – Drew Griffin Greetings to all my siblings in Christ, Grace and peace to you in the name of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! As we prepare our hearts and minds to gather for the 12th Session of the Upper New York Annual Conference I pray that the Holy Spirit gives you a sense of renewal. We stand, all of us, at the edge of a new time in the life of the Church. A time of opportunity to bring new children into the family of God, a time to share the love and hope of Jesus with a world crying out for justice. We could let things like the pandemic, virtual gatherings, or whatever obstacles we might encounter get in the way of our work, but if we do then the enemy has already won. But I don’t believe that is who the people of the Upper New York Annual Conference are. I believe that you are a faithful people, resilient, strong, loving, and compassionate. Boldly continuing to live out the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. You do this despite the challenges of a global pandemic, and you do this despite the challenges of bigotry and racism. This year we will be Holy Conferencing in a way that we’ve never done before. We have partnered with our friends at GNTV Media Ministry to bring you an experience, we hope, that is worshipful, enlightening, and engaging. Please be patient if technical glitches occur and be assured that there is a staff of professionals working to make this Annual Conference as productive, efficient, and accessible as possible. I am looking forward to “seeing” as many of you as possible this June. Until then, know that you are all in my prayers. Peace be with you! Drew E. Griffin Annual Conference Lay Leader, Upper New York
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