Mountain Circuit Annual Conference Saturday Edition

THE

MOUNTAINcircuit 2014 ANNUAL CONFERENCE EDITION, JUNE 14 PUBLISHED BY THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Conference members dance in the center aisle at Wesley Chapel yesterday.

vol 45 / number 2

photo by AdAM CuNNINGhAM

Conference gets happy!

Conference took on the air of a revival Friday morning as members, including Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball danced in the aisles.

The spontaneous celebration took place during Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton’s sermon “Discover Joy” (see next page), which incorporated the pop hit “Happy”

by Pharell Williams. The song became an international hit last year, reaching the number one spot on pop charts in 24 countries, according to Wikipedia.

This year’s Conference theme “Discover Christ” can be seen in the preaching and teaching of the gathering yesterday, and in items such as the

Cabinet report which featured nearly 50 churches and ministries who are making a difference in their communities. A “short clip,” or video story about Logan Memorial United Methodist Church added to an atmosphere that focused on what we can do as the church.

MOUNTAINCIRCUIT JUNE 14, 2014

Discover Joy!

Friday business highlights

By Tom Bone

Rule changes

Visiting Bishop Thomas Bickerton issued a call to joy that ended with dancing in the aisles during Friday’s praise and worship service in Wesley Chapel.

Following a rousing round of music by a praise group and a women’s chorus, Bickerton began by restating an informal theme he has used for 10 years “Lighten up, loosen up and have a little fun.”

“We are either so serious and stiff that we miss the spirit, or so hung up and possessed of our own ideas that we discount the Spirit when it shows up.”

He said that Jesus was speaking to disciples “who are afraid and don’t know what the future holds.”

“It’s only after talking about joy that Jesus begins to talk about those infamous words, of loving one another ‘as I have loved you.’ You see, only when you discover the joy, will you be able to discover love.”

Soon he was paraphrasing Jesus as saying, “It’ll be OK. There’s a way through.” To underline the point, he quoted from Scripture, “I will be with you, even unto the end of the age.”

Bickerton acknowledged, “These are serious times.

These are not happy times. We are afraid, fearful, uncertain about what the future holds.” He reassured the worshippers with more of Jesus’ advice: “Do not let your hearts be troubled; neither let the be afraid.”

“He spoke them to his disciples,” Bickerton said. “He meant them for us.”

“Today, West Virginia Annual Conference, everybody in this room has a choice. Are you going to be consumed with fear and uncertainty … or will you remember the words of Jesus himself, and will you let those words bless us, inform us, and strengthen us in the midst of uncertain times?”

He closed with the hope that “your joy may be complete, so that you can dance the dance of the Lord.”

As recorded music filled the chapel, people broke out into the aisles, prompting Bickerton to exclaim, “I knew you had it in you!”

Clergy instituted a process for election of General and Jurisdictional conference delegates which allows for nominations to be made and information, including a personal statement, to be presented prior to voting for delegates. This rule is in effect now and nominations can be made through Saturday by filling out the forms in the Narthex. All eligible clergy members will remain on the ballot.

Seminarians can now take up to 66 and 2/3 % of their courses online, provided those courses are not preaching or pastoral care.

“Certified lay ministers under appointment” were added to the conference formula for selecting lay equalization members for annual conference.

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TOP TWEET

Other highlights A resolution that proposed training for clergy so that they could support victims of sexual assault was tabled until today.

An earlier effort to refer the resolution to the Sexual Ethics team was not supported.

Laity address was given by Rich Shaffer, emphasizing the creation of transformational groups.

The Denman Award for Evangelism was presented to lay adult Sam Benson from Crossroads UMC in Waverly WV. He leads a home bible study for people who don’t attend church.

The clergy Denman winner was Beverly Colombo, pastor of Logan Memorial UMC Parkersburg where worship attendance has increased from 18 to 60-70 in the past two years.

Youth Denman winners were Erin Sears (First UMC, Princeton), and Jonathan O’Dell, (St. John’s UMC, Scott Depot).These two young people have been instrumental in the creation of Radical Disciples of Academy of Appalachia (RDAA).

Global AIDS Taskforce report: $10.00 can save the life of a child by preventing transmission of AIDS from mother to child.

Heather Withrow and Andy Jackson spoke about Camping Ministries at Spring Heights.

Allison Shaw from Trinity UMC, Bluefield and Gabe Ingram, from Trinity UMC, Parkersburg, gave testimony to the importance of camping ministries in their lives.

Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball recognized Mark Flynn (Greenbrier District), his wife Judy, Ellis Conley (Mon Valley District) and his wife, Julie, as they leave the Cabinet to serve in local churches.

jesus looks at us and sees what we’re becoming — rev. elaine heath #wvumc #wvac14 — @kerrfunk

MOUNTAINCIRCUIT JUNE 14, 2014

Thoughts on Elaine Heath

By Rev. Jacob Steele A baptism in the Jordan...and a battle in the desert. As Dr. Elaine Heath taught, I thought to myself, “How could something so affirming be followed by something so challenging?” Perhaps you’ve asked similar questions in other mazes or stages of faith.

Talk to some people and they’ll tell you that baptism is supposed to seal and protect you from hardship, not prepare and propel you in response to it. Many like to think of baptism as a key to get them into the kingdom, instead of a call to get them busy building it here.

Oftentimes, culturized versions of Christianity lend the notion that our being churchy somehow absolves us from challenge. Yet, we’re reminded that the Church — at its birth — was baptized into a battle. While that battle isn’t without burden, it isn’t without blessing either. “The desert school of discernment,” said Dr. Heath, “is an emptying process of hungering, thirsting and yearning.”

In a consumeristic society, it’s a process we’ve become passive about. But as those formed and fashioned in the image of Christ, we too are led by the Spirit to let go, to lose self, to hunger and thirst for the things of Christ’s Kingdom...and in the process discover life in some of the most barren places.

The desert was a 40 day period of preparation, whereby God in the flesh was primed and poised for a mission that would dramatically transform the world. Should it be such a surprise that the risen Jesus stayed with his disciples for 40 days before his ascension so that he could prepare his followers for a mission that would once again transform the world? Since the ascension, since that momentous segment in time, Jesus has sought out bodies through which that mission would be made manifest in practical, yet powerful ways. We should ask ourselves the question, “Is this body willing? If it is, then the desert is a certain destination.

Rev. Dr. Elaine Heath speaks during her teaching time at Annual Conference yesterday.

Conference cartoon

photo by Judy Pysell.

MOUNTAINCIRCUIT JUNE 14, 2014

Conference life A photo roundup featuring the communications team and conference page Allie Sears. Great work guys! View more of the team’s photos at flickr.com/wvumc.

Wesley in the Rain Dusty Merrill @dustymerrill

“Even the rain creates beauty.”

Allie Sears @a_l_l_i_e_c_a_t

Waiting in Wesley Leisa Lucas

Gathering Round Judy Pysell