Dear Sisters and Brothers,

You are invited to join me in praying and expecting this Annual Conference to be filled with inspiration, celebration and challenge. We have some business matters to care for and we will. But the most significant reason for gathering is to experience God’s magnificent and magnanimous grace.

Our Annual Conference theme embraces our conference priority to “by all means win some.” We will explore what it means to be equipped (trained and discipled) and empowered (energized by the Holy Spirit) to fulfill God’s mission. God does have a mission and is seeking individuals and communities of faith through which to fulfill that mission. It is an awesome privilege to be called by God to be partners in the mission of transformation and compassionate service.

This conference will emphasize the absolute necessity of our learning to live out the humility of Jesus. When Paul speaks of “by all means win some” he was not advocating an overbearing, militant attitude. We are called to serve all God’s people with unconditional love and humility. We live out this grace whether or not anyone responds or is “won” to the faith.

I pray God will get a good grip on our hearts this Annual Conference session.

Grace and peace,

Ray W. Chamberlain, Jr.