| Even With Elections & Debate, Annual Conference Ends On Harmonious Note
By Annette Bender
It was the Annual Conference that could have gone down as less-than-harmonious.
Besides a controversial direct billing proposal and retirees' health-care plan to consider, representatives of 930 congregations in east Tennessee, southwest Virginia and north Georgia also were charged to elect delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conferences.
In the end, there would be some debate at a direct-billing chat room and lots of invalid ballots. (Come on, now. Who used the ballpoint pen?) But by the time the Lake Junaluska Singers crooned "Down to the River to Pray" at the Sending Forth Service, another conference had come off with fewer cross words than you might expect.
In addition to reports in the June 20 issue of The Call, here are highlights and actions from the 2003 session of Holston Annual Conference, held June 8-11 in Lake Junaluska, N.C.
Honors & Awards
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- The Francis Asbury Award for fostering ministries in higher education was presented to Carol Dunsmore, a volunteer at Radford University Wesley Foundation.
- The Denman Awards for Evangelism were presented to lay member Melissa Reasor of Trenton UMC, Chattanooga District, and the Rev. Richard Edwards of First Farragut UMC, Oak Ridge District.
- The Mustard Seed Award for a small membership church "exhibiting innovation, growth and outreach" was presented to Ottway UMC in Morristown District. Ottway's pastor is the Rev. Donna Waddle.
- Paul Seay led a tribute to long-time Youth Coordinator Angee Woody, who resigned in April. "I can't imagine where I would be if I didn't have you to share ministry with," said Seay, a Duke seminary student and former conference youth leader.
- The conference paused to pay tribute to the Rev. Raymon White, conference secretary/director of clergy services since 1998. "We thank him for his hours of work, for demanding excellence from all of us, for expecting 100 percent and not accepting less," the Rev. Linda Bird Wright read from a statement signed by Bishop Ray Chamberlain. White retired at Annual Conference.
Inspiration
- In a youth presentation themed, "We Are the Church of Today," audience members were visibly moved by the testimony of 17-year-old Meagan Brandl of Memorial UMC, Oak Ridge District. Brandl told of suffering from depression and attempting suicide before attending Junior High Assembly in July 2000 and giving her life to Christ.
"I know I'm called to pastoral ministry," she said. "Every time I see my pastor, I say, 'Yeah, I know that's what I'm going to do, that's where I'm going to be.'"
- At the Service of Resurrection with Holy Communion, the Rev. Mark Flynn said that losing a loved one is "bittersweet." "But we can ultimately say that this is a celebration of God's enduring love for us – Resurrection is what gives us hope, and it's not just sweet sentimentality." Flynn is pastor at Kern Memorial UMC, Oak Ridge District.
- The Rev. Bruce Stanley, director of field education at Duke Divinity School, preached at the opening "Camp Meeting" service on Sunday night. Stanley told clergy, "If you want a larger, more significant ministry, then grow one where you are."
- At the ordination service, Bishop Violet Fisher woke up the crowd with her spirited message, "Don't just sit there, do something." "Business as usual is no longer accepted. Sunday morning church for one hour is no longer accepted," she said. "Open those doors – throw them open to the community in the name of Jesus Christ." Fisher is resident bishop of the New York West area.
- A creative "Service of Repentance and Healing" involved many participants, including the Rev. Grace Imathiu of Kenya, to address racism and reconciliation.
Music
- Many conference members lifted their hands in praise to music by Pleasant Harmony, a six-man vocal group from Pleasant View UMC, Abingdon District. Later that day, the audience laughed and applauded to rapping by Jamon Robinson, 8, of Wesley House Community Center in Knoxville.
- Two teen-age singers won applause for their solos between ballots and reports. Whitney Castle, 15, is from Clintwood UMC in Big Stone Gap District. Charley Talley, 14, is from Harned's Chapel UMC, Morristown District.
- The Howard Brothers – Rev. Roy, Rev. Marvin, and Rev. J.N. – harmonized on "Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying" during a service for retiring clergy. Joyce Stansbery, organist at Red Bank UMC, Chattanooga, accompanied her brothers on piano.
- The Lake Junaluska Singers once again charmed Holston members during the Sending Forth Service, this year with "Amen," "Amazing Grace," and "Down to the River to Pray."
Church Biz
- During a Board of Pensions hearing, members voted to modify a proposed schedule of paying retiree premiums based on years of ministerial service in Holston Conference. Based on the modified proposal effective in 2005, the conference will pay 100 percent of premiums for retired clergy and spouses with 25-plus service years (instead of 30-plus service years on the former schedule). The schedule also calls for paying 80 percent for 20-24 years of service (instead of 25-29), and so on.
- Three churches were approved for closing: Wesley Chapel, Chattanooga District; Blackford, Tazewell District; and Community, Tazewell District.
- The conference voted against a motion to raise the Commission on Equitable Compensation's recommendation for a minimum increase in salary levels for 2004. The motion was to increase the rate to 4.5 percent; the conference approved the commission's recommendation of 2.5 percent.
- The conference voted to support three resolutions: urging every Holston congregation to observe Organ and Tissue Donor Sunday; appointing a task force to study parsonage allowances for clergy; and establishing a task force and ministries to strengthen and nurture marriages and families. A petition calling for the United Methodist Church to adopt missions among Muslims as a 2004 quadrennial priority will be forwarded to General Conference.
- Shelbi Wilson, youth member from State Street UMC, Abingdon District, was elected as a write-in candidate to represent Holston at Jurisdictional Conference.
- Clyde McDonald was elected conference treasurer and then recognized along with other new staff members: Anita Henderlight, children's coordinator; Caryl Griffin, Wesley Institute director; Dan Gray, youth coordinator; and Gary Mauldin, pastoral counselor.
By the Numbers
- More than 75 kids participated in Children's Day activities, which included a visit from John Wesley on his 300th birthday.
- Volunteers in Mission sent 980 people to mission fields in 23 countries and 4 states last year, according to Bonnie Howard.
- The conference experienced a $1,097,501 budget shortfall in 2002, caused by the failure to receive 100 percent of Fair Share apportionments from churches, according to the Council on Finance & Administration's report. By May 30, 2003, apportionments were down 2.8 percent from apportionment levels in the previous year, likely resulting in additional budget cuts this year, CFA Chair Mai Bell Hurley said.
- Average Holston Conference per-member giving is $550 annually, according to a Stewardship Task Force report. "A 1 percent increase in giving would result in $1 million additional dollars," according to the Rev. Ron Matthews, task force chair.
- According to the statistician's report, membership in Holston congregations stands at 169,395, down 1,451 from the previous year. Average worship attendance stands at 75,644, down 504 from the previous year. In recent years, membership has declined while worship attendance has increased slightly.
- How much ice cream can a bunch of face-fanning worshippers eat on a warm summer night? Following the Service of Repentance on Tuesday, 1,550 ice cream sandwiches and cups disappeared within a half hour. Two hundred leftover ice cream treats were delivered to the kids in child care the next day. Quotables
- "I don't get the feeling that stewardship and tithing are expressed enough from our pulpits – In my mind, tithing is as much a part of Christianity as anything else."
– Joe Jones, Telford UMC, Johnson City District, commenting from the floor that the budget wouldn't be an issue if every church member tithed.
- "Don't go away, brother, because I want to put you on the Stewardship Task Force."
– Bishop Ray Chamberlain, responding to Joe Jones.
- "I would like a little less flippancy from you when answering our questions."
– Peggy Callison, lay member from St. Luke UMC, Abingdon District, at a chat room concerning the 2004 budget and direct billing. Callison was addressing a Council on Finance & Administration member.
- "Lord, they've done their best. But now they've come to rest a while."
– The Rev. Mattye Bowman, 95-year-old Holston clergywoman, leading a prayer for a service honoring retiring clergy.
- "Maybe Bishop Sprague was wrong. Maybe Christ really did rise from the dead."
– The Rev. William Willimon, preacher at the Sending Forth Service, who candidly told his listeners that "we work for a living God" and the work isn't easy.
- "I like Mr. Jim because he fixed up my grandmother's cat."
– Andre, age 12, one of several children from Cleveland's Unity Center and Johnson City's Coalition for Kids, in describing how the ministry serves him.
- "The only leading I want to do is lead the crowd out of here so I can beat Big Bubba's lunch crowd."
– The Rev. Tom Robins, in a humorous Discipleship Team presentation.
- "May God bless you in your goal to win, by all means, some for Christ and God."
– Bishop Ruediger Minor, Bishop of Russia and recently elected president of the Council of Bishops, during a brief greeting to the Annual Conference.
- "Is Mike Ward here? I love to do this. Is J.N. Howard here?"
– Bishop Ray Chamberlain, surprising clergy members by calling out their names to check their attendance.
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