Alabama–West Florida Annual Conference 2007

Conference Agenda Agenda items during the four-day event:

Annual Conference Recap
written: June 8, 2007 - Extracted from http://www.awfumc.org/news_detail.asp?PKValue=404
The Alabama–West Florida Annual Conference was held June 3-6 in Montgomery, Ala. at Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church, with the theme “Serving The Present Age.” The conference celebrated the 300th anniversary of the birth of Charles Wesley with a 250-voice mass choir made up of people from throughout the conference. Prior to this year’s conference, Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster challenged the churches of the conference to buy 10,000 insecticide-treated bed nets through the Nothing But Nets campaign. At time of press, with donations still coming in, the people of the AWF Conference overwhelmingly responded by raising over $203,000 – buying more than 20,000 bed nets! This marked the largest single Annual Conference Special Offering in the conference’s history.

Worship leadership was provided by Bishop James King, Louisville Area; Bishop Paul Duffey, retired; and Rev. Clyde Pressley, Executive Director of the AWF Conference Disaster Recovery Ministry.

In business matters, the conference: 1) established a $16.5 million budget for mission and ministry for the next year, up 5.31 percent from 2007; 2) adopted the United Methodist Property and Casualty Trust (PACT) as the conference-wide insurance carrier for all of the churches and ministries of the Annual Conference; 3) adopted a conference-wide Safe Sanctuaries Policy; 4) recognized five churches as a “Church for All God’s Children;” 5) voted to send the UM Publishing House contribution of $9,545 to the Central Conference Pension Initiative; 6) heard an update on the $3 million “Campaign for Blue Lake,” the conference’s assembly and campground; 7) adopted 16 resolutions, including ones dealing the humanitarian crisis in Uganda, upholding language in the Book of Discipline, and supporting anti-tobacco laws; 8) presented donations made available through the Katrina Church Recovery Appeal to Coden (Ala.) UMC and Citronelle (Ala.) UMC; 9) welcomed the Magruder Family, our United Methodist missionaries in Cameroon with whom the conference is in partnership.

One deacon and 10 elders were ordained as members in full connection. 19 clergy entering into a probationary relationship with the conference were commissioned (6 probationary deacons and 13 probationary elders).

Fourteen retiring clergy were honored – representing over 295 years of service to the United Methodist Church. 23 clergy and clergy spouses who died in the past year were remembered during a service of commemoration.

The following people were elected as delegates to the 2008 General Conference: Laity – Steve Furr (delegation chair), Gip Kingry, Antonius Barnes, Woods Lisenby, Dawn Hare, Robert Powell, and John Sherrer. Clergy – John Ed Mathison (vice-chair), Reba Wiley, Karl Stegall, Jeff Spiller, Larry Bryars, Frederick Outlaw, and Rurel Ausley.

For the 27th consecutive year, the Conference showed a net increase in membership – the largest net increase in a decade. For 36 years, since 1970, there have only been two years when the conference did not have an increase.

Membership stands at 149,195, up 1,253 from the previous year. Worship attendance stands at 68,857 down 304 from the previous year. Average Church School attendance stands at 31,343, down 3,472 from the previous year.

“I rejoice in the efforts of this conference to take seriously the call to share the Good News,” said Bishop Goodpaster. “Five years ago I challenged this conference to have 150,000 members by 2008; that goal is just within our reach. Your primary task when you leave here is to tell people about Jesus Christ, live the Gospel way, and invite and incorporate new believers.”

Data submitted by our Delegate to the Annual Conference, Joanne Horton.

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