Thanks to all for Annual Conference

The 226th Session of the Virginia Annual Conference has just adjourned. We focused on our conference challenge “Let’s Get Growing! . . . More Young People.” Indeed, throughout the Annual Conference the voices and leadership of youth and young adults were in abundance. We learned from one another, worshiped together, conferenced together, and made new friends, across generational lines.

A BIG THANK YOU to our youth and young adult leaders, especially Angie Williams, our director of Youth, Young Adults and Singles Ministries. She worked all year long in assisting our planning committee to celebrate the gifts of youth and young adults across Virginia.

THANK YOU to our preachers, Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, Bishop Joe E. Pennel Jr., the Rev. Amanda Garber, Dr. Susan Garrett and the Rev. Chris Bennett. Thanks to Bishop Pennel for also leading us in Bible study from Ephesians.

THANK YOU to our signers, our technical team, our Communications staff, our co-coordinators of worship for four years, the Revs. Bill Davis and Beth Givens, our ushers, our tellers, our Roanoke District hosts, to the Rev. Stan Wright for chairing the AC planning committee for four years, and to our Lay Leader Shirley Cauffman, who also presides at table with me.

THANK YOU to those friends across the United Methodist connection who came to bless us with their greetings and celebration of our participation in ministries — from colleges and universities and seminaries, to the 60th Anniversary of the Advance, to the board of Society of St. Andrew, to Bishop Fritz Mutti with the Global Aids Fund, to Deech Kirk, to the pensions director of the Detroit Conference Don Emmert, to general board and agency staff, to Cokesbury, and on and on.

THANK YOU to the members of our retiring class whose ministries have inspired us.

THANK YOU to the members of the 250 Task Force/All Things New for their two years of fruitful service and invitation to plant new faith communities and renew existing churches

THANK YOU for the musicians, instrumentalists and vocalists who kept us moving, clapping and dancing!

THANK YOU to all family and local church members who came to celebrate the ordination, commissioning and licensing at our special service and those who were set apart for ministry.

THANK YOU for our EUB (Evangelical United Brethren) pastors among us who helped celebrate 40 years of shared history and ministry in The United Methodist Church.

THANK YOU ALL for the privilege of serving as your bishop and presiding over Annual Conferences. You gave me reason to worship, pray, listen, reflect, stay alert, sing, greet, hug and dance! I give thanks to God for every remembrance of you!

 

                        Grace and Peace, 

                        Charlene Kammerer