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July 16, 2024
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To submit news items, stories, or corrections for inclusion in the newsletter, email the conference Communications Office at [email protected].
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In this week's edition of the Advocate, you will find:
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- A Call for Peace
- Resources
- Events
- Virginia News
- Denomination News
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A Call for Peace
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United Methodist bishops and pastors across the connection called for prayer, expressed grief, and called out for peace and reflection following the assassination attempt on former President Trump over the weekend.
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- The Council of Bishops lifted up the statement from Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi, resident bishop of the Western Pennsylvania Conference, who urged prayers not only for the family and friends of the victims of the assassination attempt on former President Trump, but also for peace and reconciliation in our nation. View the full statement...
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Rev. Deborah Ackley-Killian, superintendent of the Butler District (which encompasses the Butler, PA community), offered a blessing:
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May God who creates us shelter us tenderly in the midst of our overwhelming fears. May God bring us out of darkness and lead us into the light that we might discover the new creations to which we have been called.
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May God the Son who redeems us and suffered violence and death restore our grieving and despairing hearts. May He heal our broken bodies and spirits and lead us along paths of peace that we will turn guns into plowshares.
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May God the Spirit who comforts us wipe away our tears and strengthen us to go forth in steadfast faithfulness. May the Spirit be our guardian as we seek to live in harmony with one another for it is good and pleasant for kindred to do so. May the Spirit be our guide as we desire to live together in mutual respect for one another as citizens of this nation and the kingdom of God. Amen.
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- Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson reflected on peace and the recent violence with this quote from Civil Rights Leader Bayard Rustin:
"If we desire a society of peace, then we cannot achieve such a society through violence. If we desire a society without discrimination, then we must not discriminate against anyone in the process of building this society. If we desire a society that is democratic, then democracy must become a means as well as an end."
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- Rev. Doug Forrester, Valley Ridge DS, shared this quote from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from Paul's Letter to American Christians Nov. 4, 1956):
“Always be sure that you struggle with Christian methods and Christian weapons. Never succumb to the temptation of becoming bitter. As you press on for justice, be sure to move with dignity and discipline, using only the weapon of love. Let no man pull you so low as to hate him. Always avoid violence. If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in your struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness, and your chief legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos. In your struggle for justice, let your oppressor know that you are not attempting to defeat or humiliate him, or even to pay him back for injustices that he has heaped upon you. Let him know that you are merely seeking justice for him as well as yourself.”
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- Rev. Steve Summers, Assistant to the Bishop and COO, reflected on an Atlantic article by Peter Wehner on "The Power of Restraint." “A beautiful Hebrew word, shalom, refers to overcoming strife and social tension. But it means more than that. It implies harmony, wholeness, justice, and peace in the deepest sense. ‘Love and fidelity will meet,’ we read in the Psalms; ‘righteousness and peace now embrace.’”
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Resources
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Resources shared from around the denomination for clergy and lay leaders.
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Responding to violence
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On any given day, United Methodists respond to tragedy by offering prayers and support. There are resources from the general church for helping people cope with violent events; information on how we, the church, are working to respond with peace in a world of violence; and stories about how individuals as well as ministries can make a positive difference even in the most difficult of times. Learn more...
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Transforming weapons into tools: A blacksmith’s journey of hope and creativity
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The prophet Micah casts a hopeful vision of the future where nations will “beat their swords into iron plows, and their spears into pruning hooks.” (Micah 4:3) It seems that in God's planned future, we will have no need for weapons and guns. Organizations like Raw Tools, Inc, sponsor buy back and safe surrender events. A church in Tennessee hosted one of these events. And in the following video, we're able to see what happens after the guns are surrendered. Blacksmith Matt Clarady goes through the process of transforming a weapon into a tool of nurturing or a work of art. There's new life all over this story. Learn more...
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Exploring the Bible
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While summer often beckons us to travel and discover new places, Amplify Media invites all on a unique journey through the Bible — right from your home. Dive into its "Travel and Explore" playlist to virtually walk in the footsteps of Jesus, Paul, and other biblical figures. Learn more...
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Events
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Certificate Program for clergy ready for next ministry step
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Designed as an equivalent to an executive leadership program, the Lewis Center for Church Leadership Certificate Program delivers an online, cohort-based learning experience for pastors that combines self-study and interactive peer learning. Participants will learn strategic actionable insights that enhance their ability to be effective in their ministry settings. Guided by experienced faculty from Wesley Theological Seminary and the Lewis Center, this certificate program includes five courses over the course of a year that help pastors explore visioning, administration, stewardship, innovation, and building key partnerships. You can learn more in the attached flyer and by visiting here. Enrollment ends: August 30, 2024. Browse all courses...
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Register now for Lay Servant Academy
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The Virginia Conference Lay Servant Academy August Training will be Friday & Saturday, August 16-17. (VIRTUAL ONLY!) Registration is now open. Courses include, the Basic Course, Children's Faith Formation, Spiritual Gifts, Social Principles, and more! All who are interested in leadership roles in the local church are encouraged to consider connecting with others and participating in training events. All courses satisfy requirements for various Lay Servant Ministry pathways. For questions, email Tianna Durbin, Director of Lay Servant Academy. Learn more...
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Save the Date: Youth Retreat
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Register now for the Called to Lead: VAUMC Fall 2024 Youth Retreat. The retreat is open to all youth (6th-12th grade).
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Event will be held November 22-24, 2024 at the Virginia Nazarene Retreat Center (1151 High School Road, Buckingham, Virginia). Cost is $150 per person (pre-order t-shirt offered for additional $10).
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Registration is for groups only. No individual registrations are allowed. You must be registered through your youth leader and church.
The retreat will include time for worship, recreation, and sessions in a Leadership Track which each participant will choose. These tracks will offer hands-on learning experiences based on participants' interests and gifts; participants will leave with tools they can use as leaders in ministry in their local communities and churches. Learn more...
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Virginia News
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SEJ assigns bishops, approves budget
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The 2024 SEJ Conference was a mixture of worship and business from Wednesday, July 10 through Friday, July 12. On Wednesday, July 10, the body approved a reduction from 13 to 10 episcopal area, heard a State of the Church report from Bishop Ken Carter, and a report from the Racial Bias Task Force.
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On Thursday, July 11, the Committee on Episcopacy shared the new names of the ten SEJ Episcopal Areas and episcopal assignments for the 2025-2028 quadrennium. The assignments are as follows:
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- Alabama-Panhandle Area (Alabama-West Florida and North Alabama Conferences) Bishop L. Jonathan Holston
- Florida Area -Bishop Tom Berlin
- Georgia Area (North Georgia and South Georgia Annual Conference)- Bishop Robin Dease
- Holston Area jointly with an Annual Conference in the NEJ -Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett
- Kentucky-Tennessee Area (Kentucky, Central Appalachian Missionary, and Tennessee-Western Kentucky) -Bishop David Graves
- Mississippi Area -Bishop Sharma Lewis
- North Carolina Area -Bishop Connie Shelton
- South Carolina Area -Bishop Leonard Fairley
- Virginia Area -Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson
- Western North Carolina Area -Bishop Ken Carter
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The body also approved a $1.3 million budget for the 2025-2028 quadrennium. This is a 12.3 percent decrease from the 2021-2024 budget. Find full reports (Daily Christian Advocate (DCA)) from the SEJ session here: https://www.sejumc.org/sejumc2024.
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Subscribe to new conference communicatons
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Annual Conference members and other interested parties are invited to opt in to new, curated email notifications. Individuals can subscribe to as few or as many offerings as they choose. These new, curated subscriptions are replacing the “net” email groups such as ClergyNet and LaityNet that ended on July 1, 2024.
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Subscribe now, and subscribers will start receiving notifications from these new subscriptions begin thai week. Offerings (and frequency) now available are:
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- Obituaries (sent out as they are received by the Communications Office)
- Local Church events (sent out biweekly)
- Jobs (sent out biweekly)
- The Top Five (sent every Thursday. This will be a weekly wrap up email to give clergy and laity the top five news items going into the weekend (Plus “Items for Free” subsection )
- Advocate newsletter (sent every Tuesday featuring Virginia UM and denominational news, grants, connection and educational opportunities)
As we live into these new communication practices, please let the Communications Office know what other content you would be interested in accessing or areas we could improve by contacting [email protected].
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Heart Havens celebrates 25 years
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Heart Havens, an organization dedicated to empowering adults with developmental disabilities, opened their first home in 1999. To help Heart Havens celebrate. consider:
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- Giving a birthday gift. Your donation can help them cover essential needs not funded by Medicaid, ensuring their residents are active, engaged, and thriving members of their communities.
- Joining the Giving Heart Community: Consider setting up a recurring gift to provided ongoing support throughout the year.
- Spreading the Love: Share their mission with friends and family. Learn more...
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Connect students to campus ministries
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As high school seniors graduate this season, you can help connect those planning to attend college with a ministry home away from home. The Virginia Annual Conference supports 13 campus ministries and 4 United Methodist colleges/universities across Virginia. Our chaplains and campus ministers are excited to connect with students from your congregation as they head off to school.
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Please take a moment to provide us with contact information for every student who will be enrolled in a college or university this fall (Para. 232 and 256.3d in the Book of Discipline). Our VAUMC campus ministers and chaplains reach out to incoming students over the summer, and welcome freshmen as they arrive on campus in the fall. You can find the form to submit information here.
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Here's a video featuring our campus ministries, and more information about contacting our ministries is available here.
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Please contact Dwayne Stinson ([email protected]) if you have questions or would like to learn more about connecting with a campus ministry.
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Denomination News
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Neurodiversity: A spectrum of ministries serve all
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Ministries with neurodiverse individuals can help to make our church spaces, communications and ministry offerings accessible to all. Read more...
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Bishops in US receive assignments
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Many of the denomination’s U.S. jurisdictional conferences, meeting this week across the country, have realigned their episcopal area boundaries to allow for a smaller number of bishops.
Only the Western Jurisdiction held episcopal elections this year due to a substantially reduced denominational budget. Two bishops will be overseeing conferences across jurisdictional lines. Read more...
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Greenhouses enrich lives at church mission
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With financial support from Zimbabwe Volunteers in Mission and the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries’ Yambasu Agriculture Initiative, the Hanwa community constructed two half-acre greenhouses to fight climate change.
Charlie Moore, Zimbabwe Volunteers in Mission team leader from the Baltimore-Washington Conference, said the team hopes the project enables Hanwa Mission to enhance educational opportunities and help the schools achieve financial sustainability.
Church leaders said the greenhouses will lead to better harvests and energy savings and may inspire other schools to follow suit. Learn more...
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Parental leave efforts gaining momentum
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Clergy should get 13 weeks of paid leave if they’re taking care of a new baby, according to members of a grassroots effort to make that the United Methodist standard. Some United Methodist pastors report resistance to being granted paid maternity or paternity leave. An effort to expand parental leave coverage without increasing the financial burden on local churches is ongoing with the assistance of the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women. Annual conferences are being lobbied about the issue at their meetings this year and next. Learn more...
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Please send any issues or concerns to [email protected]. If you have issues with the formatting trying to forward (especially in Outlook), you can use the following link. More...
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