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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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Top Stories
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Agenda now available for AC 2025
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- Agenda
- Weekly Digest
- Starting Monday, April 21, there will be a weekly digest of videos to help AC members prepare for AC 2025. These will be sent directly to AC member emails and available on the conference website. Other weekly digest dates will be April 28, May 4, and May 11.
- Digital Book of Reports and Official Packet
- FYI for boards and agencies, May 1 is the deadline for the Book of Reports. This information should be emailed to [email protected]. Any content shared after this date will not be accepted.
- On May 15, the digital Book of Reports and Official Packet will be released conference-wide.
- Annual Conference Orientation video
- The conference office will release an Annual Conference Orientation video to help AC members prepare for the session on May 15.
- Voting at Annual Conference
- We will be electronically voting at Annual Conference 2025 on constitutional amendments. Please be sure to bring a cell or tablet device on which to vote. If you do not have one, there will be devices available onsite to borrow. To ensure you are able to vote, make sure you also bring the device charger or a battery device.
- Kits for Annual Conference
- We will be organizing for Cleaning Kit (Flood Buckets), Hygiene Kits, and Feminine Hygiene Kits. Similar to last year, kits will be collected at local sites in each district. More information will be forthcoming.
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Join SEJ effort in supporting California wildfire recovery
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This Lenten Season, you are invited to join a Southeastern Jurisdiction-wide (SEJ) initiative to support the Western Jurisdiction during the ongoing and future disaster recovery efforts from the California wildfires.
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Historically, the Western Jurisdiction has greatly supported the SEJ in our disaster recovery work.
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This is an opportunity for conferences in the SEJ to join together and show financial and missional care for our friends in the Western Jurisdiction who will be recovering from the wildfires for years to come.
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Giving is available online (please put "SEJ Giving Campaign" in the Memo text field) and through check donations.
To mail in a check, please make out the check to "SEJ Giving Campaign" and mail to:
10330 Staples Mill Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060
VA Annual Conference of the UMC – Suite 100
ATTN: Treasurer's Office
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Please email the Missional & Community Engagement Office for any questions at [email protected].
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Featured Event: Annual Conference
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Save your Display Area space now
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Please complete the Display application in its entirety if you wish to have a display space at the Annual Conference in Roanoke, Virginia. If approved, after the registration deadline of May 1, you will receive additional information regarding set up times, take down times, and location of your station. Should you have any questions in the meantime, please email [email protected]. Learn more...
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Banquets, Housing, Childcare registrations now open
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Banquets, Housing, and childcare registration is now available for Annual Conference 2025 to be held at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, VA from June 11-14. Highlights from the video include: important dates, conference teachers and preachers, and more. Learn more...
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Mountain View District church supports healthy living
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It has always been the practice of the congregation of Mt Zion UMC in Penhook, VA to support one another in prayer whenever anyone in the church or community was sick or in need. While setting goals for mission early in 2024, the congregation prioritized taking of their own health so they could be strong enough to care for others in the community. When Pastor Mary Hancock asked, "how many of us have diabetes?" over half of the congregation raised their hand. Thus began a focus on healthy living, extending even to adjusting the menu at church celebrations. "We feel better because we're eating better," said Pastor Hancock. Learn more...
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Watch March Soul Feast recording
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Bishop Sue and Martha Stokes, conference lay leader, invite the Virginia Conference to explore spiritual disciplines from September 2024 to June 2025. The book, Soul Feast, by Marjorie J. Thompson is guiding this initiative with a different spiritual practice focus each month. On the first Monday of each month, there will be a live webinar to discuss the next spiritual discipline and suggested resources will also be shared. The webinars will be available with Korean and Spanish subtitles for later viewing.
Start this initiative as a solo journey or join a companion for the journey at any time.
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The March recording on the topic of "Self-examination & Confession" is available.
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The next Soul Feast webinar can be watched live on Monday, April 7. Learn more...
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What is the Servant Sisters Scholarship Fund?
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What is the Servant Sister Scholarship? In 2018 The Servant Sister Scholarship Fund was established to offer scholarships to women answering the call to ministry who are enrolled in an accredited theological program. Here are some of the ways this scholarship fund has impacted our recipients:
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“It was a blessing to receive the Servant Sisters scholarship. It helped to fund a portion of one of my courses for a Masters in Divinity that is a spiritually, emotionally and physically demanding part of preparation for Ordination in the United Methodist Church. I look forward to supporting other sisters in Christ who can benefit from this scholarship - both monetarily and in spirit.” (2022)
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"Being one of the first recipients of the Servant Sister Scholarship is an honor and a big responsibility. There is in me a feeling of humility in knowing that many women worked to make this award available to me and that they trusted me to use this help to keep building God’s reign on earth." (2021)
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The recipients of this scholarship are the future leaders of our congregations. This month, the Servant Sister Scholarship Board invites you to become part of supporting women enrolled in seminary through donating to the Servant Sister Scholarship Fund. Would you please consider honoring or remembering someone who has inspired your faith with a donation? You can go to the United Methodist Foundation page to designate your electronic donation, or scan the QR code below. Checks can be made payable to the United Methodist Foundation with a notation for the Servant Sister Scholarship Fund.
For further information, the Servant Sister Scholarship is on the VAUMC website. Please feel free to share the application information with women you know who would benefit from scholarship support. The link for the application process is found here. The next application deadline is July 1.
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VAUMC looks for Director of Intersectional Justice & Equity
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The Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church is hiring for a Director of Intersectional Justice and Equity. “As individuals and as an Annual Conference, we are called to be made perfect in love,” Rev. Amanda Miller Garber, Director of Missional and Community Engagement, said. “I believe this individual and this new position is a significant part of the journey toward becoming an Annual Conference that is more just, equitable, and more fully reflects the wonder of God’s love.” Learn more....
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Emmanuel Sinzohagera elected as bishop
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The dean of superintendents and speaker of the Senate in Burundi was elected a United Methodist bishop on the first ballot at the Africa Central Conference. Learn more...
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Moisés Bernado Jungo elected as bishop
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The Africa Central Conference elected the Rev. Moisés B. Jungo as a United Methodist bishop on the ninth ballot. Learn more...
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Gift Machinga elected as bishop
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The Africa Central Conference elected the Rev. Gift Machinga as a United Methodist bishop on the 12th ballot. Learn more...
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João Sambo elected as bishop
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The Rev. João Sambo, an elder in Mozambique, was elected a United Methodist bishop on the 14th ballot at the Africa Central Conference. Learn more...
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AC members should register AC absence with conference secretary
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This is a reminder that in accordance with ¶602.8 of The 2020/2024 Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, any clergy or lay member of the Annual Conference who will not be attending the Annual Conference on June 11-14, 2025, will need to report your absence to the Conference Secretary (not to the Bishop). This year we are using a google form to report these absences. This form can be found here.
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If you have questions, please send an email to Conference Secretary Claire Miller at [email protected].
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Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Grace and Peace,
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Rev. Claire B. Miller
Virginia Conference Secretary
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"Journey to Healing" Conference held at Belmont UMC
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The Racial Justice Network (RJN), a group of ecumenical people of all colors, races and ethnicities that desire to see liberty and justice be experienced by all people in the United States, held an in-person “Journey to Healing” Conference on March 1, 2025 at Belmont UMC (Richmond). Ninety-two people from 28 different churches (United Methodist, Baptist, and non-denominational) attended. The RJN has based much of its work so far on Jemar Tisby’s “How to Fight Racism” book where he argues that Awareness, Relationships and Commitment are essential elements of any racial justice effort. This conference focused specifically on Relationships as attendees had intentional small group discussions using questions developed by Matthew Freeman of Dialectix Consulting. Jill Gaynor (Reveille UMC) and Bishop Larry Branch (Love Center Unity) presented on the partnership between their churches that has been ongoing for over 11 years. Rev. Bayo Ogungbade (Reveille UMC) shared about how to attract young people to church. The opening speaker was Rev. Roscoe Jones (St. Paul’s Baptist Church). Rev. Jones emphasized why building strong cross-racial relationships is so important for Christians. Worship was led by Mark Blankenship (Belmont UMC music director), and Kay Nicholas (Belmont UMC). The RJN meets by Zoom on the first Thursday of each month as they support each other in ongoing efforts to combat racism in our churches, communities and the country. For more information and/or to receive regular RJN communications, email [email protected].
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Multiple faith organization hold rally in month of March on Capitol Hill
Faithful Witness Wednesdays rallies are being held on Capitol Hill every Wednesday in the month of March from noon to 12:45 p.m. ET.
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The General Board of Church and Society joins Sojourners and other faith-based organizations of the Washington D.C. Interfaith Staff Community to support multiple rallies on the Capitol Hill grounds that call on Congress to prevent executive overreach.
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VAUMC members were present for the rally this past Wednesday. Learn more...
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Resources
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Find Easter resources from UMCOM
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The Easter Season is the most joyous and celebrative season of the Christian year. We celebrate the good news that in Christ’s death and resurrection we, and all creation, are continually being made new by God’s love and saving grace. Here you will find more information on this joyous season as well as some creative ideas for encouraging your members to deepen their own spiritual journeys and for reaching out to your community to share this season's message of love, hope and transformation. Learn more...
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Haymarket UMC, other UMCs partner for Spotify Lenten resource
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Haymarket UMC, Northern Virginia District, partnered with other churches across the connection for Lenten devotional and the theme of "Out of the Dust". You can follow along through Spotify and sign up for text notifications.
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Join Lent Photo-a-Day
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Do you generally give something up during Lent? Would you consider adding in a practice?
Lent, the season of the Christian Year that is typically observed as a time of simple living, prayer and fasting leading up to Easter, begins on tomorrow on Ash Wednesday (March 5, 2025).
Will you join this photo-a-day challenge and share with the community how you perceive each word of the day? No explanation needed. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.
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In years past, The UMC has posted the day's word each day on social media. As you're posting each day, you may want to mention that your participating in this daily challenge and invite others to join in! Tag us teh UMC your Instagram, Facebook or TikTok with #LentPhotoADay
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Other VAUMC Communications Channels
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Public Notice Board
Clergy and laity can crowdsource for ideas and resources within the connection through the Public Notice Board. Find the newest notices and share your question or find past queries at the conference website.
Also find free items for giveaway at the conference website.
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Please send in questions you have that you would like to find answers to: [email protected].
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