Two called special Annual Conference sessions were held on Oct. 29, 2022.
The first session passed three resolutions that closed three local churches under Paragraph 2549 of the 2016 Book of Discipline. The three churches that closed are
- New Hope UMC, Rocky Mount, VA, Mountain View District
- Lafayette UMC, Lafayette, VA, Valley Ridge District
- Starr Bolar UMC, Warm Springs, VA, Valley Ridge District
The following 10 churches disaffiliated under Paragraph 2553 in the second session.
- Center Point, Bedford, VA, Mountain View District ($22,543.00 disaffiliation amount)
- Harmony, Dry Fork, VA, Mountain View District ($66,602 disaffiliation amount)
- Mountain View, Forest, VA, Mountain View District ($344,694 disaffiliation amount)
- Payneton, Mountain View District ($38,539 disaffiliation amount)
- Swansonville, Dry Fork, Mountain View District ($67,200 disaffiliation amount)
- Hobsons Chapel, Powhatan, VA, Living Waters District ($22,618.00 disaffiliation amount)
- Payne Memorial, Cumberland, VA, Living Waters District ($37,976.00 disaffiliation amount)
- Painter-Garrison’s, Painter, VA, Coastal Virginia District ($45,763.00 disaffiliation amount)
- Crums, Berryville, VA, Shenandoah River District ($158,646.00 disaffiliation amount)
- Harriston UMC, Grottoes, VA, Shenandoah River District ($24,381.00 disaffiliation amount)
The Minutes of the conference sessions will be shared when they are available from the conference Minutes Committee. They will be posted on the conference website at https://vaumc.org/ac2022oct/ and also shared on ClergyNet and LaityNet.
A livestream recording of the conference may be viewed HERE.
Mrs. Martha Stokes, conference lay leader, opened both sessions with prayer. The Rev. Crystal Sygeel led a closing litany she wrote for the conference. Mrs. Madeline Pillow White, accompanied by the Rev. Jessie Colwell, sang the closing song, Hymn of Promise.