Church and Society launches ‘All of Us’ Campaign
“I came to the United States when I was 8 years old and my first two years were full of fear… My dream is to be able to see my kids grow up without the fear and anxiety that I did being here in the United States. We should not hesitate to do what is morally right and...
Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church Response to Updated Governor’s Order
PRG is asking all 1,175 churches to discern and make their own decisions as it relates to the relaxed face masking rule and the other relaxed rules that we expect to be in place on May 28, 2021.
Considerations for Mask Exemption during Indoor Preaching
Churches are asked to start the conversation to evaluate the circumstances in their local setting and to decide if unmasked indoor preaching is appropriate for their congregation.
Ted Talks on Racial Justice and Reconciliation
The following list of Ted Talks was compiled by Andrew Kissell. They explore everything from implicit bias, to cancel culture, to a humorous look at deconstructing racism.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9igxRHbV_Hg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5GCetbP7Fg...
Cabinet Response to May 13 CDC Guidelines
The Bishop and Cabinet along with the new Post-COVID ReEntry Group (PRG) will be reviewing our policies to see how the new guidelines might be incorporated in our approach.
Grants Available for Local Church Racial/Ethnic Ministries
NASHVILLE, Tenn. May 13, 2021/Discipleship Ministries/ – Grants up to $10,000 will be available this fall from Discipleship Ministries to strengthen leadership training, small groups, worship, stewardship and spiritual formation in ethnic local United Methodist...
Support Peace With Justice Sunday on May 30
Be A Peacemaker Blessed are the peacemakers. Whether between nations, races, faiths, or individuals, violence and its effects take a tragic toll in our world. As Christians, our faith calls us to bring peace to the world, love our neighbors, welcome the stranger,...
Personnel Committee for Center for Clergy Excellence shares staffing update
Kristen Dowdy Seibert On behalf of the Virginia Conference, the Personnel Committee of the Center for Clergy Excellence (CCE) would like to communicate our gratitude to Kristen Dowdy Seibert for over a decade-long tenure of excellent work. Kristen will be leaving the...
Upcoming Transition/Indoor Singing Guidelines
During the month of June, churches will be invited to celebrate the work of the HCTs and bring them to a close while transitioning to local church Post-COVID Re-entry Groups.
Sexual abuse in UM Scout troops is nearly non-existent––LET’S KEEP IT THAT WAY
By Steven Scheid Secular headlines about sexual abuse in Boy Scout troops and the bankruptcy filing by Boy Scout of America lead many people to believe that there is an alarming rate of sexual abuse within Scout troops, including troops chartered by the United...
PRG Relaunch Webinars
In preparation for this transition, the new conference PRG team will host a series of four webinars. Visit this page to view the webinars.
Updates to in-person worship in the Virginia Conference
View an update from Bishop Lewis and the April 26 Post-Pandemic Ministry Webinar
Save the Date: District Alignment Listening Sessions
Bishop Lewis formed a work team in May 2020, after being asked by the conference Council on Finance and Administration (CFA) to evaluate the Virginia Conference’s district structure, to consider this important question: “How can districts most effectively order...
Asylum Seeker Achieves Respite from ICE Deportation
Maria Chavalan Sut and HandsOffMaria Supporters Offer Thanks and Celebrate By Rosie Snow, Director of Discipleship, Wesley Memorial UMC(Charlottesville, VA) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued a one-year Stay of Removal for Maria Chavalan Sut, an...
Voices of Youth will travel to Africa in 2022
View as pdf Dear Churches of The Virginia Conference, We are delighted to announce Voices of Youth 2022. Voices of Youth (VOY) is a mission and ministry program of the Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church that gathers youth from across the conference to...
Invitation to Progress Report Webinar
View as pdf April 21, 2021 Dear Virginia Conference, On March 13, 2020, a letter was sent to all churches, to cancel worship services and postpone large gatherings. May 1, 2021, will mark a full year and 49 days of the churches in the Virginia Conference doing their...
Renewal/Sabbath Leave for our Lay Workers
View as pdf April 21, 2021 Dear Virginia Annual Conference — I, together with the Virginia Conference Cabinet, want to reiterate our encouragement to clergy for your work in your ministry setting during this season of COVID. We would be remiss if we did not also...
Blue Cross Blue Shield class action settlement
The Virginia United Methodist Pensions, Inc. (VUMPI) office was recently made aware of a class action lawsuit against the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and certain Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. A settlement has been reached, and the Association and the...
AC2021 Worship leader seeks Virginia musicians virtually, in person
Invitation to virtual choir singing "And Are We Yet Alive" You are invited to participate in a virtual singing of "And Are We Yet Alive" for the 2021 Virginia Annual Conference, June 18-19. Music Director Gerald Ricks has shared the following instructions to...
Diversity Kitchen
Diversity Kitchen is a video series created in the hope that by brings people of different cultures together over the love of food and Jesus that further conversation and relationship-building can begin in our denomination and world.
What is ministry going to look like as we move out of the pandemic?
Join a live webinar event hosted by the Back to In-person Worship Work Group (led by the Rev. Alex Joyner) and Mission and Ministries Work Group (led by the Rev. Doug Forrester) on Monday, April 26, 2021 at 7 p.m. to learn more. Bishop Lewis and members of the work...
District Alignment April 2021 Update
Bishop Sharma Lewis and the District Alignment Team (DAT) shared an update about the ongoing work of district alignment in the Virginia Conference on Feb. 8, 2021. In 2020, this team, formed by Bishop Lewis, worked to answer the question, “How can districts most...
Youth Protection and Barriers to Abuse FAQs
Additional FAQ’s: General Health and Safety, Annual Health and Medical Record, Shooting Sports program, Family Scouting Information Adult Supervision Q: The Barriers to Abuse say that there must be two registered adults present for all...
From Bishop Lewis: Reignite the Call for Clergy in the Virginia Conference
View as pdf Dear Virginia Annual Conference: “The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no...
From Bishop Lewis: An update on singing during COVID-19
View as pdf March 25, 2021 Dear Virginia Annual Conference: You may be asking: When we will sing again? The Bishop’s Work Group on Return to In-Person Worship has been steadily and frequently reviewing the latest studies and guidance around singing and wind...
Conference Applauds the Abolition of the Death Penalty in Virginia
A letter from the Virginia Conference Board of Church and Society Governor Ralph Northam signed legislation abolishing the death penalty in the Commonwealth on March 24, 2021, making Virginia the first state in the south to do so. The Virginia Conference of the United...
Abolishing the Death Penalty
Group working toward abolishing the death penalty The Peace and Nonviolence subgroup of the Virginia Conference Board of Church and Society is providing information about Abolishing the Death Penalty. It will be a major focus of the upcoming General Assembly. The...
Bishops Reconsider May 8 Special Session of General Conference
For Immediate Release Monday, March 22, 2021 WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church met on Monday, March 22, 2021 in an additional meeting to consider pressing matters related to the Council’s work. After much conversation, the...
COVID vaccinations for clergy and church staff
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) released a guideline defining ‘Clergy/ Faith Leaders’ as Frontline Essential Workers on Feb. 23, 2021. With the new guideline, clergy are available to schedule a...
Message from Martha – March 2021
As we anticipate longer days and the coming of spring, I encourage you to spend time in reflection of all that has happened in what seems to have been two very short months at the start of 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic continues, but there is renewed hope for a...