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Red Bird Missionary Conference Report
May 12-13, 2006, Beverly, Ky.
Bishop James R. King Jr. presided over the Red Bird Missionary Conference session, held at Beverly (Ky.) United Methodist Church. Under the theme “Blessed to be a Blessing,” the conference heard stories of the ways in which the ministries of the churches, outreach centers and mission institutions experienced the receiving and giving of God’s blessings.
Conference members also celebrated the denomination’s 50th anniversary of full clergy rights of women by engaging women in leadership throughout the session, including preaching by Carol Crawford, a probationary elder, and Ruth A. Wiertzema, a diaconal minister.
And Red Bird members remembered the life of Eldon H. Huston, the local pastor of Annville United Methodist Church and a disaster relief work team member who died unexpectedly en route to the Gulf Coast in January.
During the annual session, conference members:
- Received motivation through Bible study and preaching by Bishop King.
- Celebrated a mission offering of $13,083.06 for Camp Wesley in Latvia.
- Received official greetings from Carol Thompson, a liaison from the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, and George Coker, a Black College Fund summer intern.
- Accepted a special recognition from F. Lloyd Rollins, Africa University’s Director of Development, for the conference’s $17,000 scholarship gift for a Ugandan student to attend Africa University, and for naming the scholarship in memory of Robert E. Wood.
- Accepted a certificate of recognition for 100 percent payment of apportionments from the churchwide Council on Finance and Administration.
- Presented the Harry Denman Awards for Evangelism to the Rev. Reed Brock and Barbara Brock.
- Presented certificates to 46 percent of the conference’s chartered churches and outreach centers for “five-star mission giving” and for giving 58 percent to all six special Sundays with offerings.
- Approved a resolution on encouraging adoption.
- Adopted the 2007 budget with no increase in World Service and Programs.
Membership stands at 1,421, up 21 over the previous year. Worship attendance stands at 743, down 32. Church school attendance stands at 428, down 159.
-- Ruth A. Wiertzema
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