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New England Annual Conference
June 7-10, Wenham, Mass.
The New England Annual Conference, using the theme “Holy Conferencing: Seeking Wholeness!” was held at Gordon College, in Wenham, Mass. with Bishop Peter Weaver, resident bishop presiding. A highlight of the conference was the Celebration of the 50th anniversary for women’s full ordination rights that told the stories of the pioneers and saints who paved the way for full ordination of women.
The New England Conference was often in the forefront of the ordination issue and now has the largest percentage of women elders among conferences across the United States.
Other highlights moving and memorable music including a concert by the Africa University Choir and a musical by youth from Camp Mechuwana entitled “Sardines and Biscuits.” Throughout the conference, the body was treated to challenging and prophetic preaching by Bishop Felton May, Bishop Clifton Ives, Bishop Peter Weaver, and the Ziegler Preaching Award winner, the Rev. Martin McLee.
The conference passed a number of resolutions reorganizing conference life, including:
- The Bishop’s Financial Summit Recommendations -- a group of recommendations referred to the Council on Finance and Administration regarding the implementation of a proposal to determine mission shares based on 10 percent of a church’s gross income rather than the current spending basis. The resolution also created task forces to review local church and conference held properties, financial assets of closed/abandoned/discontinued churches, retiree benefits, the development of a network of stewardship consultants, and a Mission Share Interpretation and Communication team. Also included was a restructuring of the conference budget and the encouragement for local churches to establish Automatic Clearing Houses for direct bill items such as property and health insurance, and the Clergy Retirement Security Program/Clergy Protection Plan.
- A Conference Transformation Team Proposal--to reorganize the structure and staffing for the annual conference by establishing a conference visioning table that brings together the various ministries of mission, administration, and leadership in the conference and the ministries in the districts to resource the ministry of the local church. The proposal also creates district ministry teams to develop, coordinate, and evaluate a multi-year strategic plan for the ministry of the district.
A number of social issues were addressed by passed resolutions including:
- Immigration ? The conference voted to commit to study and prayer on local and global issues of migration, to oppose any further militarization of the Mexico-U.S. border, and to support comprehensive immigration reform.
- HIV/Aids ? This resolution voted to encourage churches to observe Global Aids Awareness Sunday, to contribute to the quadrennium Advanced Special, and to authorize a volunteer Conference Global Aids Committee for the New England Conference.
- Decision 1032 ? This resolution states that the New England Annual Conference is convinced that the Judicial Decision 1032 violates the spirit, polity, and doctrine of the United Methodist Church and calls upon our bishop to clarify the authority and accountability of pastors with respect to receiving of practicing lesbian, gay, transgender, and bi-sexual persons as members of local churches, and implores local churches in the conference not to exclude, reject, or condemn lesbian, gay, transgender, and bi-sexual persons, but to manifest and fulfill the quadrennial theme “OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, OPEN DOORS” by making neither gender identity nor the practice of human sexuality an obstacle to church membership.
- American Participation in the War in Iraq ? This resolution calls on all churches in the conference to actively participate in peace-making through prayer, study, and participation in local forums and peace actions. It further encourages church members to be in regular contact with representatives and senators calling for the orderly withdrawal of troops and personnel from Iraq.
- Affordable Housing ? This proposal received support to develop and adopt strategies and policies to advance and support the construction and financing of affordable housing for first-time home buyers within the boundaries of the annual conference.
Conference members also endorsed a set of petitions to be directed to the 2008 General Conference. These petitions propose legislative reforms that will rid the Discipline of the United Methodist Church of its current bias against gay and lesbian persons and safeguard the rights of all people to become members of the United Methodist Church.
Membership stands at 95,777, down 3,059 from the previous year. Worship attendance stands at 33,526, down 1,055. Church school attendance stands at 9,486, down 2,070.
--Joy Mueller
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