Archives and History AGENCIES of the ANNUAL CONFERENCE
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West Virginia Annual Conference Journal 2019 Section VII -- Reports AGENCIES OF THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE (Listed alphabetically by area of accountability) Archives and History This past year has been eventful for the Commission on Archives and History. Starting on a low point, the commission met on the Thursday of Annual Conference in 2018 and approved a resolution for the delisting of Pitcher United Methodist Church as a United Methodist historic site because current usage of the former church no longer represents a connection to the history of Methodism in Marion County. This action was not taken lightly but was necessitated by unusual circumstances. The resolution was approved by Annual Conference and the site’s delisting has been noted on the General Commission on Archives and History’s Web site. On a happy Annual Conference note, at the Board of Pensions Retirees luncheon, the chair had the honor of presenting Lawrence F. Sherwood with the Ministry of Memory Award given by the Historical Society of The United Methodist Church. Sherwood is the longest serving member of the West Virginia Annual Conference. A longtime member of the West Virginia United Methodist Historical Society, he was a society trustee in the early 1950s when Rehoboth was designated a Methodist shrine. In 2018, the commission authorized a digitization project at the Methodist Archives, housed at West Virginia Wesleyan College, that will continue for several years and will benefi t scholars and researchers. In the fi rst phase, the Methodist Episcopal journals of the Western Virginia/West Virginia Annual Conference from 1848 to 1939 were digitized. At present, two people are working with the digital fi les to prepare them for upload to Pages in Time (the Wesleyan digital archives), a process that may be completed by Annual Conference. Due to renovations to the Annie Merner Pfeiff er Library at West Virginia Wesleyan, the Methodist Archives was relocated to another building in December 2018. As a result, the collections will be unavailable to researchers until mid-September 2019. We have been assured that Wesleyan is committed to the preservation and stewardship of the collections and look forward to their return to the library building in the Fall. Questions about the Methodist Archives and proposed donations should be addressed to Brett Miller, Director of Library Services and Archivist, Annie Merner Pfeiff er Library, 59 College Avenue, Buckhannon, WV 26201. Early in the summer of 2018, the commission’s Western District representative learned that the former Ebenezer United Methodist Church building in Huntington, which had closed and been sold, still contained fi les and other items belonging to the church. Several boxes of church records were retrieved and are now safely housed at the Methodist Archives. In the aftermath of this near loss, the commission redoubled its eff orts to communicate the mandate that the records of closed churches be sent to the Methodist Archives. The chair spoke about closed church records at a cabinet meeting in December and provided district superintendents with information on records that should be forwarded to the Archives. 242 West Virginia Annual Conference Journal 2019 Section VII -- Reports At the conference’s heritage landmark Rehoboth, several vacancies in the Rehoboth board were fi lled and a new chair elected after a vacancy of nearly two years. New signage at the entrance has replaced the old, worn sign that previously stood along the road. A lovely T-shirt was created as a fundraiser for the amphitheater project, and plans are in the works for painting the exterior of the museum. The commission recognized three church anniversaries in 2018 with the presentation of certifi cates to Avery UMC in Morgantown and Monumental UMC in Grant Town for 175 years of ministry and to Pisgah UMC in Palestine for 200 years of ministry. On January 26 and 27, 2019, the Commission on Archives and History presented its fi rst church historian training sessions in the Potomac Highlands and Southern districts. Led by two commission members, each session looked at permanent church records, appropriate archival practices, and capturing and celebrating church history. The commission hopes to build on the success of these sessions by scheduling dates in other districts. Mary Edith Johnson, Chairperson Commission on Archives and History Angela Jones plays the fl ute during Annual Conference worship. 243 West Virginia Annual Conference Journal 2019 Section VII -- Reports Rev. Dr. Ken Krimmel Assistant to the Bishop As the Assistant to the Bishop for Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball, I count it a privilege to serve our Annual Conference in this capacity. As I assist our Bishop, my work is primarily in four areas: correspondence; research; ethnic ministries; and ecumenical relations. It is my joy to walk alongside Rev. Dr. Felica Wooten Williams, chairperson of our Conference Commission on Religion and Race; Dr. Elle High, chairperson of our Committee on Native American Ministries; Angela Jones, Ethnic Local Church Concerns Coordinator; and Rev. Jonathan Moon, Chairperson of Christian Unity and Inter-religious Concerns. On September 10-12, 2018, United Methodists were well represented at the Annual LARCUM (Lutheran, Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Methodist) Conference, held at Saint John XXIII Pastoral Center in Charleston. The theme of the Conference was “Vows that Matter: Baptism, Confi rmation, and Ordination.” Dr. Heather Murray Elkins of Drew University Theological School and an Elder in our Annual Conference was our Theologian, representing the United Methodist perspective. As a member of the planning committee, I am actively involved in the preparation for our 2019 Conference, which will again be held at Saint John XXIII Pastoral Center in Charleston. The theme for the 2019 Conference is “Christianity and Civil Government: History, Theology, and Implications.” The dates for the Conference are September 9-11, 2019. Please mark your calendar now, and plan to attend the event as part of your continuing formation and ecumenical involvement. It was a rewarding experience to have participated in the West Virginia Council of Churches Annual Retreat, held at the Bishop Hodges Retreat Center in Huttonsville, WV, September 23-24, 2018. This was a meaningful time of fellowship and conversation together with representatives of the ecumenical community who participate in the Council of Churches. I am faithful also in my attendance at the regular Board of Directors meetings of the Council of Churches, of which, our very own Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball is now serving as the chairperson. CORR (Commission of Religion and Race) met in the Fall of 2018 at Bluewell United Methodist Church, and held a Conference Call in January 2019. CORR continues to explore ways to lift up Inter-cultural competency in the Conference. Rev. Dr. Felica Wooten Williams conducted three workshops on Implicit Bias this year, and CORR is in the process of developing Inter-cultural competency training for the youth leaders of the Annual Conference. The committee is also interested in walking alongside any churches in the Annual Conference that wish to be involved in cross-racial and cross-cultural ministries in their local church. CONAM (Committee on Native American Ministries) is planning a Native American Awareness Day on the afternoon of June 1, 2019, at Old Rehoboth, and a Native American Awareness Sunday Celebration at Oak Hill United Methodist Church on June 2, 2019 at 11:00 AM. All are invited to attend and learn more about our Native American heritage in West Virginia. Our Conference ELCC (Ethnic Local Church Concerns Committee) has assisted local churches during the year with grants, and also helped sponsor and participate in the 244 West Virginia Annual Conference Journal 2019 Section VII -- Reports “Unite to End Racism” event in Washington, D.C. in April of 2018. As participants, we joined in the “Walk” in the morning, Rally in the afternoon, and were hosted by a downtown local church for dinner. Grants in very limited amounts are available for ethnic local churches in the Annual Conference for capital improvements through the ELCC budget. A Bishop’s Summit on Diversity and Inclusion is being planned for the winter/spring of 2020. As the Bishop fi rms up the leadership and plans for the Summit, information will be made available. The Summit, as well as the work of Conference teams, boards, agencies and leadership will continue to address the relevant aspects of the items identifi ed in the NEJ Call to Action. We continue conversations and action around addressing and working toward the elimination of racism, fi nding better ways to support and prepare leadership for cross-racial and cross-cultural ministries, and educating persons around how to work with the theological diversity that exists in our conference in healthy ways. It was a privilege for me to sit down with the head of our General Conference Delegation, Judith Kenaston, for a conversation about the Special 2019 General Conference, and to have our conversation recorded on video by Deborah Coble, Conference Communications Director. It was also a privilege to have been able to accompany our delegation in Saint Louis and to spend time each morning lifting them in prayer. Although many people left Saint Louis feeling hurt and concerned about the division within our United Methodist Church, our delegation worked well together as a team, and continue to so in the days, weeks, and months following the Special 2019 General Conference. Finally, I wish to thank Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball for giving me the opportunity to serve our Annual Conference as her Assistant to the Bishop. Also, being part of the network of Assistants to Bishops is a joy and privilege for me. Our Annual Meeting this year was held at Candler School of Theology, in Atlanta, GA, October 25-28, 2018, and it was a blessing to participate in the work of that group.