THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WEST VIRGINIA AREA 900 WASHINGTON STREET, EAST CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA 25301 PHONE (304) 344-8330 FAX (304) 344-8330 LISA M. SHAFER ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY SANDRA L. STEINER BALL J. F. LACARIA BISHOP ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP February 24, 2016 Dear Members and Friends of the West Virginia Conference, “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; and the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12 Deploy! That is the theme of the 2016 Annual Conference. When I arrived in 2012, we talked about new beginnings. At that time, we committed ourselves to take a serious look together to discern how we could discover, develop, and deploy passionate spiritual clergy and lay leadership for the purpose of leading us into being a spiritual breath of fresh air bringing transformation to God’s people, the church, and the world. For this annual conference, “deploy” means much more than being sent out or assigned to do something. Picture “deploy” as bursting forth, like a milk weed pod bursts open to send seeds out. To “deploy” is to recognize and to take action – bursting forth – responding to our call to make Christ known in such a way that others will be “birthed” into discipleship. It is with this theme and mission in mind, that I issue the call to join me for our Annual Conference gathering on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College on June 9 - 12. As I visit churches and districts, I continue to discover a thirst among people to be co-creators with God, to burst forth to make Christ known, and to walk with people into discipleship. There are great gifts here! There are opportunities here! With this deployment, this bursting forth of energy, focus, and commitment, we are on our way to reaching 2400+ people with the good news of Jesus Christ in ways that bring 2400+ to professions of faith. What glory sightings there are and will be with this effort. A fresh new wind of God’s Spirit is in fact blowing here. As we continue our work to effectively discover, develop, and deploy disciples who make disciples, I pray that you will come to Conference expectantly ready and prepared to hear and experience the Christ who is present and our God who still speaks in this world today. Be prepared to do some things differently. The conference agenda will provide two opportunities for small group holy conversation. These groups will be called Circles of Grace. The Circles of Grace will be opportunities to talk and listen to people who may hold views or opinions different than our own. Our 2016 General Conference may make some decisions that will need opportunities for conversation (rather than debate). We will break out into Circles of Grace with facilitators (there will be training for them) to discuss our lives together. The particular points for dialogue will be determined with our delegation as we move through the General Conference process and decisions. In order to prepare to hear and experience Christ at the annual conference this year, I would like to call you to join me in both prayer and fasting. A calendar for Forty Days of prayer and Fasting is included in the workbook. Prayer is the vehicle God gives us as the very foundational gift to deploy disciples and transform the world. As you prepare, please pray for me, that I preside prayerfully, faithfully, and wisely. Pray for each other, meditate on God’s word, read all the pre-conference materials, and be open to a fresh movement of God’s Spirit among us! Grace and Peace, Sandra L. Steiner Ball Resident Bishop, West Virginia Conference The United Methodist Church West Virginia Annual Conference JudithM.Kenaston POBox2313 ConferenceSecretary Charleston,WV25328 1Ͳ800Ͳ788Ͳ3746,ext.23 EͲMail:[email protected] Dear Conference Family, We as United Methodists like to conference. John Wesley gave us this gift and we continue to experience conferencing on many levels. We have Charge Conferences, District Conferences, Annual Conferences, Jurisdictional Conferences and General Conference. We get lots of practice, so we should be good at conferencing! Now we stand ready for another Annual Conference session. The West Virginia Conference is a busy place – so many activities in so many corners of our conference. Between now (March) and Annual Conference (June), we will hold Celebration of Mission Events, plant community gardens, hold district conferences, and spend 40 days in Prayer and Fasting. Some of us are learning of new appointments and new opportunities for ministry. Some of us will attend General Conference in May. Some are registering for the very first Rally on the Mountain – an exciting opportunity for youth, youth groups and everyone who loves them! All of these things will be celebrated at Annual Conference in June. Contained in the pages in your hand are reports of the ministries that the West Virginia Annual Conference provides and supports. What a wonderful time and place to be in ministry! God has set before us a people to love and encourage. Please read what is contained here so that you will be ready when we conference together. Even though we do it a lot, there are still ways we can be better at our conferencing. When we gather at Annual Conference, some things will look a little bit different. You will have the opportunity to be a part of a Circle of Grace – conversation groups that will enable us to know and understand each other a bit better. We will have discussions about things that have happened at General Conference. Come, open to new ways to experience Christian Conferencing. I am grateful for the opportunity you have given me to be a delegate to General Conference again. This General Conference is special to me since, as chair of the Commission on the General Conference, I have been spent four years planning and preparing for it. Now, it’s almost here (or maybe already here, depending on when you are reading this!) I invite you to keep all of the delegates and all those who come to Portland, Oregon, in your prayers that we may have wisdom and strength to hear and respond to the Holy Spirit in our midst. All of our conferencing has one mission: To Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World. May we experience Christ in our conferencing so that we are prepared to make disciples. Let the conferencing begin! Blessings, TABLE OF CONTENTS Bishop’s Greeting ..............................................................................................................1 Letter from Conference Secretary .....................................................................................3 Annual Conference Program Agenda ...............................................................................6 General Information ....................................................................................................7-29 Organizations, Rules and Procedures..............................................................................30 Agencies and Staff of the West Virginia Annual Conference (some reports include recommendations) Archives and History ......................................................................................................46 Confl ict Transformation ..................................................................................................47 Congregational Development .........................................................................................47 Connectional Ministries Staff Reports ......................................................................49-55 Covenant Council Recommendations .......................................................................56-57 Episcopacy ......................................................................................................................58 Equitable Compensation ................................................................................................59 Evangelism .................................................................................................................61 Finance and Administration (See Finance Section below) Global Ministries ............................................................................................................62 Health and Welfare ..............................................................................................62 Burlington ...............................................................................................63 Conference Secretary of Global Ministries .........................................................65 Missions ..............................................................................................................65 Charleston District Outreach Ministries .................................................69 Ebenezer Community Outreach Center ..................................................70 Heart and Hand House ............................................................................70 House of the Carpenter ...........................................................................71 Scott’s Run Settlement House .................................................................73 Tyrand ....................................................................................................73 Upshur County Parish House ..................................................................74 Celebration of Mission Events ............................................................................77 Church and Community ......................................................................................78