Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church 2013 Pre-Conference Journal Dear Member of the Texas Annual Conference, Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome to the 2013 Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church! Our planning team, staff and elected leaders have been working hard to bring you, what I hope you’ll agree is, our best Annual Conference yet. During our 2012 Annual Conference, delegates voted to adopt the Strategic Assessment Team Report that included a commitment to three focus areas of ministry: cultivate growing, fruitful, missional congregations, form transforming lay and clergy leaders, and invest in the young. Our theme for this year’s conference is Invest in the Young but we will also have presentations on the other two focus areas. You’ll be hearing stories from local churches on how they have “lived into” these focus areas and creatively reached out into their communities to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Conference will be held this year from May 26 - 29, 2013 at Hilton Americas – Houston, 1600 Lamar St. Houston, Texas 77010. We are very fortunate to present Rev. Kenda Creasy Dean as our keynote speaker. In line with our theme, Invest in the Young, Rev. Dean has extensive experience in ministry to the young including authoring several books on the subject. I am sure you’ll be both enlightened and entertained by her presentations. We are also blessed to have Dr. Jim Bankston of St. Paul’s UMC, Houston preach our Service of Remembrance & Thanksgiving on Monday evening and Rev. Carolyn McCall of Salem UMC, Orange will lead the Service of Sending Forth. I am looking forward to our time together and to the opportunity to pray together, learn together and plan together to build God’s Kingdom. Grace and peace, Bishop Janice Riggle Huie 2 Preliminary Reports 2013 Texas Annual Conference To be held at: Hilton Americas-Houston May 26-29, 2013 Janice Riggle Huie, Bishop CLERGY REGISTRATION Sunday, May 26, 2:00 – 6:00 pm Monday, May 27, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm Hilton Americas-Houston – Second Floor LAY REGISTRATION Sunday, May 26, 2:00 – 6:00 pm Monday, May 27, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm Hilton Americas-Houston – Second Floor Meeting of the Laity Monday, May 27, 10:30 am Hilton Americas-Houston Grand Ballroom – Fourth Floor Meeting of the Clergy Monday, May 27, 10:30 am Hilton Americas-Houston Ballroom of the Americas – Second Floor Memorial Service Monday, May 27, 7:00 pm Hilton Americas-Houston Grand Ballroom – Fourth Floor 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Bishop’s Welcome .................................................................................................. 2 TAC 2013 Opening Events .................................................................................... 3 Table of Contents ................................................................................................ 4-6 Annual Conference Preliminary Announcements ............................................... 7-8 Directions & Map .................................................................................................... 9 Hilton Americas-Houston Floorplan ..................................................................... 10 Parking ................................................................................................................ 11 Restaurants ..................................................................................................... 12-14 Conference Rules & Structure ........................................................................ 15-27 Registration Information ....................................................................................... 28 Annual Conference Preliminary Agenda ......................................................... 29-30 Preliminary Schedule of Special Events ......................................................... 31-32 Display Fair ..................................................................................................... 33-34 Room Assignments .............................................................................................. 35 Preliminary Consent Calendar ........................................................................ 36-37 Resolutions ...................................................................................................... 38-41 Archives & History Resolutions ....................................................................... 38-39 Orange First UMC ................................................................................... 38 Genoa UMC ............................................................................................ 39 Lakeview Board of Directors Resolution .............................................................. 40 Covenant ................................................................................................. 40 2012 Delegation to Jurisdictional & General Conference Resolution .................. 41 Conference Rules & Structure ................................................................ 41 Reports to the Annual Conference ................................................................ 42-210 Assistant to the Bishop ............................................................................ 42 Communications ................................................................................ 42-44 Nominations Committee ....................................................................................... 44 Conference Lay Leader ...................................................................... 45-46 Core Leadership Team ...................................................................... 46-51 Centers of Excellence Reports...................................................................... 52-112 Center for Clergy Excellence Director ..................................................... 52 Clergy Accountability Ministries ......................................................... 52 Birkman Assessment .................................................................... 53-54 Sexual Ethics ..................................................................................... 54 Clergy Development & Spiritual Formation ................................... 54-55 Clergy Recruitment ....................................................................... 55-57 Board of Ordained Ministry ........................................................... 57-58 Extension Ministries ........................................................................... 58 Intentional Interim Ministry ................................................................. 59 Equitable Compensation ............................................................... 60-71 Group Health Benefits ................................................................... 72-87 Group Health Benefits Forecast .................................................... 85-87 Group Health Benefits Audit............................................................... 88 Endowment Fund ............................................................................... 88 Board of Pensions ....................................................................... 89-111 4 Pensions Audit ................................................................................. 112 Center for Congregational Excellence Director..................................... 116 Extravagant Generosity............................................................. 116-117 Passionate Worship ......................................................................... 117 Faith-Forming Worship ..................................................................... 118 Radical Hospitality ............................................................................ 118 Age-Level & Camping ............................................................... 118-119 Lay Leadership & Development ....................................................... 119 Board of Laity ................................................................................... 120 Small Membership Church ............................................................... 120 Conference Youth Ministries ............................................................ 121 Texas Youth Academy .............................................................. 121-122 Young Adult Ministry Council ........................................................... 122 United Methodist Women .......................................................... 122-123 Charis ........................................................................................ 123-124 Vibrant Congregations .............................................................. 124-126 Center for Connectional Resources Director ........................................ 127 Commission on Archives & History ........................................... 127-128 Board of Trustees ...................................................................... 128-132 Conference Statistician’s Report ............................................... 133-135 CF & A ....................................................................................... 135-144 Fiscal Audit 2012 ....................................................................... 145-163 Comparative Giving ................................................................... 164-167 Budget 2014 .............................................................................. 168-173 Safe Sanctuary ................................................................................