CCONFERENCEONFERENCE WORKBOOKWORKBOOK Sandra Steiner Ball Judith M. Kenaston Resident Bishop Conference Secretary 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 RESIDENT BISHOP KEN KRIMMEL ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP June 18, 2020 Dear Members of the West Virginia Conference, In the name of Jesus Christ, I invite you and issue the call to gather for a special session of the Annual Conference on August 1 to be held in a variety of physical locations connected virtually to deal with a very limited agenda. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we were unable to hold our regular June Annual Conference session. We are still in a time of pandemic, still social distancing, still wearing personal protective gear, including masks, and still have the need to protect vulnerable members of our community and our neighbors near and far. We recognize many of our Conference members do not feel safe enough to gather together face to face; therefore, I call this special session to receive and take action on only those items that appear in the limited agenda in this workbook. All other business, including resolutions, will be postponed to the 2021 Annual Conference session—a time when we hope to gather in one place to hear one another’s voices, see one another’s faces, and accomplish the fullness of the ministry of the Annual Conference. The items in the limited agenda include several actions that must be taken annually. All agenda items attempt to maintain and honor decisions made and voted on by the entire body of the Conference in 2019. There will be some ability for addressing questions, but very limited ability to make amendments or have discussion across all the gathering sites. We are only doing the work that is necessary for the Conference to function between August 1, 2020 and the 2021 Annual Conference session. The limited agenda will be dealt with over several hours in the afternoon of August 1. The theme of our special session is: Generative! God calls us to be a people who are generative, people who multiply the mission and ministry of Christ so that individuals, communities, and the world might be transformed. We have discovered, and are still discovering, how to be generative in a whole new world. New ways and varieties of worship are generating new people who are hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We are experiencing generative ways of participating and inviting people into study, service, and prayer! Yes, this pandemic is hard, but it has moved us into generative ministries and mission in ways we have never done before! We continue to aspire to be a Christ-led spiritual breath of fresh air that changes the world! Everywhere we multiply the light of Christ and generate new disciples and new ministries, we are part of birthing the hope, peace, joy, and life that only Christ can bring. There are opportunities here! There is growing, generative, fruit-bearing ministry and a plentiful harvest of glory sightings from our smallest to our largest congregations! A new wind of God’s Spirit is blowing even amid our trials, challenges, and struggles with COVID-19, and as we more boldly confront and work to dismantle racism. We’ve never done a conference this way before! We will be connected virtually from all over the conference. Those gathering in assigned sites will be physically distancing, masks required. Please, if you feel sick or uncomfortable gathering together face to face, join us on live stream! We will miss you, but we will revisit much of our business at our 2021 Conference session. May we be open to the presence of God’s Spirit who seeks and prays for us to develop and generate ways of living with God and one another that bring us closer to the image of Christ both individually and communally. Grace and Peace, Sandra L. Steiner Ball Resident Bishop, West Virginia Conference TABLE OF CONTENTS Bishop’s Greeting .................................................................................................................1 Contents .................................................................................................................3 - 4 General Information ........................................................................................................5-15 Action Items for the 2020 West Virginia Annual Conference Annual Conference Program Agenda ................................................................................ 16 Organizational Motion .......................................................................................................17 Motion to Affi rm Ministry Reports, Approve Nominations & Property Report ................18 Cabinet Property Report .............................................................................................19 - 23 Nominations Team Report ..........................................................................................24 - 37 Additional Nominations coming from other entities ......................................................... 38 Covenant Council Recommendations .........................................................................39 - 41 Pensions .............................................................................................................42 - 46 Equitable Compensation .............................................................................................47 - 49 Trustees. ..................................................................................................................... 50 - 55 Finance and Administration ......................................................................................... .....56 Recommendations ...........................................................................................56 - 58 Resolution: Parsonage Allowance for Clergy in Extension Ministries .......57 Fiscal Policies ................................................................................................. 58 - 61 Investment Policy ............................................................................................62 - 64 Treasurer’s Statements ....................................................................................65 - 68 Opportunities For Ministry (Budget) .............................................................69 - 79 Rules of the Annual Conference Organizations, Rules and Procedures...........................................................................80 - 95 Agencies and Staff of the West Virginia Annual Conference (Reports without Action Items) Reports Introduction ...........................................................................................................96 Archives and History ..........................................................................................................97 Assistant to the Bishop........................................................................................................98 Cabinet Report ....................................................................................................................99 Conference Long-term Recovery ......................................................................................100 Clergy Support ..................................................................................................................103 Confl ict Transformation ....................................................................................................104 Connectional Ministries Staff Reports .....................................................................105 - 109 Episcopacy ...................................................................................................................110 Global Ministries ..............................................................................................................111 Conference Secretary of Global Ministries ...........................................................111 Church and Community Workers Advisory Committee Chair .............................112 Anna Troy .................................................................................................112 Disabilities Ministries .........................................................................................113 . Volunteers in Mission ......................................................................................... 114 Disaster Response ...............................................................................................115 . Refugee and Immigration Ministries .............................................................................. 115 Celebration of Mission Events .............................................................................116 Missions Coordinator ...........................................................................................119 Health & Welfare: Burlington ............................................................................121 Mission Projects ..............................................................................122 - 127 Ebenezer Community Outreach Center ...................................................122 Heart and Hand House .............................................................................122 Heart+Hand ..............................................................................................123 House of the Carpenter ............................................................................124 Scott’s Run Settlement House