Bishop Begins Series of Articles Prior to Annual Conference

Bishop Goodpaster plans to release three separate articles in the days before Annual Conference. Consider these as documents to read and reflect upon prior to arriving at Lake Junaluska. Except from the First Article- Transition Update (June 4) Annual Conference, 2015

Three years ago we embarked on a journey to refocus the energy and the resources of the Western North Carolina Conference. After months of conversation, the Annual Conference voted to move to eight districts. A Transition Team then worked for a year to bring back recommendations which we have been implementing over the last three years.

Two factors guided and influenced this transition. One factor is the conviction that the mission and vision must drive the organization and structure. Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of lives, communities, and the world. We believe that we will accomplish the mission only through vital, healthy, thriving local churches, and thus our vision is to increase the number of vital churches fully engaged in God’s mission in the world. Another factor was the need to reset the financial baseline of the conference by shifting our resources from propping up the bureaucracy to supporting ministry in local communities and around the globe. How are we doing? >>>READ MORE