News

BOTH Current Grant recipients AND Potential Grant Recipients of the BOTH/AND Grants are invited to join us for the first Hybrid Worship Learning Lab. Participants will worship, learn, experiment, share, ask questions, and discover best practices around hybrid worship experiences. Learn more and register today.

Check out the Mission Engagement Blog page for a new blog post by Rev. Alexis Coleman titled "Transforming the World (or your little piece of it) Really Can Happen". 

Watch the Pre-Conference video reports now online, check out the full schedule for Connection Points next week, learn about the great work God is doing through the leadership, clergy, and laity in the Smoky Mountain District, and so much more! E-News is an email newsletter sent out by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. It contains important news, stories, and events from around our conference. Sign up at https://wnc-email.brtapp.com/subscribe to receive E-News in your inbox each week!

What if you could be a part of a peer group that was committed to helping you foster empowerment and change in your community? The Missional Collective is just that. Watch this video and visit the 2021 Missional Collective page to learn more.

Video reports from various WNCC committees, commissions, and task forces are available for viewing prior to the virtual Annual Conference session next week. Hear details regarding the proposed 2022 budget, pension & health benefits, clergy vacation and continuing education policies, and more. Full reports and petitions can be found in the AC2021 Program & Reports book, as well as the P&R Supplement at www.ac2021.org.

This year's Annual Conference offering, collected in honor of Bishop Paul and Janet Leeland, will support the ministries of UMAR and the Northern Haiti Mission Connection. Give generously to these valued ministries, out of the abundance which God has given generously to you.

Are you an innovator in our conference? Do you know someone who is? We want to hear from you!

Check out this interview with Dawn Lynch of West Church in Mooresville, NC about their Community Yoga Program.   

If you are a Disaster Response leader in your district, an ERT Leader, or involved in Disaster Response within your district office, please sign up for the two-part District Orientation.

In this episode, Director of Communications Melissa McGill catches up with the Smoky Mountain District as part of our ongoing series highlighting the incredible ministry of our districts. District Superintendent Rev. Linda Kelly, District Vitality Associate Rev. Nicole Jones and Communications Coordinator Rev. D’Andre Ash share about how the Spirit is moving in their district around racial justice, ministries during the pandemic and more.

The Restoration House serves as a physical location for services of healing through in-house services and partnerships with other not-for-profit organizations that offer medical services, financial counseling, and relational mediation in the Bryson City, NC area. To support, check out the upcoming fundraisers and volunteer opportunities!

This workshop is designed for clergy and laity together. It is essential for each pastor to identify a key lay person to attend it together with him/her as a partner in advancing the work of antiracism.

Clergy and lay leaders, a new state program has been established to provide financial assistance for broadband service and laptops to help households struggling to afford internet service during the pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more. Please share this resource with your communities.

E-News is an email newsletter sent out by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. It contains important news, stories, and events from around our conference. This week's issue announces the reopening of the WNC Conference Center, a replay of the NCDHHS Fireside Chat with Secretary Mandy Cohen and Bishop Leeland, Connection Points schedule, and more.

On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, Bishop Leeland joined NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen and NC Rural Center President Patrick Woodie for a panel discussion on COVID-19 vaccines in North Carolina. If you missed their conversation live, you can now watch the video on the WNCC website, Facebook page, or YouTube channel.

Grants up to $10,000 will be available this fall from Discipleship Ministries to strengthen leadership training, small groups, worship, stewardship, and spiritual formation in ethnic local United Methodist churches.

Rev. Lynda Ferguson of Asheboro, NC has been chosen to receive the 2021 John A. (Pete) Eberhart Ray of Light Award from Boundless Impact for her leadership in creating inclusive and welcoming congregations, and her legacy of breaking down boundaries in communities across NC where she has served as pastor. The Ray of Light award, which recognizes individuals who exemplify Boundless Impact’s vision of building thriving communities that are intentionally diverse, inclusive and equitable, will be presented to Rev. Ferguson at the inaugural ImagineHub Summit on June 3, hosted by Boundless Impact.

The College of Bishops of the Southeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church, in accordance with ¶521 of the 2016 Book of Discipline, calls for a special session of the jurisdictional conference on July 21, 2021. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. EST and will be held virtually. The purpose of the special session is to vote on a proposed resolution to unite the Memphis Annual Conference and the Tennessee Annual Conference into the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference. Delegates will also receive a report from the Southeastern Jurisdiction on the pandemic response in the jurisdiction, the work of anti-racism across the jurisdiction, and the work of the jurisdiction moving forward into the next 18 months.

Beginning June 1, the Western North Carolina Conference Center will again open for employees and the public with appropriately guarded requirements. A new post-infectious disease outbreak plan has been approved and will go into effect that same day. Read more for the full plan and safety guidelines.

Many people view a Creation Care Ministry as a type of special interest or “boutique” ministry, something that is popular now but really has no basis in the Bible. But the theology of creation care is firmly established throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament. For details, read on…

View the 2020 video reports from United Methodist Agencies including Global Ministries, Church & Society, General Commission on United Methodist Men, and United Methodist Communications.

The Extended Cabinet met virtually on Monday, May 17 to continue to align the work of the various ministry areas and districts around the mission of the Conference. Bishop Leeland opened the meeting by expressing gratitude for the work and friendship of the Cabinet during his tenure in Western North Carolina the last five years. With Bishop Leeland retiring and Bishop Ken Carter returning to Western North Carolina as Resident Bishop on September 1, the Extended Cabinet began preparing as we enter this time of transition for the conference.

E-News is an email newsletter sent out by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. It contains important news, stories, and events from around our conference. This week's newsletter includes updated COVID-19 guidelines, an announcement from the Council of Bishops on future episcopal leadership of the WNC Conference, Annual Conference updates, and more.

The 2021 Annual Conference Program and Reports Book is available online. Clergy and Lay Members of the 2021 annual conference are invited to read about the ministries of WNCCUMC, still active in spite of the pandemic!

On May 25 at 11:00 a.m., join Pastor Juanita for a 2-hour virtual retreat of self-care and reflection. As a certified spiritual director, she will guide participants through step-by-step meditation practices and help us dream about life beyond the pandemic.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat for rural communities on COVID-19 vaccines on May 25 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. NCDHHS Sec. NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D., will be joined by Patrick Woodie, president of the NC Rural Center, and Bishop Paul Leeland, resident bishop of the Western North Carolina Conference United Methodist Church. Kelly Calabria, president and CEO of the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation will moderate the event. The event will stream live from the NCDHHS, NC Rural Center, and WNCCUMC social media accounts, and through a telephone townhall feature.

Marcinia Johnson, sophomore at Bennett College and member of St. Mark's UMC, is a 2021 OZY Genius Award Winner for her “Anti-gentrification low-income homes for seniors” initiative. Marcinia is one of 10 recipients of the prestigious award. Previous award winners include National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman.

The Western North Carolina Conference United Methodist Women are featured in the May/June issue of Response magazine. The story highlights their virtual Mission U event based on the study "Finding Peace in an Anxious World," edited by Erin James-Brown. Read the full story.

The CDC and Governor Cooper have issued new guidance regarding masks, social distancing, and mass gathering limits for those who have been fully vaccinated. In response, the Bishop and Cabinet offer these updated recommendations.

In this time of stress and burnout, Dr. Melanie Dobson guides us through the Square Breathing Practice. It’s been proven to lower heart rate, de-stress and shift mental state …within just two minutes. We hope these meditations allow you to pause and take a breath as the world begins to reopen.

The Leadership Development page has new resources! Three times a year, the resources on the Leadership Development page will be updated. There are 4-5 resources highlighted in each of these areas: Faith & Theology, Innovation & Change, Relationships & Conflict, Leading in Community.  These resources are recommended for leaders needing growth or help in particular areas.  The topics align with the Fruitful Clergy Leadership characteristics.

If you have ever met Rev. Randy Blanton, you will quickly learn that he has a love of craft beer and theology. When he moved to Aldersgate UMC in Shelby in 2016 he decided to combine two of his loves and host a Bible study at Newgrass Brewery in downtown Shelby. His first fall doing this he thought there may be ten to fifteen people who came out. When he showed up for the first study there were almost fifty people there. They had planned to have it inside, but with this number they instead moved...

Join us each evening throughout the week leading up to Annual Conference, June 7-10, for WNCC Connection Points, live webinars connecting us to Christ, each other, and ministry in the world. The live streams will begin at 7 p.m. each evening. No advanced registration is necessary.

The Council of Bishops has announced that Bishop Ken Carter will serve as the resident bishop of Western North Carolina Conference (Charlotte Area), in addition to his role as resident bishop of Florida Conference (Florida Area) beginning on September 1, 2021 upon Bishop Leeland's retirement. We look forward to welcoming Bishop Carter home to Western NC and fruitful ministry together.  Bishop Carter shares this message: This weekend it was announced that I will begin to serve as bishop of two ...

E-News is an email newsletter sent out by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. It contains important news, stories, and events from around our conference.

Saint Matthews UMC, in the historic neighborhood of East Greensboro, has the distinction of being the oldest and largest African American church in the Western North Carolina Conference. Now, this church, which is over 150 years old, is doing something new. Their garden ministry is providing healthy nutritional options for their neighbors who live a food desert in Guilford County.

Bishop Paul L. Leeland has announced his intent to retire, effective September 1, 2021. We express gratitude for Bishop Leeland and his faithfulness in guiding Western North Carolina for the past five years – the four years of the quadrennium plus one additional year due to the postponement of General and Jurisdictional Conferences due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Conference has benefitted from Bishop Leeland’s emphases on collaboration, clergy leadership development, anti-racism efforts, and the planting of new churches. A celebration of Bishop Leeland’s ministry will be held during the virtual Annual Conference on June 12, 2021.

This peer learning cohort is designed for clergy and/or laity who are working to develop a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. There are unique aspects of beginning a non-profit as a ministry within a local church. The cohort will share challenges, lessons learned, and best practices.

In this week’s episode of the Means of Grace podcast, Luke catches up with Rev. David Hockett, Metro District Superintendent, and Rev. Dr. Stephanie Moore Hand, Metro District Vitality Associate, to talk about some exciting things that are happening in their area. They share about churches that are hosting community vaccination clinics, how churches are re-missioning their properties, and the multicultural/multiethnic cohort happening in their district.

Check out the Mission Engagement Blog page for a new blog by Camille Roddy, Chair, Congregations 4 Children.

E-News is an email newsletter sent out by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. It contains important news, stories, and events from around our conference. This week's issue includes the 2020 State of the Church report, updated COVID-19 guidelines, creation care resources, and more.

The United Methodist Church has continued to carry out its mission despite the unique challenges and uncertainties of 2020. That’s according to the new 2020 State of the Church Report produced by the Connectional Table and United Methodist Communications, themed “Blessed is the Church.” The report uses the framework of the Beatitudes to share a compilation of stories that provide an inspiring look at the ways the church responded in an unprecedented year – which included a global pandemic, renewed calls to end racism, a delayed General Conference and the possibility of a denominational split.

This edition of the Means of Grace podcast is a three-part series highlighting four ministries in Western North Carolina who are using green spaces in ministry. These ministries meet people where they are and invite them to something new – an orchard, a story walk, a worship service, exercise, a meal. Part 3 features George Eubanks, Mark Hovis, Sean Bloom, and Rev. Noel Sweezy, friends from the multi-faceted ministry, Common Ground, in Stanley. These episodes are airing on the Tuesdays surrounding Earth Day to encourage you to consider how you might connect the earth and its Creator with the lives of people in your community. It doesn't take much green space to start an innovative and inspiring outdoor ministry!

How do ministry leaders persevere? How can they build capacity?

Did you know the roof of the WNC Conference Center is covered in solar panels that not only provide enough energy to power the building but also provide excess energy that can be redistributed in the community? Rev. Dr. Mark King, WNC Conference Treasurer & Director of Administrative Services, and Joel Gilland, President & CEO of Wesley Community Development, share how the UMC values of creation care and energy efficiency played a role in the design of the WNC Conference Center.

Governor Cooper has issued another easing of COVID-19 restrictions. The Bishop and Cabinet remain committed to our biblical mandate to “love our neighbors as ourselves” and our Wesleyan call to “Do no harm. Do all the good we can. Follow the ordinances (stay in love) with God.” Using Governor Cooper’s Executive Order No. 209 as a guide, the Bishop and Cabinet make these specific recommendations for United Methodist Churches in the Western NC Conference.

The Leadership Development Team is taking the lead on intentionally modeling racial unity, racial healing, and racial reconciliation. As a first step toward working in love and unity in the body of Christ, and toward the endeavor of ethnic equality, the Leadership Development Team seeks to ensure that equal opportunities are given, not only within the ministry of the LDT, but in actual leadership placement and practice for ethnic minorities.

E-News is an email newsletter sent out by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. It contains important news, stories, and events from around our conference. This week's issue includes resources for creation care, spiritual retreat, the Reynold's Grant for Church Leadership, and more.

This edition of the Means of Grace podcast is a three-part series highlighting four ministries in Western North Carolina who are using green spaces in ministry. These ministries meet people where they are and invite them to something new – an orchard, a story walk, a worship service, exercise, a meal. Part 2 features "The Kevins" – Kevin Miller and Kevin Bates – who are starting a new faith community in the outdoors called Way in the Wilderness: A Church Without Walls. These episodes are airing on the Tuesdays surrounding Earth Day to encourage you to consider how you might connect the earth and its Creator with the lives of people in your community. It doesn't take much green space to start an innovative and inspiring outdoor ministry!

Do you love the beauty of God's creation? Would you like to become more actively and intentionally engaged in caring for it in order to honor and glorify God? Well, your Conference Creation Care Ministry Team is gearing up to help local congregations do just that - either by helping to expand existing creation care ministries or to begin new ones. We are here to serve you!