News

Thanks to Scott Nowlan at West Market Street UMC in Greensboro who shared this news with the conference. If your church is currently using wireless microphones in the 600 mhz service band, you will be required to cease operations no later than July 13, 2020 (or earlier if they cause interference with new licensees). Please read the notification below: https://www.fcc.gov/general/wireless-microphones-0   Wireless Microphones   Wireless microphones are used to transmit sound to an amplifier or ...

At a recent meeting of the Board of Directors of Lake Junaluska Assembly, a statement was released regarding historical racism at the conference and retreat center: Statement on Racism Lake Junaluska Assembly, Inc. Board of Trustees Lake Junaluska was established by people of the Christian faith more than 100 years ago and has continued to be led by followers of Jesus Christ throughout its history. People of the Christian faith believe in a God of love. Not only do Christians believe that we ...

By Diane Degnan November-December 2017 For nearly five decades, the multi-award winning Interpreter magazine has been a primary source of inspiration and information for United Methodist church leaders. With this issue, the magazine goes the way of LIFE, Popular Photography, Mademoiselle and National Lampoon as it ceases publication.   Looking back over the years, change has been one of the periodical's hallmarks. When the Evangelical United Brethren Church and The Methodist Church united in ...

COMING UP SOON... Tekoa Foothills Community Day We’d like to invite Pastors, Christian Educators and Youth Ministers to a fun day at Tekoa Foothills!  We want to show you what is happening at Tekoa Foothills and explore partnerships with churches in the area for our new Day Camp and Missions Camp.  For each church that attends, we will offer one full-price Tekoa Foothills Day Camp scholarship or a half Tekoa Foothills Overnight scholarship. Lunch is provided. Jan 17- 10 AM- 2 PM To register- ...

We are in the process of updating the website to include information about Building Teams Mission Trips beginning in early 2019. We'll have information about destinations, dates, project details, and costs, along with a link to trip registration.

For Fall Break, a group of students from Niner United (UNC Charlotte’s Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and United Methodist campus ministry) decided to go south to Brunswick, Georgia to do some disaster relief for the people whose homes were affected by Hurricane Irma. We went to multiple homes during the three days we were there. Most of the work we did was helping to clear out backyards, by cutting down and clearing out branches from fallen trees. Some trees ended up being rather large, but...

WASHINGTON – The Council of Bishops (COB) met at Lake Junaluska in North Carolina last week to receive an interim report from the Commission on a Way Forward, elect new officers, and prepare for the 2019 Special Session of General Conference, among other things. From the president’s address to giving feedback on the interim report of the Commission, the bishops stressed the importance of the mission of God, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus Christ in The United Methodist ...

NASHVILLE, TN – Sixteen states, 21 cities, 23 days, 500+ volunteers, 16,400 cups of cocoa, a truckload of Christmas spirit and just one purpose: to help people unwrap the true meaning of Christmas. The United Methodist Church is hitting the road in December in a gift-wrapped touring truck, decked out to share fellowship from city-to-city. Warm invitations to visit United Methodist churches bring a cheerful message of hope to people during Advent. United Methodist churches will host a come-and-go...

LAKE JUNALUSKA, NORTH CAROLINA _ United Methodist Church bishops are calling on members of the denomination to engage in respectful conversations amidst growing conflict over political, religious and justice issues in many places in our world. In a pastoral letter released at the end of the Council of Bishops (COB) meeting at Lake Junaluska in North Carolina today, COB President Bruce R. Ough reminded the members that the UMC was a Church which is diverse in its theological understanding of ...

Bishop Bruce Ough, of the Dakotas-Minnesota area of The United Methodist Church, gave the opening address, as the president of the Council of Bishops, on Monday, November 6th at Harrell Auditorium at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. His address was entitled “In Love with Union” and was presented in anticipation of receiving the update from the Commission on a Way Forward later that day. Download and Read the Entire Address  (10 page PDF can be downloaded and printed) Below is the ...

LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C.  Placing emphasis on the values of unity, space and contextuality – all for the sake of mission – the Council of Bishops (COB) is exploring sketches of three models as possible directions for a way forward for The United Methodist Church over LGBTQ inclusion. With the mission of God through the risen Christ at the core, the bishops this week received an interim report from the Commission on a Way Forward that offered three sketches of models that would help ease the impasse ...

The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church met at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center from November 4-8, 2017.  This meeting included all bishops, retired and residential bishops for four days of business, worship and covenanting together. Time was set aside on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for the bishops to be in executive session and discuss the draft report from the Commission on a Way Forward to the Council of Bishops. The official schedule included these topics for ...

LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. – Florida Area Bishop Kenneth H. Carter today was officially elected as the next president of the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church. Bishop Carter will take over from Dakotas-Minnesota Area Bishop Bruce R. Ough effective at the end of the May 2018 meeting. The United Methodist bishops also elected: Louisiana Area Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey as the president-designate. She is currently serving as secretary of the Council. North Katanga-Tanzania Bishop Mande ...

Registration opens on November 20th…apply now for summer staff positions: Camp Tekoa Registration is opening Nov 20th for Camp Tekoa!  Camp Tekoa continues to fulfill our mission through helping campers experience God here in the mountains of NC.  We now offering a wide variety of adventure camps including specialties camps for rising 6th and 9th graders.  Whether you attend Day Camp, Mini Camp, Overnight Camp or and Adventure Camp- we know that God will help you grow in your faith, build deep ...

NASHVILLE, TN – The Commission on a Way Forward, which is working to find unity for The United Methodist Church regarding human sexuality, began its sixth meeting on October 30, 2017, with a devotion that challenged the members to be as one in the body of Christ and to see each person as a reflection of God. The Rev. Dr. Tom Salsgiver, of the Susquehanna Annual Conference in the U.S., sharing on Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, told his fellow Commission members: “I must be the reflection of the ...

Hurricane Update   As United Methodists, let us stand together in prayer and support of all of those who have been affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The state of North Carolina isn’t in the clear as we anticipate tropical force winds and rains to impact Western North Carolina. Stay alert to changes in the Hurricane Irma forecast. Hurricane Jose also looms behind, reminding us that storms are never far away. Donate: Your gifts ensure that our church will be able to provide help and hope for...

The Western North Carolina Extended Cabinet focused their work on a sustainable discipleship process and leadership development.  This discipleship process concentrated on the importance engaging our context and building relationships; connecting new relationships with faith communities and connecting them to others; equipping, training, and preparing these new disciples to minister; and living out our lives as disciples, becoming Christ-like, and serving.  All of this begins to shape the ...

The Connectional Table of the Western North Carolina Conference met for its quarterly meeting on Saturday, October 21st, at the United Methodist Foundation in Huntersville, NC. The focus of this meeting was to continue the evaluative session from July’s meeting and to continue fostering alignment among all of the conference boards and agencies around our common mission: “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” We began the meeting with a devotion and shared “glory...

The season of giving is nearly upon us and that means it’s almost time for UMC #GivingTuesday. On Nov. 28, you will have the opportunity to once again “Connect Your Passion with God’s Mission” to address the needs in the world today. Last year, you were one of nearly 2,550 donors from 19 countries who donated more than $850,000 through The Advance to support mission and ministries around the world. Thank you for your faithful giving. Your generosity illustrates the true meaning of the season. We...

LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — Lake Junaluska Executive Director Jack Ewing announced today that he will retire on December 31, 2017. Over the past seven years Ewing has led Lake Junaluska following four guiding principles: clarity of mission, focus on place, support of staff and development of a sustainable business model. “Jack brought a vision to Lake Junaluska, and over the last seven years he has helped us live into that vision,” said Mike Warren, chairman of the Lake Junaluska Board of Trustees. ...

On United Methodist Student Day Nov. 26, churches will come together to support students as they prepare for a life that unites faith and knowledge. Our gifts on this Special Sunday go to scholarships for diligent United Methodist students in local congregations just like yours. Many of these young people plan to return to their churches after graduation to share their gifts, including a pastor’s son who is studying to be a church pianist, a religious studies major focused on interfaith ...

By Rev. Laura Alexander Elliott, Ministry Education Funds (MEF) Coordinator WNCC Board of Ordained Ministry Just like education costs in general, tuition expenditures for attending seminary are ever on the increase for those pursuing ordained ministry as their vocation.  Yet this fall, our WNCC certified clergy candidates enrolled in seminaries across the connection, received a little extra funding thanks to everyone who gave to the Special Offering designated for Ministry Education Funds (MEF)...

Hood Theological Seminary (HTS) invites all alumni to the annual 1885 Society Dinner on Friday, November 3, 2017, at 7:00 p.m. in The Aymer Center on the seminary campus at 1810 Lutheran Synod Drive, Salisbury, NC. This special fund-raising event is sponsored by the HTS National Alumni Association and all alumni and friends are welcome! All proceeds from this event – 100% - go towards scholarships for seminary students awarded each year by the HTSNAA at the Honors Convocation in May. Tickets ...

Brothers and Sisters of The United Methodist Church, Grace and peace to you in the compassionate name of our Lord Christ Jesus. I write to you in behalf of our Council of Bishops to invite you to observe Global Migration Sunday on December 3, 2017.  This is the first Sunday of the season of Advent, a time when we remember the coming birth of the Christ Child who was himself a migrant. From Asia through Europe and Africa to the Americas, the plight of the over 65 million men, women and ...

LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — All are invited to Lake Junaluska December 7-10 for Appalachian Christmas, a special festive event including three concerts and a craft show. The Lake Junaluska Singers will return, under the direction of Mary Huff and Associate Director Kathy Geyer McNeil, to perform Handel’s Messiah and a special Christmas concert during Appalachian Christmas. Handel’s Messiah is a baroque-era music composition by George Frideric Handel, composed in 1741-1742 and the Lake Junaluska ...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The Hudson NC, area in Caldwell County, suffered two tornados at around 6:15PM on Sunday evening. Initial damage assessment which is subject to change is over 100 homes damaged and Mount Hermon UMC lost their steeple and initial damage estimate at the church is over $200,000.00. Mount Hermon UMC property was evacuated due to a failed rain water drainage pipe underneath the church parking lot. Rev. Mike Duncan, Appalachian District Disaster Response ...

Gallant, Ala.: Meeting at Camp Sumatanga in Gallant, Ala. for their fall meeting, the Commission on General Conference announced the America’s Center Convention Complex will be the venue for the 2019 special session of the General Conference, to be held February 23-26 in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Sara Hotchkiss, General Conference business manager, reported that hospitality for the 2019 event will be provided by the two annual conferences in the surrounding Greater St. Louis area -- the ...

 WASHINGTON – United Methodist bishops are urging the United States Congress to pass a Clean Dream Act that would allow undocumented young people the opportunity to work, receive an education and serve in the U.S. military. In a statement released today, the bishops said they are praying and urging action for the young people affected by the U.S. government’s decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The young immigrants, also known as Dreamers, had October 5 ...

Lake Junaluska, N.C. – Mary Wannamaker Huff has been named the director of the Lake Junaluska Singers, a choral group that has been a part of Lake Junaluska’s history for more than 60 years. Huff, who served as the group’s interim director for the 2017 season, has agreed to lead the Singers for three more seasons. “I am grateful for the kind welcome and support extended to me this past summer as interim director, and I look forward to extending that welcome and support in song to the Lake ...

Boomer Spirituality Webinar Series The Boomer Spirituality Webinars start this evening.  Join Craig Kennet Miller, author of Boomer Spirituality: Seven Values for the Second Half of Life for this in-depth series which will give you a new understanding of this generation.  Each episode will be recorded, so if you can't watch live, you will be able to view it at on your own time. Webinars will be streamed at 6:30 pm, Central Time (7:30 pm, Eastern; 4:30 pm, Pacific) Register for the webinar ...

Re-Imagine Senior Living Making it possible for more seniors to afford housing with supportive services Givens Gerber Park is the answer for those 55 and older with modest income to enjoy the next chapter in their life. Located in vibrant south Asheville this community offers residents an engaging, convenient community to thrive amongst friends. This new community is excited to announce “60 Gerber Park” – the newest affordable living solution.  This phase includes 60 one-bedroom and 22 ...

An Open Letter to Clergy and Church Leaders of the Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church. This week many of our congregations will be expressing grief and dismay at the newest assault on the sacredness of human life and Christian values following a violent attack on innocent individuals attending a concert in Las Vegas, NV, last night.  At the time of this writing, CNN News reports more than 58 people killed and 500 plus have been injured in the attack. Many in our ...

The United Methodist Credit Union is pleased to be a financial resource for the church members and churches of the Western North Carolina Conference. Here are just a couple of ways we can help churches grow their savings or cut loan expenses. First, if a church has significant cash balances (earning nearly nothing), we can help them with something we’ve created just for United Methodist churches in the conferences we serve. We call it the Church Reserve Account, and it gives a church the ...

 NASHVILLE, Tenn. Sept. 21, 2017 /Discipleship Ministries/ – Work on a groundbreaking revision of The United Methodist Hymnal, designed to be a print/digital contextually adaptable resource for primary use in the United States, begins this fall following the selection of the full Hymnal Revision Committee. The process for Discipleship Ministries, The United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH), the Council of Bishops, and the Association of United Methodist Theological Schools to select the 15 ...

BERLIN, Germany – The Commission on a Way Forward has started sketching models to share with the Council of Bishops as options for finding a way forward for The United Methodist Church (UMC) regarding human sexuality. During the meeting in Berlin, Germany (Sept. 18-20), members of the Commission expressed the need for the unity of the UMC, yet recognizing the different theological understandings and expressions on human sexuality. From spirit-led devotions through heartfelt discussions to ...

September-December 2017 Register for free at www.umcdiscipleship.org/webinars September Teach US to Pray: Teaching Others to Pray A Webinar Series (3 of 3) https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship/teach-us-to-pray-webinar-series Tuesday, September 26, 2017 7:30 pm Central Daylight Time (8:30 pm, Eastern) Presenters: Taylor Burton-Edwards, Mark Stamm, and Joseph Crowe Taylor Burton-Edwards hosts “Teach US to Pray,” a three-part series of webinars with Dr. Mark Stamm to help you strengthen ...

Nashville, Tenn.: New resources that support local church Advent outreach efforts are now available. The resources carry the theme, “Unwrap the true meaning of Christmas,” and complement The United Methodist Church’s national Advent advertising campaign, which will feature children sharing about their faith and what Christmas means to them. “These tools will support United Methodists as they reach out to their communities with a message of hope and invitation during the holiday season,” said ...

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the Commission on a Way Forward prepares for its next meeting, the moderators are asking all United Methodists to continue to pray for the Commission members as they work to discern options for a way forward for The United Methodist Church in the midst of disagreement regarding the disciplinary stance related to human sexuality. The moderators, Bishops David Yemba, Sandra Steiner Ball and Ken Carter, are urging people to continue praying as Commission members gather for ...

As United Methodists, let us stand together in prayer and support of all of those who have been affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The state of North Carolina isn’t in the clear as we anticipate tropical force winds and rains to impact Western North Carolina. Hurricane Jose also looms behind, reminding us that storms are never far away. We are especially aware of Bishop Carter, one of our own, who leads the Florida Conference in the midst of the disaster.  We also remember Bishop Lawson ...

The WNCC is becoming a leader in missional efforts, as evidenced by the Missional Wisdom Foundation eastern hub affiliating with our conference, the new partnership with Fresh Expressions, and in piloting the Missions 3.0 Peer Learning Group. While these are important pieces to helping our local churches adapt to meet the needs of a changing world, we believe that a critical piece is missing. All studies show that by 2040 ethnic minorities will comprise the majority of the US population. It is ...

Iglesia Metodista de Puerto Rico, Inc. September 5, 2017. Mr. Thomas Kemper, General Secretary Global Ministries United Methodist Church Atlanta, GA Re: Hurricane Irma Grace and peace to you and the General Ministries family. Puerto Rico, will be confronting Hurricane Irma in the next hours. This hurricane has been classified as a category 5. In his route it will be affecting Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, and the Virgin Islands. It is expected that it will be in our vicinity tomorrow, ...

  Register Today for "More Church Leaders | Stronger Church Leaders" Conference and Live Stream Saturday, November 4, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern Churches with vital, growing ministries learn to leverage leadership potential within their congregations.  At More Church Leaders | Stronger Church Leaders you will learn strategies to identify and support new leaders and build and maintain effective ministry teams. Clergy and lay leaders, in churches both large and small, will discover a more ...

Lake Junaluska, N.C. - Registration is open for Lake Junaluska’s Winter Youth Retreats. From December to February the lake will host five program weekends for middle school and high school youth groups. This winter marks the first year of a new format for the youth group retreats, as participants will choose their own daytime activity. In the past, the youth events have focused on ski, but this year groups can choose to zipline, do mission work or ski. “My hope is that as we ski, zipline or ...

  Please plan to join United Methodists from across the globe on Sunday and take a special offering to assist the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Donations can be remitted to the Conference Treasurer and designated for U.S. Disaster Response, Advance #901670 which will give UMCOR maximum flexibility in responding to needs. Please also pray for the Early Response Teams, disaster coordinators, and many volunteers in The Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, Louisiana Conference of...

The information has been constantly changing since Sunday night, to get the most recent information--go to the Disaster Response page Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast of the U.S. August 26 affecting millions of people with multiple days of heavy rain, winds, and rising tides. The United Methodist Church is actively present, working with local and state emergency management, FEMA, and other volunteers active in disaster. The Western North Carolina Committee on Relief encourages you to:   ...

PAST UPDATES Here are the major changes for the past week to the website.  What did you miss?   LATEST NEWS World Communion Sunday is October 1  Extended Cabinet meets and looks at discipleship processes  Laity Sunday is October 15th  Racial Awakening  LATEST CAREERS Choir Director & Pianist  Youth Pastor  Director of Discipleship and staffing  Director of Youth Ministries  Director of Children’s and Family Ministries  LATEST EVENTS The Elephant in the Sanctuary: An Introduction to ...

A downloadable World Communion Sunday Pastor and Leader’s Kit has everything you need to promote this Special Sunday and celebrate with a memorable service Oct. 1. You will find sermon starters, social media images, infographics and PowerPoint presentations that you can use right away. You also can watch and share videos featuring some of the ethnic and minority students who have been able to pursue higher education thanks to the World Communion Sunday offering. Use this content in ...

The Western North Carolina Conference extended cabinet met, Monday, August 21, 2017, for the purpose of continuing to support and encourage our clergy and United Methodist Churches in building sustainable discipleship processes. We continued to affirm our commitment to focus on the Great Commission and to seek the needed leadership for Kingdom work.  Together we embraced Ephesians 4: “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people...

Laity Sunday in the United Methodist Church is on October 15, 2017 and the Board of Laity of the WNCC invites all congregations to celebrate the ministry of the laity on this Sunday. Methodism has long celebrated and recognized the ministry of the laity.  In the early days of American Methodism, the laity served and maintained congregations between visits of the circuit riders.  Today, lay people are at the front line of daily ministry in our congregations and in our communities. Quadrennial...