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Lawsuit Resolution Update from the WNCC Board of Trustees
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August 24, 2023
To the clergy and laity of the Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church,
The 36 plaintiff churches and The Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church have reached a resolution which resolves all litigation pending between them by mutual agreement. The churches will disaffiliate under Paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline and the Conference will work with them through the disaffiliation process so the churches have the opportunity to leave the United Methodist Church in 2023.
Signed,
WNC Conference Board of Trustees
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Certified Lay Minister Interest Meeting
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There will be a Zoom gathering on September 7, 2023, 6:30 - 7:30pm for laity interested in the Certified Lay Minister program.
Please share this information with those you know who are interested.
Hosted by: Jonathan LeMaster-Smith and Caroline Wood
ZOOM LINK
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Hickory Crawdads Game Recap
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Thanks to everyone who came to United Methodist Night at the Hickory Crawdads game! It was great to see so many people from all over the conference join together for a night of fun, fellowship, and connection. Bishop Carter even got a bunch of United Methodists that attended the game to sign his baseball!
RECAP POST
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Is the UMC Really...? Part 5
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With some congregations considering leaving The United Methodist Church or just wondering about its future, Ask The UMC offers a series of questions and answers to help clear up some common misperceptions or misinformation around disaffiliation.
This is part 5: Do We Have to Choose Between The UMC & The GMC?
This is the fifth of a series of articles offering accurate responses to such misperceptions or misinformation. As the previous three, this article is based on a variety of questions we have received multiple times through email, phone calls, and live chat. The way the questions are framed in these articles reflects they way they came to us.
Questions answered in this article:
Is The UMC Really....?
1. Asking all local churches to vote on whether to remain in The United Methodist Church or join the Global Methodist Church?
2. Allowing clergy and laypersons elected as delegates to General or Jurisdictional Conference to serve if they have disaffiliated?
3. Failing to punish those who violate the Discipline?
4. Forcing or going to force congregations that do not want a self-avowed practicing homosexual as a pastor or deacon to accept one?
PART 5
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Register now for the next Laity Forum entitled Building Community - Monday, September 18, 6:30-7:45pm via zoom.
This is the third of 4 forums in 2023 highlighting four stages that can move people from isolation to Christian community:
-Listening
-Loving People
-Building Community
-Exploring Discipleship
This forum is being planned by a team of young adults. You won't want to miss it!
REGISTER
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Means Of Grace: Vitality Through Storytelling
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Creativity, innovation, and collaboration are at the heart of rural church ministry. In this episode of the Means of Grace podcast, Rev. Dr. Nicole Jones talks with Kim and Jesse about her Vitality through Storytelling initiative that is developing connections and amplifying the stories of rural churches and communities. The learning from her Doctor of Ministry isn’t limited to rural churches. As Nicole said, stories bring “shared delight” to those who participate and the ones who hear and watch the stories.
LISTEN TO PODCAST EPISODE
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Pre-Retirement In-Person Webinar: Retiring Well
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For Clergy 3-5+ years from retirement. October 16-17, 2023 at the Conference Office in Huntersville.
Hear engaging presentations with representatives from Wespath and Treasury Services. Register before September 26th and a personalized, confidential Benefit Projection will be mailed to you. PLUS sign up for a 20-minute individual consultation with a member of the Wespath team during our time together. Spouses are welcomed to join the event and consultation!
Register HERE.
Springhill Suites by Marriott Hotel Accommodations HERE.
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Prepare Enrich Premarital Counseling Training Opportunity
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Do you wish you had better resources to counsel couples who are getting married? Or maybe you have had members of your church seek marital counseling and you wish you had a resource to help them. Prepare Enrich is an invaluable resource. Rev. Michael Kurtz is the Appalachian District trained facilitator. We would like to offer a chance for our clergy to be trained and have access to these useful resources. Training will take place October 23, 2023 at the Appalachian District Office. Cost is $165.
Deadline to register is October 5, 2023!!
Please plan to arrive at the Appalachian District Office (1710 Parkwood Drive, Wilkesboro, NC 28697) by 9:15 AM. We will start at 9:30 AM-2:15ish PM.
To learn more about the Prepare/Enrich Inventory Resource you may go to prepare-enrich.com.
REGISTER
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Safer Sanctuaries Train-The-Trainer Event
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Register for this train-the-trainer event! It will take place on Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 10am-2pm at the Conference Center located at 13924 Professional Center Drive, Huntersville, NC 28078. Lunch will be provided. The registration deadline is end of day Monday, September 11, 2023.
Training will be facilitated by Rev. Dr. Kevin Johnson, from Discipleship Ministries who was part of the writing/editing team for the new book, Safer Sanctuaries: Nurturing Trust within Faith Communities. This training is designed for individuals who are interested in becoming Safe Sanctuaries trainers at the district and conference level as well as those who provide Safe Sanctuaries training efforts at their local churches. Participants will learn how to train others on the new Safer Sanctuaries as well as best practices for Safe Sanctuaries policies and procedures.
REGISTER
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Connect Church Application Now Open
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Applications are now being accepted for the 2024 cohort of Connect Church, a program of Faith in Rural Communities at the NC Rural Center. Connect Church is a nine-month learning cohort aimed at helping churches renew their faithful witness and connect with opportunities to improve the health and prosperity of their communities. A small group of people from each accepted church will work with an experienced coach to have a better understanding of their church's assets and how to use them for the benefit of their community. Upon completion of the program eligible churches may apply for a grant of up to $10,000 to launch a new or expanded missional engagement project. The deadline to apply is September 30, 2023. Connect Church is funded through the generous support of The Duke Endowment.
LEARN MORE & APPLY
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Rev. Dr. Reggie Blount to be Guest Lecturer at the Virtual Ruben L. Speaks Lecture Series
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Hood Theological Seminary will hold its annual Ruben L. Speaks Endowed Memorial Lecture Series on Friday and Saturday, October 6 and 7, 2023. This year’s featured presenter is Rev. Dr. Reggie Blount. The lectures, which are free of charge and open to the public, will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 6 and 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 7. This year the lecture series will be virtual through Zoom.
LEARN MORE
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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.
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Copyright © 2022 Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, All rights reserved.
Where to find us:
Western North Carolina Conference
13924 Professional Center Dr, Ste 200
Huntersville, NC 28078
Mailing Address:
PO Box 2757
Huntersville, NC 28070
Phone: 704.535.2260
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