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Disaster Response and Recovery
Higher Education & Campus Ministry
Pan-Methodist Campaign for Children in Poverty
10/19/2020
Dear Friends, We did it! We accomplished a meaningful virtual Annual Conference. This virtual alternative to an in-person meeting allowed us to safely Conference together in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Your response to our first virtual Annual Conference was heartening. Our 944 unique log-ins to the Zoom webinar and 109 unique viewers on YouTube indicate that participation was higher than at the 2019 in-person Conference. While we do not have an exact headcount, we know these log-in ...
10/8/2020
Dear Friends, As the November 3 Election Day approaches I am reminded of an experience my Mom had as a teenager. A voracious reader who loved history and politics, at the age of thirteen she was told by an influential adult in her life, “Idella, women do not need to vote. Politics are for men.” Needless to say, she rejected this theory. Indeed, it has inspired her to vote in every election for the past sixty-plus years. She even did so four years ago from a hospital bed, aided by my 83-year-old ...
9/3/2020
Dear Friends, I am looking forward to seeing many of you online at our upcoming 2020 North Alabama Annual Conference. We will gather virtually from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 26 for worship, prayer, business and celebrations. Satellite venues will be available by pre-registration only for voting members of the Annual Conference who are without technology or internet access to participate from their homes. During the opening worship and the closing sending forth services Bishop ...
8/18/2020
Dear Friends, The North Alabama Conference leadership team continues to focus on “pivoting” as we respond to COVID-19 and racism. As a part of this ongoing work, we recently identified three understandings informing our priorities and strategies for this next season of ministry together. Understanding 1: Doing ministry in today’s ever-evolving context creates anxiety and opportunity. Deep change is only possible where leaders draw strength and guidance from our relationship with Christ. This ...
7/24/2020
Dear Friends, We have planned three 2020 North Alabama Annual Conferences under the leadership of Director of Connectional Ministries Linda Holland and the planning team she leads. That’s right – three! The first one was scheduled for Sunday, May 31- Tuesday, June 2 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic was postponed to Sunday, August 16- Monday, August 17 which for the same reason was postponed to Saturday, September 26. The Annual Conference planning team has been flexible and grace-filled through ...
7/7/2020
Dear Friends, Like many of you, I am wearing a mask in public places during the pandemic. I am not doing this as a political statement or because of fear, but as a way of embodying Philippians 2:3-4. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” How does wearing a mask during this pandemic place the interests of others first? Much of the advice offered by ...
6/17/2020
Dear friends, Perhaps some of you saw my recent video that compared two basketball moves: a pivot and a pause. An offensive player pivots away from their opponent to an open space on the court to take a jump shot, make a pass or drive to the basket. This is in contrast to pausing and then suddenly sprinting forward past the defender (also known as a stop and go move). https://youtu.be/0-cim_Hkrmc We are in a pivot or pause moment in North Alabama Methodism as it relates to post COVID-19 ministry...
6/1/2020
Dear Friends, The senseless killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, has shaken our nation to the core. The fact that the inhumane and unjust treatment of Mr. Floyd is not an isolated incident in our country adds to the pain, fear and outrage felt by countless Americans. The situation is made worse by uncertainty about whether all of those involved in George Floyd’s death will be held accountable. George Floyd’s killing has brought to the forefront several issues that must be addressed in our ...
5/26/2020
Dear Friends, A question that many people are asking is, “When will our church buildings be reopened?” The answer will vary from church to church, based not on a specific date, but on local data. Our North Alabama Conference District Superintendents recently hosted 32 virtual town hall meetings attended by 860 of our clergy and lay leaders. Discussion centered around Do No Harm: Recommendations for Reopening our Church Buildings (www.umcna.org/donoharm) and a video featuring Dr. Neil Lamb, ...
5/7/2020
Dear friends, The first several months of 2020 have been difficult as the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in sickness, death, unemployment and economic challenges of epic proportions in our state, nation and world. The Cabinet’s and my hearts are heavy for all those who have been adversely affected by the coronavirus. Through it all, I am thankful for the creative and sacrificial ways in which our clergy and laity continue to be the church. In addition to pivoting from in-person to online worship...
