News

By Kara Witherow, Editor Nick Fletcher, a father of two with one on the way, says he’s never been financially stable. Elsie and Daniel Widener, parents of 16-month-old Evelyn, were stressed and had given up on budgeting. Cheryl Howell, a registered nurse whose new home seemed more like a burden than a blessing, felt overwhelmed. They are among the hundreds or so participants that gather each week at one of a handful of South Georgia United Methodist churches that offer biblical curriculum to ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor As Rev. Jonathan Fuller walked along rough and craggy terrain while following Jesus’ footsteps during a recent Holy Land pilgrimage, one person was always a step behind, ever-watchful and mindful. His father, Robert Fuller. A few weeks ago, the father and son had the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land together with a group of about 90 South Georgia United Methodists. The pilgrims explored Biblical sites such as the Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, ...

 When people pray, God listens. And John and Charles Wesley believed “that God does nothing apart from believing prayer.” In a focused effort to prepare for the 2020 General Conference session, the South Georgia Conference is launching a Conference-wide prayer and fasting initiative, “Together We Pray.” It will begin the day after Easter and run through the General Conference session. The initiative will include three components: local church prayer resources, eight regional prayer ...

This week, the Conference offices in Macon will move to a new, shared home. They will share space at 3040 Riverside Drive, about a mile and a half from the current Episcopal office. “We’re pleased to have the Episcopal office, Ministerial Services office, Administrative Services office, the Director of Connectional Ministries, and Georgia United Methodist Foundation’s South Georgia office all in one place,” said Dr. Derek McAleer, Director of Administrative Services, who has shepherded this ...

It’s appointment-making season in The United Methodist Church, and this week, Bishop Bryan and the Appointive Cabinet are meeting to pray, worship, and begin the decision-making process of appointments. The 2020-2021 appointment-making schedule is available here. “I ask for your prayers for our Cabinet, for every local church, and for every pastor, for we all want to be alive together in ministry and we want the appointment-making process to be a part of that which looks for liveliness and ...

The South Georgia Annual Conference General and Jurisdictional Delegation has released a statement unanimously affirming the work done on the “Protocol of Grace & Reconciliation Through Separation.” It also recommended the Protocol be the first legislative item considered by General Conference 2020. “The South Georgia Annual Conference General and Jurisdictional Delegation supports the Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation as a way to move forward into new expressions of ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor During a Winter Conference panel discussion, Bishop Bryan and several members of South Georgia’s 2020 General Conference delegation shared their thoughts about the recently released Protocol of Grace & Reconciliation Through Separation, the possible future of the South Georgia Conference, and General Conference 2020. Held Wednesday, Jan. 29 at Nalls Auditorium at Epworth By The Sea on St. Simons Island, much of the dialogue focused on the Protocol. “The Protocol is a ...

By Heather Hahn, UMNews What form The United Methodist Church takes next will remain unclear until the 2020 General Conference meets this spring.  In a gathering that emphasized the denomination’s uncertain future, United Methodists received a preview of some of the possibilities that will be before 862 delegates when they meet May 5-15 in Minneapolis. “Minneapolis is likely to be our Massah, our testing place, and Minneapolis is likely to be our Meribah, our quarreling place,” said Minnesota...

By Kara Witherow, Editor In a year of heightened uncertainty and denominational discord, South Georgia United Methodists continued to faithfully give. While total apportionment giving is down slightly from 2018, giving to conference and district askings was close to 2018 levels. General church apportionment giving was down significantly compared to 2018 levels. Overall apportionment payments for 2019 were at 87 percent, compared to 89.5 percent in 2018. The Northeast and Southwest Districts ...

The clergy and lay heads of Southeastern Jurisdiction (SEJ) General Conference delegations released a statement last week affirming the work done on the “Protocol of Grace & Reconciliation Through Separation.” They also recommended the Protocol be among the first legislative items considered by General Conference 2020. Heads of delegations from 14 of the 15 conferences of the SEJ signed onto the statement, with 26 lay and clergy heads of delegations supporting and signing it. “One of the ...

On Feb. 6, 1736, after sailing four months to get from England to America, John Wesley, Charles Wesley, General Oglethorpe, and others landed on Cockspur Island off the coast of Savannah. A monument marks the location. “One of the things we learn historically is that none of what Wesley really thought was going happen actually happened,” Bishop Bryan said in a video from Fort Pulaski, erected on the site where Wesley and the others landed. “In his diary, on the way back to England, Wesley ...

The South Georgia Annual Conference Committee on Nominations has begun a process to identify laity and clergy interested in serving on Conference and District boards, committees, and teams for the 2021-2024 quadrennium.  Between now and January 29, you are invited to indicate your willingness to serve or to encourage possible leaders to complete the online Interest Form. The Conference Nominations Committee is looking for resourceful and committed leaders who have vision, leadership skills, ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor For Georgia Southwestern State University junior Jessica Montanye, the Wesley Foundation is a home away from home. Without the foundation of the campus ministry and the support she finds there, she probably wouldn’t be attending church today, she said. “If The Wes wasn’t there …. I would have probably left the church.” This fall, the campus ministry welcomed 85 students at its kickoff event and is averaging more than 60 students at its recently restored Tuesday night...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Shequita Manson’s new home is painted blue, in honor and memory of her 12-year-old daughter, Nophstaria “Star” Henley, who died May 25, 2018, of sickle-cell disease. After her daughter’s death, Manson and her older daughter moved several times, bouncing from rental to rental, unable to find their “happy place.” But today, thanks in large part to Vineville United Methodist Church, they are finally home and happy. Partnering with the Macon Area Habitat for Humanity and ...

A new partnership between Wesleyan College in Macon and the United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) will offer college credit for women who are enrolled in GBHEM’s pastoral training program, the Course of Study. The Course of Study is designed for those who wish to serve as local pastors in The United Methodist Church and possibly pursue ordination as elders without taking the traditional seminary route. Women who are enrolled in one of Wesleyan College’s online ...

A Word from Bishop Bryan: Since January 3 you may have seen headlines announcing that a decision has been reached to split The United Methodist Church. As most have figured out by now, those headlines were wrong and misleading. What’s the truth? The top legislative body of The United Methodist Church, the General Conference, meets every four years. The next session of General Conference is May 5-15, 2020, in Minneapolis, MN. This is the only body that can speak officially for The United ...

United Methodists this past year marked the passing of influential bishops, a beloved Zimbabwean lay leader and a man who surprised his whole community six weeks after his funeral.   Here are 29 remembrances, listed in order of date of death. This list includes four deaths late last year.   

By Kara Witherow, Editor Several South Georgia United Methodists spread some early Christmas cheer last month when they took more than 2,000 shoeboxes packed full of gifts to the Navajo Nation. Two trailers, loaded full of filled Christmas presents, left South Georgia Dec. 11. After crossing the country, the group arrived in northeastern Arizona ready to serve and play Santa. While only seven people actually made the trip, thousands of South Georgia United Methodists contributed to the ...

For the second year in a row, The United Methodist Church’s struggle to stay together despite longstanding division over homosexuality was the denomination’s top news story of 2019. This year, however, the focus was on unity efforts by the Commission on a Way Forward and others, culminating in a special called session of General Conference Feb. 23-26 in St. Louis. Thirty-eight ballots were cast by church communicators and United Methodist News staff for the top five United Methodist news ...

As we begin a new year and a new decade, we want to give thanks to you, the faithful members of our local churches, for partnering with us to do the ministry we’ve been called to do. Because of your prayers, support, and gifts, we are able to minister to people all across South Georgia - and beyond - in the name of Jesus Christ.   Thank you!  A note from Bishop Bryan I am so very grateful for the privilege of serving with you in the South Georgia Conference. The power and hope of the ...

A Word from Bishop Bryan: Grace and peace to you as we begin a new year Alive Together in Christ. A new proposal for the future of The United Methodist Church was released today. This new proposal is the fruit of a mediation process undertaken by 16 United Methodists entitled, “A Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation.”  This eight-page document represents work done by a group of United Methodists from across the world who represent many (not all) of the important streams of ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Baxley First United Methodist Church was damaged by fire Sunday afternoon, Dec. 15. No injuries were reported. Church leaders say the fire was an accident that started in the pulpit area where candles on an advent wreath were left burning unattended. “We’re brokenhearted, but we know that buildings can be replaced,” said Rev. Steve Meguiar, pastor of Baxley First UMC. “We’re very blessed that it was reported as early as it was.” A passer-by who saw smoke coming from ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor For 18 Christmas seasons, from 1975 until 1993, Rev. Eric Sizemore donned a red suit, a beard, and a stocking cap. And while the 160ish-pound, dark-haired, 36-year-old preacher didn’t then look much like the jolly, old elf, he had the same infectious grin and hope-filled spirit. On Sunday mornings – then and now – Rev. Sizemore preaches a message of love, hope, and goodwill to all. But for those 18 holiday seasons, on Friday evenings, Saturdays, and Sunday afternoons ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Whether they’re there for the food, the fun computer games, or the free tutoring, the end result is the same: they know ConneXion Church cares. Every Wednesday afternoon at 3:45, a dozen children from Savannah’s Juliette Low Elementary School pile into a church van and make the short trek to ConneXion Church. They spend a few minutes in the church’s fellowship hall, chatting, playing, and eating snacks. Then the group heads to the education/children’s wing, divides ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor The church is not the building, but the people. But the building is a home, a place of identity, and a refuge in times of crisis and need. And now, after 92 years, Asbury United Methodist Church’s building needs help. Named last month to the Georgia Trust’s 2020 “Places in Peril” list, the historic downtown congregation hopes the exposure will help raise awareness of its plight so they can raise funds for the building’s restoration. The only African American United ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Dr. Jonathan Smith, director of the Georgia Southern Wesley and Savannah Wesley Foundations, was recently honored by The Georgia United Methodist Commission on Higher Education and Collegiate Ministry with the Francis Asbury Award. The national award is presented annually by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church to a person who fosters the church’s ministries in higher education at the local, district, or annual conference ...

The Board of Directors of the St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. has approved grants for the Fall 2019 Grant Cycle. Grants totaling $758,000 were made to 12 organizations the week of December 2, 2019. The following is a brief description of each recipient and the purpose of the grant. Organizations Serving Southeast Georgia: Coastal Outreach Soccer – Coastal Outreach Academies (www.coastaloutreachacademies.com) A $25,000 challenge grant to Coastal Outreach Soccer-Coastal ...

During the 2019 Annual Conference session, Bishop Bryan shared that the Leadership Forum Task Force would continue to meet throughout this year to provide updates to the Conference concerning the conversations going on in The United Methodist Church as preparations are made for General Conference 2020 in May.  One possibility mentioned was a conference-wide gathering in November. To be good stewards of everyone’s time, Bishop Bryan and the Task Force have decided to release their update report ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor When Hurricane Michael tore through southwest Georgia last year, high winds and falling trees destroyed homes and damaged roofs. More than a year later, blue tarps still dot the landscape, covering hundreds of homes still in need of repair. Lisa Minto’s two roofs were among those hit. Her restaurant, Mintos Sports Bar & Grill, which she and her husband had just opened three months prior, lost its roof. The roof on her home was damaged and water leaked in every time it...

By Kara Witherow, Editor If you look closely at Madie Bunge’s wrist you’ll likely see “P4:13.” A reminder that she can do all things through Christ, who strengthens her, Bunge, a senior defensive specialist on the College of Coastal Georgia’s Mariners volleyball team, writes the verse on the inside of her wrist before each volleyball game. It’s just one of the ways Bunge lives out her faith when she’s on the volleyball court. She also prays for her teammates; invites them to worship ...

By Vivian Agaba Accessing clean water in some parts of Uganda is difficult, especially for girls and women who are usually responsible for walking long distances to fetch water, often from unsafe sources. The addition of five boreholes near United Methodist churches in the Uganda-South Sudan Conference will alleviate that problem for some. Members of Baxley First United Methodist Church in Baxley, Georgia, First United Methodist Church in Vidalia, Georgia, and Lynn Haven United Methodist ...

By Linda Bloom Legislation setting special provisions for United Methodist churches deciding to leave the denomination took effect immediately at the end of the special General Conference last February, the church’s top court has ruled. In making that determination, the United Methodist Judicial Council at least temporarily bypassed the assertion from a Commission on General Conference investigation that improper voting meant the vote to substitute parts of Petition 90066, the disaffiliation ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Dianne Roberts had prayed the same prayer for nearly 10 years. “Church, do something.” Her husband of 52 years, Marvin, suffers from corticobasal degeneration, a progressive neurological disorder and cognitive illness similar to Alzheimer’s. A former certified public accountant, Marvin is no longer able to speak, and Roberts, a teacher, retired to care for him. “He is able to do a lot of things, but he does need some help,” she said. “I really prayed for a long time ...

By Kelly Roberson, Director of Communications It was a rainy day outside but inside was a beautiful day of celebration as the South Georgia Conference United Methodist Women gathered for their annual meeting Oct. 19, 2019, at Open Door Community House in Columbus, Ga. Carol Banks, South Georgia United Methodist Women president, expressed her appreciation for the year of blessings in United Methodist Women as they celebrated their 150-year milestone as a mission organization focused on missions...

Journal includes conference business, directories, reports, appointments, and statistical tables The 2019 Journal of the South Georgia Annual Conference is now available for purchase. As has been our process in recent years, those wishing to purchase a Conference Journal will order their copy(ies) online directly from the printer. The cost of the Journal is $25 each plus tax and shipping. Click here to order your copy of the 2019 Journal of the South Georgia Annual Conference.*  The Journal ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor When was the last time you had to choose between paying for a meal or a menstrual pad? For many women, the choice is all too real. Called “period poverty,” it’s the lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints, and it affects women and girls around the world. It’s a problem that affects more than those who are financially strapped or experiencing homelessness, though. According to a recent survey, nearly one in five American girls have either left ...

The South Georgia Conference’s effort to build a new Conference Center on the grounds of Wesleyan College in Macon has been given another boost with its second major gift in three months. At a recent New Conference Center Task Force meeting, held Oct. 2, Dr. Hal Brady, chair of the Conference Center Task Force, announced that a second anonymous donor has given a $100,000 gift towards building the new Conference Center. “We celebrate this gift and are grateful to the donor and the generosity ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor When Pat Scrogham’s mother, Margery Resser, was living with dementia, Scrogham looked high and low for something to keep her mother’s hands busy. “Their hands need to be moving,” Scrogham said. She searched online but was unable to find exactly what she was looking for. “I had even gotten her a baby toy that she could twist and twist, and it made her happy.” Coming up empty at local stores and craft fairs and not satisfied with what she found online, Scrogham ...

As we mark the one-year anniversary of the worst storm many in Northwest Florida and Southwest Georgia have lived through and as Colquitt United Methodist Church (CUMC) still navigates the effects of the storms, Rev. Scott Stanfill, senior pastor of CUMC, shares his reflections: The word for “patience” in the Bible can be translated “long-suffering.” Indeed, CUMC continues to live into our current reality of long-suffering while we eagerly anticipate returning to our building. The layers ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Nearly one year after Hurricane Michael destroyed parts of southwest Georgia, blue tarps still dot the landscape. Trees are scattered throughout backyards, and some residents are living in hotels instead of their homes. Even now, 12 months later, you can’t drive 100 yards without seeing one of the emergency roof coverings or some other sign of the storm. Full recovery will take years, locals say. At a time when it would be natural for residents to focus on their own ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor United Methodists are known for being “the last to leave,” and in southwest Georgia, where Hurricane Michael swept through the area Oct. 10, 2018, as a devastating Category 3 storm, they’re still there, working to restore what was lost. Rev. George Masciarelli was recently hired as a Disaster Recovery Coordinator for Hurricane Michael, working specifically in the Southwest District to coordinate long term recovery efforts for those impacted by Hurricane Michael. His ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Even though Hurricane Dorian didn’t impact Georgia’s coast as originally forecast, South Georgia United Methodist congregations and ministries responded before and after the storm to help those whose lives were affected. In the days leading up to Hurricane Dorian’s eventual East Coast landfall, no one was sure exactly where the storm would hit, but those in the Coastal District prepared for the worst. Coastal District Superintendent Rev. David Thompson lives in ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Joy. Passion. Radical hospitality. Relevance. That’s what six South Georgia United Methodists found earlier this month when they traveled to the North Katanga Annual Conference, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). There to explore a new mission partnership with the conference, the team met with Bishop Mande Muyombo and learned about his three main initiatives: church planting, the Kamisamba Farm and Training Centre, and an orphanage. The group toured the ...

We continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in the Bahamas and those in the path of Hurricane Dorian along the east coast. Based on the most recent forecasts from the National Weather Service, it looks like our conference will be heavily impacted by Hurricane Dorian. Gov. Brian Kemp has ordered residents in six Georgia counties east of I-95 - Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Glynn, Liberty and McIntosh Counties - to evacuate beginning today at noon. Bishop Bryan, Luis Morales (Conference Disaster ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Bake sales, pasta dinners, and cake walks are the bread and butter of church fundraisers, but one Brunswick church’s student ministry has taken food fundraising up a noxious notch or two. Wanting to raise several thousand dollars for 14 students and four chaperones to go on a mission trip to Jamaica this December, youth directors from The Chapel, a United Methodist congregation in Brunswick, this summer hatched a plan to raise $5,000 by performing a series of shocking ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor In a time when not much is certain, this is clear: the South Georgia Conference is connectional. Despite uncertainty in The United Methodist Church and concerns for the denomination’s future, South Georgia’s apportionment giving remains steady. As of the end of July, the Conference is on pace to pay local and regional apportionments at the same rate as were paid in 2018. The Conference also approved a 2020 budget of $9,326,184, a more than 7 percent decrease from the ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor A program in Dougherty County, launched by Albany First United Methodist Church, helped save 25.5 tons of food from the landfill last year. But more importantly, it provided food for nearly 1,500 children during the weekends, a time when they don’t have the free breakfasts and lunches that schools offer. “Helping Hands Ending Hunger,” launched last September in Albany’s Morningside and Northside Elementary Schools, has now expanded to include all of Dougherty County’s...

By Kara Witherow, Editor You’ve heard of Charlie’s Angels, but do you know the Plarning Angels? A group of women, affectionately known as the “Plarning Angels,” are using plastic shopping bags to help people who are homeless. Park Avenue United Methodist Church’s Homeless Bedroll Ministry has, for the past year, been making bedrolls out of used plastic shopping bags, the kind nearly everyone has stuffed under their kitchen sink or tucked in their pantry. “Everyone has hundreds of these bags ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Council of Bishops, in response to a request from the Commission on General Conference, has voted to ask the Judicial Council to rule on the implications of the invalid votes discovered during the independent investigation of the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference held last February.   Below is a statement from the President of the Council of Bishops.   “The Council of Bishops was asked by the Commission on the General Conference to bring a request to the ...

By Dr. Hal Brady, chairman of the Conference Center Task Force The campaign to build a new Conference Center for the South Georgia Conference just received a massive boost with the generous gift of $100,000. The donor hopes that the gift will inspire others to step up their giving and finish the campaign toward providing the South Georgia Conference a much-needed home. As you know, the new Conference Center is to be built on the beautiful campus of Wesleyan College and will bring the Episcopal...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Last fall, Hurricane Michael slammed into Southwest Georgia as a Category 3 hurricane after making landfall in the Florida Panhandle as a Category 5.  Michael brought 115 mph winds and downed trees and power lines throughout the region. Homes, churches, and businesses were damaged and destroyed. Cotton, peanut, and pecan crops, which were not yet fully harvested, were decimated. The damage - widespread and far-reaching - is still being felt. The 2019 Atlantic ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Transformational. Inclusive. Loving. A home-away-from home. In a word, life changing. As a sophomore in college, away from home for the first time, Savannah Buice was looking for a community of believers. Invited to a worship service at Valdosta State University’s Wesley Foundation, she went and immediately felt welcomed and at home. “I feel like when you go to college you’re out on your own for the first time, and, for a lot of people, they look to join the first ...

By Mallery L. Hale, Epworth By The Sea Students from churches and schools all over the southeastern United States are improving our community through Epworth By The Sea’s “Mission Volunteer” program, serving others and making an impact in Glynn County. Epworth By The Sea partnered with 17 local organizations to deploy more than 950 students and 31 church/school groups during 2019. Projects included building wheelchair ramps, yard and park clean-ups, visiting nursing homes, feeding meals to the...

The mass shootings this past week in El Paso, Texas, Dayton, Ohio and Gilroy, California have once again brought us face to face with the horrible violence of which human beings are capable. We are plunged into shock and collective grief. And we wonder. Who did this? What were the motives? Why these places in these particular cities?  What about the mental health of the shooters? These and a host of other questions can only be answered after thorough investigations have occurred. In the ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor What’s true of many small, rural communities is also true of Cuthbert, a Southwest Georgia town of about 3,800 people. “There were more things to do here 50 years ago than there are now,” said Mary Jane Salter, a 1968 Andrew College graduate and longtime Randolph County resident. But times are changing in Cuthbert, for the better, thanks in large part to Andrew College’s efforts in the downtown area. The school, a private, liberal arts college related to The United ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor On their way to church each Sunday, many members of Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church drive past the homeless camps near Interstate 16 and the Truman Parkway. One day, Nick Hitt, a member of the downtown Savannah church, decided that something needed to be done to help. “There’s no reason we should be driving by veterans sleeping under bridges as we come to church. They served; we need to do something about it,” he said to the congregation. Others agreed, and...

Nashville, Tenn.: Petitions for consideration by the 2020 General Conference may be submitted to the Petitions Secretary now through September 18, 2019. According to church law, "Any organization, clergy member, or lay member of The United Methodist Church may petition the General Conference...". Detailed instructions for submitting a petition are available on the General Conference website at umc.org/gcpetition. Petitions must be typed and may be submitted through the General Conference ...

This is the second in a two-part series that will introduce the new District Superintendents ADVOCATE: Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up? Have you always lived in South Georgia? REV. PATTON: I was born and raised in Jesup, Georgia, and graduated from Wayne County High School. When I was in middle school we lived in Philadelphia for two years while my dad completed training as an orthodontist. I spent four years in Atlanta for college and three more in Kentucky for ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Nearly 17 years ago, Valdosta First UMC began Solomon’s Porch as the church’s contemporary worship service. By 2019, attendance at Solomon’s Porch’s two services averaged more than 410, with growth exceeding 33 percent in the past few years. The congregation had maxed out its worship space, limiting further growth. Knowing something had to be done in order to continue growing, church leaders met to discuss options. They considered several, including moving to a bigger ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Every Tuesday night, folks in Columbus’ Rose Hill neighborhood gather downstairs in the former Rose Hill United Methodist Church for a little bit of food and a whole lot of Jesus. For nearly a decade, volunteers from throughout the community have come together to help feed the city’s homeless. Begun by a former Rose Hill UMC pastor, the ministry is now run by Linda Laye, chaplain of the Fellowship at Rose Hill. Several Columbus-area United Methodist churches are part ...

This is the first in a two-part series that will introduce the new District Superintendents ADVOCATE: Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up? Have you always lived in South Georgia? REV. LEWIS: My family moved back here from Mississippi when I was in fourth grade. I lived in the Thomasville area from then until I took my first appointment. When we first moved to Thomasville, we lived in a split-house apartment with my grandfather. I spent a lot of time with him, whether it was ...

The South Georgia Conference delegation to the 2020 General and Jurisdictional Conferences has endorsed the Reverend Robert Beckum as its episcopal nominee (nominee to be elected as a bishop in The United Methodist Church). Rev. Beckum will join nominees from other conferences under consideration for the episcopacy at next summer’s Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference at Lake Junaluska, NC. Rev. Beckum is the senior pastor of St. Luke United Methodist Church in Columbus, appointed there in ...

Detailed recaps of each day’s events, including listings of who was ordained and commissioned, those who retired, and the ministers and spouses who were remembered during the memorial service, as well as the appointment list, photos, and bulletin insert can be found by clicking here.   As the Chattahoochee River flowed outside, the Holy Spirit flowed inside as nearly 1,000 South Georgia United Methodists gathered in Columbus, Ga. for the 2019 South Georgia Annual Conference session.   Held June ...

During the 2019 Annual Conference session, attendees heard five “Alive Together in the World” moments from Connectional Ministries. These “Alive Moments” highlighted the various ways South Georgia United Methodists are reaching out throughout the Conference and beyond. During the Monday, June 3 business session, Allison Lindsey, associate director of Connectional Ministries, interviewed Rev. Jay Hanson, Director of Congregational Ministries; Anne Bosarge, multi-campus director of The Chapel ...

Two policies that focus on churches that want to disaffiliate, or leave The South Georgia Conference and The United Methodist Church, were presented and passed during the 2019 South Georgia Annual Conference session.   A Disaffiliation Policy, created and presented by The Foundations For The Future Task Force and reviewed and approved by Leadership Forum, was passed with two amendments. The policy sets out a framework to be followed when at least two-thirds of a congregation vote to leave the ...

Churches throughout the conference continue to demonstrate the ways they are Alive Together in the World through mission, ministry, and evangelism.  Evangelistically Fruitful Congregations The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. A significant dimension of the disciple-making process is that of leading people to make a commitment to God through baptism and profession of faith in Jesus Christ.   Reaching new persons with the gospel is at the very heart of every church’s ...

Annual Conference is a special time to celebrate ministry milestones and achievements, from those just entering the ministry to those taking the next step of their journey into retirement. On Monday morning the South Georgia Annual Conference celebrated with those clergy who have served in ministry for 50 years and those who are entering into a retired relationship with the Annual Conference. Clergy recognized for having served 50 years in ministry include: Rev. Mira L. Barrett Rev. Thomas W. ...

A Memorial Service for those faithful servants who served in the South Georgia Annual Conference was held Monday afternoon, June 3, at 2 p.m. as conference members gathered at St. Luke United Methodist Church in Columbus, Ga. Rev. Cleo Gilchrist, the outgoing pastor at Grace United Methodist Church in Brunswick who retired at this year’s Annual Conference session, reminded those gathered that although they may grieve, God is able. “When grief comes to your home, God’s grace will be sufficient,” ...

During the 2019 annual conference session, held June 2 through June 5, South Georgia United Methodists elected delegates to serve at the 2020 General and Southeastern Jurisdictional Conferences. In all, four clergy and four laity were elected to attend General Conference, the highest legislative body of the denomination, which will meet May 5-15, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minn. In addition, the conference elected another four clergy and four laity to attend the Southeastern Jurisdictional ...

On Wednesday, June 5, Bishop R. Lawson Bryan fixed the 2019-2020 pastoral appointments for the South Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church. Click here to download and view a list of appointments by district. 

ALL ANNUAL CONFERENCE INFORMATION Nearly 1,000 South Georgia United Methodists will gather June 2-5 at The Columbus Georgia Convention & Trade Center to worship, fellowship, vote for delegates, and discuss the future of the South Georgia Conference. Meeting under the theme, “Alive Together in the World,” the 2019 Annual Conference session will celebrate how South Georgia churches have connected with their communities in creative ways. “We introduced ‘Alive Together in the World’ one year ago ...

Applications are now available for clergy wanting to participate in an S3 group. S3 is a collaborative, small group, action-learning experience for clergy that helps sustain and promote excellence in ordained ministry. Participants develop and implement a two year small group learning experience focused on three areas: Sabbath, Study, and Service. S3 groups are self-selected and self-directed: participants choose the members of their group and develop their group’s S3 learning project (with ...

Bishop R. Lawson Bryan has announced projected appointment changes as of May 19, 2019. The appointments will be set at the South Georgia Annual Conference and will be effective in June. Click here to download the list of projected appointments. 

United Methodists may now apply online to serve as volunteer marshals or pages during The United Methodist Church’s 2020 General Conference. The denomination’s top legislative assembly will meet May 5-15, 2020, in Minneapolis. Approximately 175 volunteers are needed to serve as marshals and pages during General Conference. Marshals are responsible for assisting visitors and special guests in the visitor and reserved seating galleries, checking credentials to make sure that only authorized ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor When Hurricane Michael struck Southwest Georgia last October, it left a path of destruction and devastation that’s still being felt. But thanks to countless volunteers, case managers, organizations, and others, United Methodists in South Georgia are undertaking recovery efforts for those affected. Sherry Buresh is currently serving as a Disaster Recovery Coordinator working specifically in the Southwest District coordinating long term recovery efforts for those ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Two policies will be presented and voted upon during the upcoming 2019 South Georgia Annual Conference session, set for June 2-5 in Columbus. The Foundations For The Future Task Force will present a Disaffiliation Policy outlining a framework to be followed if a congregation votes to leave the South Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church. The Pension Liability Proposal, which was prepared by the Conference Board of Pensions, will outline a church’s ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor On warm, sunny days, Wesley Glen’s 40 residents enjoy eating picnic lunches. They’re now able to, thanks to 18-year-old Joshua Asbell, who recently managed the fundraising, design, and production of 10 picnic tables to earn Boy Scouts’ highest rank. Asbell, a senior at Macon’s Howard High School and a member of Vineville United Methodist Church, is the fourth Asbell to earn the Eagle Scout rank. His father, Dr. Jimmy Asbell, older brother Jimmy, and uncle have all ...

Business items for the 2019 Annual Conference session are contained in the Book of Recommendations and Reports (BOR). One of the purposes of the BOR is to encourage delegates to read the recommendations, reports, and resolutions prior to arriving at conference. A good delegate is a prepared delegate. The 2015 Annual Conference session voted that all Annual Conference materials, including the Book of Recommendations and Reports, be made available online on the conference website and through ...

The story of The United Methodist Church in Russia is 130 years old and includes Hitler’s invasion of Europe, the dissolution of churches, and heart-breaking accounts of the persecution of Methodist clergy in prisons or labor camps. It also includes the story of Moscow Theological Seminary of The United Methodist Church, founded in 1991. With a main campus in Moscow and three regional centers across 11 time zones, Moscow Theological Seminary is the largest United Methodist student body in ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Just like a dilapidated former crack house in downtown Brunswick has been transformed into a beautiful, bright spot in the neighborhood, a ministry in Brunswick is working to shed light on the growing and pervasive issue of sex trafficking, bring hope and healing to victims, and transform lives. Faithful Love, a ministry founded by United Methodist Carrie Nellis, helps rescue women from sex trafficking by giving them resources, providing a safe place to rest and ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Jewell Dabbs is an artist, but she doesn’t use watercolors or acrylics to create her masterpieces. Her canvases are fabric, and brocades, tassels and beads are her brushstrokes. Dabbs creates banners – beautiful, artistic displays that proclaim the majesty and message of Jesus Christ and his love to all who see them. A member of Statesboro First United Methodist Church, Dabbs is a great supporter of music and worship. For years she has spearheaded the effort to ...

Holy Week is a journey to the cross, the center of our faith. Meditating on the crucifix connects us with the wounds of Jesus, “… by his stripes we are healed.” Meditating on the empty cross, the Resurrection Cross, connects us to God’s victory over sin, evil, and death. As we make this journey, please join me in focusing our hearts and minds on Psalm 22. The first verse of Psalm 22 is familiar to us because Jesus prayed it from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Anyone who ...

The South Georgia Conference will elect its delegation to the 2020 General and Jurisdictional Conferences during the 2019 Annual Conference Session in Columbus, Ga., June 2-5. Four (4) clergy and four (4) lay delegates to General Conference will be elected. An additional four (4) clergy and four (4) lay delegates will be chosen to complete the Jurisdictional Conference delegation. Alternates will also be elected. Those who are interested in declaring their interest in serving as delegates are ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor When he’s not preaching from the pulpit on Sunday mornings, one can often find Rev. Mike Davis at the ballfield, on the firing range, practicing jiu-jitsu, or in a patrol car. As a sheriff’s chaplain and reserve deputy sheriff in Lowndes County, Rev. Davis makes time in his week to check in with deputies, stop in the muster room regularly, and support his brothers and sisters in blue. He’s given blessings and benedictions, assisted at death notifications and conducted ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor In the United States, if someone wants a glass of water, all they have to do is walk a few feet to a faucet and turn it on. In much of Africa, people have to walk anywhere from one to five to seven miles or more to an often-contaminated water source. But thanks to the work of Rev. Bobby Gale and his Unto the Least of His ministry, more than 50,000 people are able to drink fresh, clean water. Always concerned with providing basic health and justice solutions, the ...

2019 Annual Conference Session From the Bishop Dear Lay and Clergy Members of the Annual Conference, Conference and Agency Leaders, We introduced “Alive Together in the World” one year ago at the conclusion of Annual Conference 2018. When we meet again this June we will have much to celebrate as our churches have been connecting with their communities in creative ways. We will be noting the many ways we are Alive Together in the World. A special thanks to those in Columbus who are doing all ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Holy ground. That’s how Wallace Twiggs describes Epworth By The Sea. A teenager in the late 1940s, Twiggs was one of the first youth to visit the future site of South Georgia’s conference and retreat center, which was purchased on Oct. 29, 1949. One Saturday afternoon that fall, Twiggs, then a member of Brunswick First United Methodist Church, and several other youth went with their counselor to what is now Epworth. Stomping through waist-high grass, they chased ...

Bishop Lawson Bryan has announced the projected appointments of two new District Superintendents to the Cabinet, effective June 2019. Rev. Steve Patton will be appointed to serve as superintendent of the Northwest District and Rev. Paula Lewis will serve as superintendent of the South Central District. Rev. Patton will succeed Dr. Buddy Cooper, who will retire at the 2019 Annual Conference session. Dr. Cooper has served on the South Georgia Cabinet for seven years. Rev. Henry Bass, current ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Nearly 1,000 South Georgia United Methodists gathered Saturday, March 9 at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton to learn more about the 2019 General Conference session and the future of the South Georgia Conference. The meeting began with worship and prayer and both were woven into the day. Prayer was a focal point and scripture was incorporated throughout the two-hour session. Ben Drennan, Minister of Music and Worship Arts at Cordele First United ...

During the special session of General Conference, Bishop Bryan said, “Prayer is the work of the people.” With that in mind, a prayer book has been created to serve as a guide to prayer in the 12 weeks between now and the June 3-5 Annual Conference session. “We are the people and prayer is our work,” said Rev. Teresa Edwards, who helped write the prayer book, along with Revs. Meg Procopio and Josh Bizzell. Margaret Mathews, a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Warner Robins, provided ...

The special called session of General Conference began with prayer and ended with protest. After three years of preparation, planning, and prayer, the 864 clergy and lay delegates who gathered Feb. 23-26 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Mo. passed an amended Traditional Plan 438 to 384. The Traditional Plan keeps the church’s current language around sexuality and increases accountability by streamlining the processes to enforce penalties for violations of The Book of Discipline ...

A UMC.org feature by Joe Iovino* Ash Wednesday is an important day in the church calendar. It marks the beginning of Lent, a season of preparation for the celebration of Easter. This holy day is not a holiday from work, school, or most other obligations, so if we are not intentional in our observance it is likely to resemble any ordinary Wednesday. To help us find ways to remember the holy in the midst of our routines—something we should strive for every day—we offer some ideas to consider. ...

Areas across the Southeast woke up Monday morning to the devastation caused by severe storms and tornadoes. The Weather Service logged at least three dozen tornado reports Sunday as twisters swept across Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, but none were as severe as those in Lee County, Ala., where at least 24 persons were killed. "Our hearts hurt, and we grieve with those affected," said Bishop Lawson Bryan. "I have contacted Bishop David Graves, of the Alabama-West Florida ...

A UMC.org feature by Joe Iovino* The commission did their work. A conference was held. Speeches were given. Delegates voted. Decisions were made. Now what? In the days following General Conference 2019, the desire to move ahead is alluring. Those happy with the decisions are ready for implementation. Those grieving the results are tempted to react rashly. At times like these, however, Scripture encourages us to pause, listen and actively wait for the Spirit’s guidance. As the hymn states, ...

It’s appointment-making season in The United Methodist Church, and last week Bishop Bryan and the Appointive Cabinet met for several days to pray, worship, and begin the decision-making process of appointments. The 2019-2020 appointment-making schedule is available here. “Each year as we approach the appointment-making season, I always do it with a sense of freshness, because every year it is fresh and a bit different … but we are all in this together,” said Bishop Bryan in a video. “I want to ...

WATCH THE LIVE STREAM TRACK LEGISLATION GC AGENDA (reminder: all times listed on this agenda are CST) ADCA (contains all of the legislation submitted for consideration by the delegates.) DCA (the official journal of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church. It serves as the record of those who have been elected to serve as delegate, the legislation submitted, and the decisions made by the General Conference. RECAP FROM SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23 | VIDEO RECAP FROM SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24 | ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Listen to God. Do what he says. That’s what Georgia Southern University senior Konner Smith did two years ago when she and her roommate bought a few bags of food and drove around Statesboro until they ended up at Butler Homes. They saw a friendly looking apartment – one with frog stickers on the door – and knocked. Since then, a beautiful friendship has blossomed and a ministry has been born. Smith and the woman who opened the door, Grace, have become great friends. ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Thanks to help from a local ministry, Agnes Futch can now enjoy sunshine, birds, and fresh air again. In January, Fitzgerald’s Imagine Ministries built Futch a new wheelchair ramp. Her old one was dangerous, too steep, and caused her to careen out of control and break her ankle in three places. “I’m so grateful,” said Futch, who had polio twice and relies on her wheelchair to get around. “I’m not scared to go down or come up anymore. It opens up entire worlds, and I ...

The South Georgia Conference’s delegation to the 2019 Special Session of General Conference has been meeting and preparing for the Feb. 23-26 meeting for more than a year. As they pack and plan to leave for St. Louis next week, they ask that South Georgia United Methodists join them in prayer. “It’s been a real wonderful experience to serve as a leader of this delegation,” said Bill Hatcher, a member of Statesboro First United Methodist Church. “You can be very proud and know that this ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor The numbers are in, and South Georgia’s United Methodist churches paid 89.5 percent of their apportionment giving for 2018. Given the devastation many in the conference experienced from Hurricane Michael and the tenor of the times, conference leaders are pleased. “To have people come through like this, especially considering what’s going on in their personal lives, is astounding,” said Dr. Derek McAleer, Director of Administrative Services. “The Southwest District ...