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The 2011 South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church

Greetings from the Bluffton United Methodist Church Lay Delegates to Annual Conference.  As your elected representatives and attendees we wanted to share a little bit about this year’s Annual Conference and give you some information about its structure and relationship to the United Methodist Church and to the local church.  -- Bob  Mary Powell

This year the South Carolina Annual Conference was again  held at the Civic Center in Florence SC.  The theme was The Wesleyan Way.  Bishop Mary Bishop Taylor addressed the annual conference: 




“Are you ready, South Carolina, for what God will do with us together?”

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SOUTH CAROLINA METHODIST CONFERENCE REPORT

2011

 

ATTENDED BY  MARY & BOB POWELL

DATE                  JUNE 8-12, 2011

LOCATION         FLORENCE, SC

 

THE WELCOME SPEECH FOR THE LAYITY ORIENTATION WAS DELIVERED BY DR. JOSEPH HEYWARD, THE CONFERENCE LAY READER.

BISHOP MARY TAYLOR OPENED THE CONFERENCE WITH A WELCOME AND WORSHIP SERVICE. 

THE RULES AND RESOLUTIONS WERE EXPLAINED ALONG WITH THE PROCESS OF VOTING FOR GENERAL AND JURISDICTIONAL  DELEGATES FOR THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE.

THE CHANGES IN THE PENSION AND INSURANCE PROGRAMS THAT BEGAN LAST YEAR HAVE TAKEN THE PROGRAM FROM A PRECARIOUS POSITION TO A MORE STABLE POSITION.   OF INTEREST THIS YEAR THE CHANGES  INCLUDE TAKING THE PRESCRIPTION PLAN FROM A FLAT CO-PAY TO A PERCENTAGE CO-PAY AND EMERGENCY ROOM DEDUCTABLE FROM $50 TO $200.

REVEREND BOB HOWELL FROM BETHENY UMC, SUMMERVILLE SPOKE ON “THE PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP”.   REV. HOWELL LEADS THE LARGEST CONGREGATION IN THE  SC CONFERENCE WITH A MEMBERSHIP OF 3400.  THEIR APPORTIONMENT ALONE IS OVER $251,000.

THE ELECTION PROCESS FOR DELEGATES TO THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE  WAS  LONG AND CUMBERSOME.   NINE DELEGATES WERE CHOSEN BY THE LAYITY FOR GENERAL CONFERENCE AND NINE DELEGATES FOR JURISDICTIONAL  WITH  THREE ALTERNATES.  THE SAME NUMBER WAS CHOSEN BY THE CLERGY.   OF REGIONAL INTEREST JEANIE BLANKENBANKER OF ST. ANDREWS BY THE SEA, HILTON HEAD WAS ELECTED AS A JURISDICTIONAL DELEGATE.

WE FEEL THE FOLLOWING ARE INTERESTING POINTS THAT OCCURRED OR WERE PASSED:

·         CONFERENCE BUDGET FOR 2012 WAS APPROVED AND IS APPROXIMATELY 1.3% BELOW THE 2011 BUDGET. (17+ MILLION)

·         21 PASTORS RETIRED, 31 COMMISSIONED OR ORDAINED, 23 LOCAL PASTORS LICENSED.

·         THE CONFERENCE WILL NO LONGER PROVIDE BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR LOCAL CHURCHES.

·         A RESOLUTION FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM TOOK UP MANY HOURS OF DEBATE

AND  VOTING.   THE DEBATE WAS BASED ON ONE RESOLUTION WHICH READ

<>“RESOLVED,  THAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST
CHURCH DISCOURAGE THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE IN PASSING AND IMPLIMENTING SB20”.   THE WHOLE RESOLUTION PASSED WHICH INCLUDED THIS PARAGRAPH BY A VOTE OF 543-501.  A HAND AND STANDING VOTE WAS SO CLOSEE A WRITTEN BALLOT HAD TO BE TAKEN.

·         AN EVENING SERVICE COLLECTION FOR “IMAGINE NO MALARIA” WAS TAKEN AND YIELDED $13,000.

·         AN EVENING SERVICE COLLECTION WAS ALSO TAKEN FOR UMCOR - $18,000.

·         THE DIRE FINANCIAL POSITION OF UMCOR WAS  GIVEN AND WE WERE ADVISED THAT THEY ARE MORE THAN $750,000 IN THE RED WITH $274,000 BEING OWNED TO THE CONFERENCE.  A MAJOR PORTION OF THIS WAS FROM THE 1989 HURRICANE THAT HIT CHARLESTON.  A BOARD MEMBER SAID NOTHING BUT A MIRACLE WILL KEEP IT AFLOAT.

A VOTE TO FORGIVE THE $274,000 WAS REFERRED TO COMMITTEE.

·         1640 WERE IN ATTENDANCE-846 LAIETY, 795 CLERGY

·         2012 CONFERENCE WILL BE IN FLORENCE FROM JUNE 10-13TH

 

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    Yours in Christ,
    Mary & Bob Powell









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