By Rick Wolcott*

“Now is the time for us to focus forward. This is a time of remarkable opportunity in the life of The United Methodist Church,” declared Bishop Tracy S. Malone during her Episcopal Address on Day 1 of Annual Conference 2023.

Throughout the Address the bishop reminded those in attendance at the John S. Knight Center in Akron, and those viewing online, that “our mission is yet alive!” She emphasized that point by highlighting creative new ministries and innovative ways that local church congregations in the East Ohio Conference are engaging in discipleship in their communities.

The theme of the 54^th session of Annual Conference is Faith, Hope, Love and the services, celebrations, and sessions of conference are guided by the words of 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (CEB): “We always thank God for all of you when we mention you constantly in our prayers. This is because we remember your work that comes from faith, your effort that comes from love, and your perseverance that comes from hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.”

Day 1 of Annual Conference opened with the Service of Commemoration and Holy Communion, which honored the lives of 48 saints who entered the church triumphant since May of 2022.

During the opening business session, Annual Conference members voted to add to the agenda of this year’s session a fourth resolution, “East Ohio United Methodists Against Hate Crimes”, which was numbered Resolution 2023-04. It will come before the body for action during this year’s conference along with Resolution 2023-01: “Advocating for the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation”; Resolution 2023-02: “Request for a Special Annual Conference for Disaffiliating Churches”; and Resolution 2023-03: “Supporting the Christmas Covenant”. The session also included opening motions, presentations from the Annual Conference Program Committee, the Committee on Episcopacy, and the Leadership Committee, and a message from the chair of the East Ohio Conference delegations to General Conference and Jurisdictional Conference.

The afternoon sessions began with the opening of the corporate meeting during which Annual Conference members voted to approve the disaffiliation agreements of 237 churches effective the end of June 2023. When the new church year begins July 1, 414 of the current 651 churches in the East Ohio Conference (64%) will continue to be United Methodist churches. That includes 37 of the current 49 large membership churches (76%) with average worship attendance of 100 or more, 222 of the 326 churches (68%) with an average worship attendance of 26-99, and 155 of the 276 small membership churches (56%) in the Conference that average 25 or fewer people in worship.

“Lighthouse churches and Oasis groups across the East Ohio Conference are actively welcoming those who choose continuing to be a United Methodist even though the church they attend is one whose members have voted to disaffiliate,” shared Rev. Randy May, president of the Conference Board of Trustees.

In her Episcopal Address, Bishop Malone said, “We can no longer focus our attention and give energy to those who have chosen to withdraw or disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church. We grieve the loss. We pray for them, and we bless them on their journey. We must focus our attention on who is staying in The United Methodist Church and keep our eye ever vigilant on our mission and on our vision.”

Other afternoon business included Annual Conference members voting to approve a 5% increase across all pastoral minimum salary categories, and presentations from the Commission on the Status and Role of Women and from Multicultural Ministries, which included Lina H. McCord summer intern Jalen Lawson. The Bennett College student is a recipient of financial support from the Black College Fund which was established by the 1972 General Conference to support the 11 Historically Black Colleges and Universities related to The United Methodist Church.

“This is your life. Find a passion and pursue it. Seize opportunities when they reveal themselves. Love with all your heart. Never give up. Do what you love, and be true to who you are,” said Lawson.

For the first time since 2019, the year before the pandemic, communion was served via intinction during worship and the offering plate was passed among Annual Conference members, instead of the offering being received only online. This year’s offering will benefit EOC Volunteers in Mission, Heart 4 the City in Akron, and the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund.

“Friends now is the time. Let us no longer look back in the rear-view mirror dwelling on our past but let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus on the road that God has paved and is paving ahead of us. Let us trust where the spirit of God is leading us. God is always making things new! And while we don’t know what the future holds, what we do know is that God holds the future. And our lives, and the future of this beloved United Methodist Church, is in God’s hands. So let us pull together and let us seize this kairotic moment to seek and live into the new thing that God is doing among us,” Bishop Malone said.

Learn more about Lighthouse churches and Oasis groups.
Donate to the Annual Conference offering.
Visit the Annual Conference 2023 website.
View the livestream of AC 2023 Sessions & Services.

*Rick Wolcott is executive director of Communications for the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church.