News

The Council of Bishops, in consultation with the Southeastern Jurisdiction (SEJ) and the respective Annual Conference Committees on Episcopacy, on May 14 announced projected episcopal assignments. Click here to read the published assignments. Upon Bishop Lawson Bryan’s retirement and during the interim – from September 1, 2021, until new bishops can be elected at the next Jurisdictional Conference, projected to be held fall 2022 – Bishop David Graves, current episcopal leader of the ...

By Dr. Hal Brady A thoughtful physician who takes time to deal with his patients as whole persons says that he has discovered that “99 out of 100 individuals are lonely. And the one who says he/she isn’t probably is.” Loneliness is indeed a universal problem and yet it comes to each of us on an individual basis. No question, loneliness has been enhanced by the COVID-19 pandemic. While appropriate during the pandemic, being asked to push away from each other, social distance, isolate, and ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Throughout downtown Douglas, Ga., the “bells will be ringing the glad, glad news.” On Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9, Douglas First United Methodist Church’s new carillon bell system was dedicated and commissioned. The church’s first bell system, it was given to the church by Dr. Jane and Rev. Billy Kimbrel and their family in memory of Dr. Kimbrel’s late mother, Gwen Carver, a lifelong member of Douglas First UMC. Generations of Dr. Kimbrel’s family have loved and ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Divorce. Empty nests. Dementia. Deployment. Miscarriage. Traumatic injury. Addiction. A global pandemic. In her seven years serving as associate pastor at Vineville United Methodist Church in Macon, Rev. Grace Guyton has seen countless people experience ambiguous loss. A loss that occurs without closure or clear understanding, ambiguous loss often leaves a person searching for answers. It complicates and delays the process of grieving and often results in unresolved ...

By Suzanne Akins, Event Coordinator/Camp Director “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14 It was February 1980 and one of the earliest memories of my childhood. I’m not even sure if it’s an actual memory or I’ve just been a part of the retelling of the story so many times that it sits like a memory. My brothers and I were sprawled out on our orange ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor On a sunny Saturday morning in March, more than 500 people showed up at St. Mary’s Road United Methodist Church in south Columbus. In the short span of three hours, 515 people received the COVID-19 vaccine, an “awesome” feat, said Dr. Pamela Shaw-Grant, St. Mary’s Road UMC’s wellness ministry chair. Scheduled for Saturday so more people could attend, the church’s vaccine clinic offered both drive-thru and walk-up service to allow access to as many people as possible. ...

GROWING IN GRACE BEN GOSDEN By all expert accounts we seem to be nearing a place where the end of this pandemic is in sight (side note: please keep wearing your masks and get your vaccine if you’re able to get one). What started as a brief delay in our routine has become a marathon of more than a year. We’ve marked special days in different ways. We’ve lived our daily lives somewhere on the spectrum of fearful to incredibly anxious. And what might be among the hardest for most of us, we’ve ...

FROM THE BISHOP R. LAWSON BRYAN  Reflecting on the past global pandemic year, psychologist James F. Schroeder begins one of his blog posts with these words:   Temperate, sunny days usually teach us little, except that we want more of them. But the harshness of an undesired season has a particular way of engendering lessons, which although begrudged and disdained, can stick with us for a long time – if we are open to them. We certainly have experienced the harshness of several undesired ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Don Barnes is the newly elected president of the South Georgia Conference’s United Methodist Men. An active member of Cordele First United Methodist Church, Barnes has served as South Georgia’s United Methodist Men’s secretary for more than a decade and has been involved in men’s ministry at the local, district, and conference level. Barnes will formally assume the role on June 7, at the end of the 2021 Annual Conference session, but has already begun to work on a ...

In a heartfelt video, Bishop R. Lawson Bryan, episcopal leader of the South Georgia Area of The United Methodist Church, announced his intent to retire, effective Sept. 1, 2021. “It has been a great joy, and I thank you for the willingness you have had for us to be in ministry together. We are greatly blessed by the South Georgia Conference,” he said in the video. “In every way, this Conference is ready, not only for today, but even for tomorrow, because we are being Alive Together in Christ.” ...

Business items for the 2021 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 ...

A jury on Tuesday convicted former police officer Derek Chauvin of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, nearly a year after a viral video of the Black man gasping for breath pinned beneath the White officer’s knee sent millions into the streets demanding justice and forcing a national reckoning on race and policing. (Washington Post) Here is the statement from the Bishop Bryan on the verdict: I pray our nation will decide that we are not willing to go through this much pain ...

Bishop Lawson Bryan has announced the projected appointment of Rev. Stephen Grantham as the Northeast District Superintendent, effective June 2021. Bishop Bryan previously announced that Rev. Jimmy Cason would serve in that capacity as an interim Superintendent, but with the further delay of General Conference and more pastoral moves this year than expected, he and the Cabinet felt it possible to make a regular appointment now. “I am deeply grateful to Jimmy Cason for his outstanding leadership ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor For thousands of South Georgia children and youth, the Conference’s Confirmation Retreat has been a crucial part of their confirmation journey. Since 2002, hundreds of children have flocked to Epworth By The Sea each spring for worship, study, and fellowship with fellow confirmands. But because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Confirmation Retreat was in limbo and organizers had to determine if and how to host the event. “Now more than ever, youth are ...

OUR CONNECTION MATTERS ALLISON LINDSEY “Creation is the canvas on which God has painted His character.” Author Unknown Spring fever is upon me, especially as the temperatures begin to feel like summer. I love to be outdoors in God’s creation, and April is the perfect time to highlight Creation Care as we celebrate Earth Day on April 22.   You may be familiar with the Seven Wonders of the World, but do you know there are seven natural wonders of Georgia? Two of these wonders are located right ...

PATHWAY TO HIS PRESENCE B.J. FUNK There is an art to learning what you can do and trying to do it well. The tendency, however, is to put our hands in as many projects as we can, becoming a Jack of all trades, master of none. It’s taken me a while to figure this out. When I was young, I used to think I could do it all. You know, like that lady on TV who sang, “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan….” Or, Helen Reddy who brought us, “I am woman, hear me roar!” In that same song she ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor During the coronavirus pandemic, social media – especially Facebook – has helped the Lone Hill United Methodist Church congregation stay connected, said pastor Rev. Lori Howell-Miller. And with training and a $5,100 grant, the church plans to expand their social media presence, build a church website, post sermons and events on YouTube, and more. “You can still be a rural, small church and still be vibrant and alive,” Rev. Howell-Miller said. “Technology will help ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD Quoting the United States Postal Service, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” The very same could be said of our itinerant Methodist ministers. It is our clergy who put the move into our movement and, as they prepare to pack up all of their worldly belongings and relocate to a new town, we’d like to highlight What’s Old Is New Again! The itinerancy is as fundamental to...

The conference office has been notified of a spoofing email as well as a text making the rounds to various South Georgia United Methodists appearing as a message from Bishop Bryan. This most recent email is from a fake, spoofed email account that has NO ties to Bishop Bryan.  Please know that the Bishop will never ask for a donation, gift cards, or any kind of transfer of money via email. We recommend that you don't open attachments or give your personal information to anyone unless you are ...

As the annual process of appointment making continues, the Appointive Cabinet and I are grateful for the many expressions of prayerful support received from clergy and laity throughout the Annual Conference. We ask for your continued prayers as we follow the discernment process for appointment-making described in The Book of Discipline (¶426-430).   The Cabinet and I originally announced April 18, 2021, as the intended date for the release of this year’s projected appointments. However, we are ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor “Without a doubt we know we shall be revived. Welcome home. Welcome home.” After being displaced for two years, four months, and 11 days, the Colquitt United Methodist Church congregation had finally returned home. In his Ash Wednesday sermon, Rev. Scott Stanfill welcomed the congregation to its renovated sanctuary and highlighted many of the challenges Colquitt UMC has faced in its 163-year history, including its most recent trial, the destruction wrought by ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor “Get off the sidelines and get into the game.” That’s what Rev. Dorsia Atkinson heard God saying to him earlier this year. Rev. Atkinson isn’t an athlete or a coach, but pastor of Sylvania United Methodist Church. As a pastor, Rev. Atkinson understood his congregation was frightened and worried. The coronavirus pandemic hadn’t spared Screven County, and Rev. Atkinson knew he had to do something to help. “I just felt like we were talking about COVID but not doing ...

FROM THE BISHOP R. LAWSON BRYAN  Easter Sunday worship begins with the joyous affirmation, “Christ is Risen!” And the congregation responds, “Christ is risen, indeed!”  This signals the start of The Great Fifty Days—the period beginning with the Resurrection of Jesus and continuing through his appearances to his disciples, his ascension to heaven, and finally the birth of the Christian Church on Pentecost.   I want to draw attention to one practical outcome of the Resurrection. It changed how ...

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS ANNE BOSARGE REV. JAY HANSON “If we want to survive, we’ve got to get online.” I’ve heard versions of this sentence spoken by clergy and laity throughout the last 12 months as we have all struggled to find our way in a changing digital landscape. While I (Anne) agree with them and think having a digital presence is essential in this season of ministry, “survival” isn’t a compelling enough vision upon which to build an impactful ministry. Just getting online isn’t the ...

Knowing church leaders are navigating an ever changing ministry landscape, the South Georgia Conference is excited to bring relevant training to help equip local churches in their ministry settings. Two upcoming trainings include “5 Things Your Visitors Are Thinking But Won’t Ask” on Monday, April 12 and “Virtual Tools for Ministry” on Thursday, April 15. Both trainings will be conducted via Zoom. “Hospitality and evangelism have taken on new dimensions in our BOTH/AND world of online and ...

As we join Jesus’ journey through Holy Week we all bring with us heavy burdens of grief. The path Jesus walked to his crucifixion is traditionally referred to as The Via Dolorosa—the way of sorrows. It is marked by “Stations of the Cross” commemorating specific actions that occurred on the way to the cross. I encourage us to embrace the image of The Via Dolorosa and the Stations of the Cross as guiding images for our observance of Holy Week.   The title, “The Way of Sorrows” points to the ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor New roofs. Empowerment trainings. Rebuilt churches. That’s how some of the $60,000 in mission funds sent to the North Katanga Annual Conference from the South Georgia Annual Conference is being used for mission and ministry. “It is true love in action,” said Rev. Bomboko Kakese, senior pastor of North Katanga’s Dean Scott local church, where he is in charge of plastering the assistant pastor’s parsonage. Thanks to South Georgia’s support and partnership, he says, the...

OUR CONNECTION MATTERS ALLISON LINDSEY “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5 I have spring fever! As I write this outside in the breezy 70-degree warmth of the sun, I am beginning to see buds on my fig trees open up, displaying small green leaves, and I anticipate the ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD A time of darkness and confusion filled with more questions than answers. Too many people in too small a space with no meaningful communication occurring. Heart-felt arguments regarding the best practices in serving God. Is it spring 2021 or Passover in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago? What’s old is new again. During this Lenten season, we are to transport ourselves, at least spiritually, to the last days of Jesus’s ministry among his disciples. After traveling ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Where an empty, abandoned house once stood now grows a lush, vibrant garden, full of life. Sitting in the heart of downtown Thomasville, Thomasville First United Methodist Church’s neighbors are businesses, other churches, and restaurants. With only convenience stores and dollar stores nearby, it’s in what some would call a “food desert.” “For people living near the church, there might not be super easy access to fresh produce,” said Drew West, Thomasville First UMC’s...

By Dr. Hal Brady “And the door was shut” (Matthew 25:10). Sadder words have never been spoken or written. There’s a certain finality about them. Jesus tells how 10 young women were invited to a marriage feast. Five were wise and five were foolish. The wise women showed their wisdom by planning for the possible delay of the bridegroom. They took extra oil for their lamps so they would be ready when he came. The foolish women neglected to do so, and while they waited, all fell asleep. Suddenly ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor While much of this past year has been an exercise in sacrifice of some sort, the season of Lent is a time of fasting and surrender in preparation for the coming of Easter, a time of self-examination and reflection. For many South Georgia congregations and pastors, this Lenten season is also a time of creativity and an opportunity to innovate and adapt.  Lent is always an important part of Brunswick First United Methodist Church’s year. The church typically hosts daily...

FROM THE BISHOP R. LAWSON BRYAN In the continuing effort to keep South Georgia updated on developments related to the postponed 2020 General and Jurisdictional Conferences, I share the following items for your study and reflection.  First, the new dates for the postponed 2020 General Conference have been announced: Aug. 29-Sept. 6, 2022, in Minneapolis, Minn. See full announcement here Second, the Council of Bishops is calling a Special Session of the General Conference to be held online on ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON The German colonists who traveled to Georgia with General Oglethorpe influenced John Wesley in many ways. One of those ways was to give him guidance in how to deal with women. He actually asked the German bishop for advice in this area. Actually, John Wesley needed a lot of advice in how to deal with women! The German bishop, Spandenburgh, advised John Wesley to not to talk with women “overmuch.” Billy Graham and his staff met together early in his evangelistic...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Luis Morales, Disaster Coordinator for the South Georgia Conference, has been elected vice president of the Georgia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD).  Morales, a member of Centerville United Methodist Church, has for years been active in disaster response, recovery, and disaster training. In 2018, following Hurricane Maria, he served as a consultant for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) in Puerto Rico. In his new role with Georgia VOAD,...

Residents across Texas endured 139 hours of temperatures below freezing, widespread electricity outages, burst water pipes and extensive property damage during the winter storm which blanketed the state. We continue to pray for families who have lost loved ones and for the communities that are now realizing the extent of damage as areas have thawed out. United Methodists throughout the connection are responding. Churches in these areas are finding creative ways to serve their communities. From ...

Meeting on February 20, the Commission on the General Conference made a decision to further postpone the 2020 General Conference until August 29 – September 6, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minn. as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the safety of mass gatherings and travel. It is the Commission’s responsibility to select the site and set the dates of General Conference. Further, the Book of Discipline requires the Commission on the General Conference to "take necessary measures to assure full ...

Bishop Lawson Bryan has announced the projected appointment of Rev. Jimmy Cason as the Northeast District Superintendent, effective June 2021. Rev. Jimmy Cason, who retired at the 2020 Annual Conference session, will succeed Rev. Chris Ramsey, whose new appointment will be announced when local church appointments are released. In June, Rev. Ramsey will have served his full eight years as a District Superintendent.  Prior to retiring in 2020, Rev. Cason served 11 years as senior pastor of ...

The Cabinet and I want to thank the Pastor Parish Relations/Staff Parish Relations Committees and clergy for the faithful work you completed during the month of January in order to return the appointment preference forms by Feb. 1. This information is important to the process of consultation regarding pastoral appointments to be fixed at Annual Conference in June. We are all working together as partners in the Gospel. Thank you! The Cabinet and I ask that you be our prayer partners during this ...

Applications are now being accepted for the 2021 Camp Connect Summer Leadership Team. Applications are open to college students who have completed at least one year of college. The Leadership Team will commit to nine weeks of camping ministry which will include serving at high school, middle school, and elementary camps. These camp counselors will minister to hundreds of youth and children throughout the summer while making Christian friendships with other staff members that last a lifetime. ...

PATHWAY TO HIS PRESENCE B.J. FUNK A couple of years ago, our church completed a wonderful study using Rob Renfroe’s book, “A Way Through the Wilderness. Growing in Faith When Life is Hard.” As we watched his videos and met for discussions, the participants agreed that their wilderness periods have often been so painful they thought they would never get through them in one piece. It never felt good. It always hurt. They cried. They felt broken. Often, their lives didn’t make sense. Through our ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor The global coronavirus pandemic may have changed much about the way we socialize, attend worship services, shop, and live our lives, but one thing most everyone can do while staying home is read. Beginning March 2, Connectional Ministries invites South Georgia clergy and laity to join a virtual book club via Zoom. From the comfort of one’s home or office – anywhere, really – participants will discuss the week’s book, its important themes, and faith. “The blessing of ...

By Bishop R. Lawson Bryan With our attention appropriately focused on our local South Georgia congregations and ministries during this pandemic, it has been a while since I’ve updated you on denominational matters and what is happening in the connectional system of The United Methodist Church.  I know this may be a longer article than you’re used to from me, but my hope is that it will keep us all on the same page and well informed about the important goings-on in our denomination. I want to ...

Easter is just a few weeks away, and what’s more uplifting and unifying than joining together in song? Be a part of the South Georgia United Methodist Easter Virtual Choir! By now you’ve probably seen and heard videos of choirs coming together (digitally) to sing choruses, hymns, and songs. Now is your chance to be a part of a virtual choir for Easter. Join with other South Georgia United Methodist voices to celebrate the Good News of Christ’s resurrection! It’s easy to participate. Just ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Despite 2020 being one of the most challenging years in recent memory, South Georgia United Methodists continued to faithfully give to mission and ministry through their apportionments.  Overall apportionment payments for 2020 stood at 84 percent, compared to 87 percent in 2019. The Northeast and Southwest Districts led in overall percentage of apportionments paid, paying 97.11 percent and 93.65 percent, respectively. And even though actual cash collected through ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor Last summer, Dr. Adriane Burgess baked her way through the pandemic. With butter, sugar, and flour by her side, Dr. Burgess – like thousands of others – found solace and comfort in the kitchen. “I was baking at home like everyone else,” Dr. Burgess laughed. “This is something I have always had a passion for.” She’s now combined her love of sweet treats and scripture in a regular Facebook video series named “Dessert. Devotion.” Part cooking show, part Bible study, Dr....

By Kara Witherow, Editor On the corner of North Jackson Street and Flint Avenue in Albany stands a ray of light in a sometimes dark and lonely world for those who feel lost or isolated because of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The Margaret Jo Hogg Alzheimer’s Outreach Center is a brand new, 6,000 square-foot building that sits across the street from Albany First United Methodist Church. A ministry of the church, the Alzheimer’s Outreach Center serves those with dementia and Alzheimer’s and ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor In these trying and uncertain times, the South Georgia Conference Council on Finance and Administration and Board of Pensions and Health Benefits have worked hard to save South Georgia local churches money and ease the burden of apportionments. Two ways they’ve been able to do that are by paying the pre-1982 pension obligations and by giving churches a rebate on March 2020 health insurance bills, in addition to the rebate already given by the Conference in April. ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor In a letter to the Commission on the General Conference, the South Georgia Annual Conference General and Jurisdictional Delegation asked that The “Protocol of Grace & Reconciliation Through Separation” be the first matter considered by the 2021 General Conference. Whether meeting in person or virtually, South Georgia’s delegation urged that The Protocol – a mediated proposal for the future of The United Methodist Church that allows each part of the Church to remain ...