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By Dr. Hal Brady We have a granddaughter who is graduating from high school in a couple of weeks. Joining with her parents, my wife and I are so proud of her and her accomplishments – good grades, skilled musician, sound work ethic, accepts responsibility, fun person, respect for others and meaningful friendships. Of course, we think she is ideal. In a couple of weeks, along with numerous others, she will reach the monumental milestone of becoming a high school graduate. Certainly, she is to ...

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 ...

OUR CONNECTION MATTERS NITA CRUMP 34-35 “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples – when they see the love you have for each other.” (John 13:34-35, The Message) The idea of Christian conferencing has been with Methodists since the early days of John and Charles Wesley. Christian conferencing was considered a means of grace by John. In his book, “Living our Beliefs The ...

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 ...

FROM THE BISHOP R. LAWSON BRYAN How fortunate for us that Annual Conference falls between Ascension Day (May 30) and Pentecost (May 5). For Christians, that is an extremely important 10-day period. The Apostles’ Creed reminds us that after his resurrection Jesus “ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.” Ten days after his ascension, on the Jewish festival of Pentecost, Jesus sent the promised Holy Spirit...

GROWING IN GRACE BEN GOSDEN I want to tell you about Molly. Molly is in her early 30s and she came to our church two years ago. From the moment I met Molly I sensed a special energy about her. She’s always been willing to help with ministry ideas around the church. The first big project she undertook was redesigning our church logo. She and her husband have a marketing business and special expertise in this area, and, after about a month of meetings and an email thread that grew to about 100 ...

Our Connection Matters offers a toolkit which includes a wealth of resources focusing on a different theme to resource your local church in nurture, outreach, witness and advocacy ministries. ________________________________________ Countdown to Summer What does the countdown to summer include? Planning for so many great things: the end of another school year, graduations, Vacation Bible Schools, moving pastors, family vacations, mission journeys, Pentecost and at the top of the list - SUMMER ...

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 at the conclusion of Annual ...

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 ...

April 15 - the Monday of Holy Week - found the whole world watching as smoke and flames rose from the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. What a shock it was to see such an iconic structure being threatened by a roaring fire. The story of Notre Dame can be traced to the 12th century when ground was broken for a place of worship that has now survived for 800 years. I am glad the president of France has announced it will be rebuilt, but I am also reflecting on how things that seem so permanent can ...

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 ...

Don’t miss out on the opportunity for your child to spend a week away from normal everyday life in the beauty of God’s creation with people who seek to share Christ in the everyday. Register today for Camp Connect, the camping ministry of the South Georgia Conference.  With an “Upside Down” theme this summer, a week at Camp Connect will teach campers how to turn the world upside down for Jesus. Diving into scripture and sharing life stories will show them they are can make an impact for Christ ...

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 ...

PATHWAY TO HIS PRESENCE BJ FUNK John Wesley wrote a brilliant sermon, preached in England at Oxford, on July 25, 1741. He named it The Almost Christian. Its relevance stretches through the years to 2019, and it is just as meaningful today as it was 278 years ago. Wesley’s challenge is to question those who are not being Christian through and through. Are there those who are coming to church each Sunday to just “show up,” without any real heart change taking place? He describes the Almost ...

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 ...

Every year, the South Georgia Conference honors clergy and laity who exhibit outstanding efforts for the work on Christian Evangelism with the Harry Denman Evangelism Award.  The Harry Denman Evangelism Award program recognizes United Methodists in each annual conference whose exceptional ministry of evangelism – expressed in Word (what), Sign (why), and Deed (how) – brings people into a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. Evangelism happens in many contexts and many settings; ...

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS ANNE BOSARGE REV. JAY HANSON Uncertainty is the world in which leaders live. The world of certainty is the world of managers. Their role is to eliminate the risk and standardize the process to ensure dependable, predictable results. If we do this it will produce that. Leaders are not simply repeating what has already been proven. They are innovators exploring new territories, trying new things. There is no evidence to prove what will happen or if it will work. Leaders...

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 ...

FROM THE BISHOP R. LAWSON BRYAN Where are we Alive Together in Christ in South Georgia? Where is God moving?   I want to share with you several specific answers to those questions. God is moving in the lives of those who are sensing a call to ordained ministry and who are responding to that call. For example, at our Annual Conference session in June, 11 people will be ordained or commissioned. That is one of the largest classes to be ordained/commissioned in several years. God is moving in the...

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 ...

At the 2019 Annual Conference Session, Rev. Tyler Plaxico, senior pastor at Dublin First United Methodist Church, will be appointed to serve as the President and CEO of Wesley Glen Ministries. This announcement was made by the Wesley Glen Board, in consultation with Bishop Lawson Bryan and the Cabinet. Wesley Glen Ministries, located in Macon, Ga., is an agency of the South Georgia Conference dedicated to serving adults with developmental disabilities. “We are extremely grateful for the current ...

Our Connection Matters offers a toolkit which includes a wealth of resources focusing on a different theme to resource your local church in nurture, outreach, witness and advocacy ministries. This edition we are taking up our cross and walking through Holy Week and Easter! Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter Sunday, beginning with Palm Sunday, that offers many worship experiences for churches to gather to reflect and remember.  Easter for Christians is not just one day, but rather a ...

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 ...

OUR CONNECTION MATTERS NITA CRUMP 8 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20, NIV                                                Have you ever noticed that sometimes we get ...

By Dr. Hal Brady How are we going to live? How will we be remembered? What legacy will we leave behind? Sometimes we can tell about the legacy a person leaves behind simply by walking through the cemetery. View several of these epitaphs and see what they tell us about the person who died. On a tombstone in Cambridge, England, these words were written about an Anglican priest: “Here lies Father William who served as vicar of this church for more than 30 years without the slightest bit of ...

Following last week’s announcement of Rev. Steve Patton as superintendent of the Northwest District, Bishop Lawson Bryan announces the projected appointment of Rev. Paula Lewis as superintendent of the South Central District, effective June 2019. Rev. Lewis, currently serving as senior pastor of Hawkinsville First United Methodist Church, will succeed Rev. Henry Bass, who will retire at the 2019 Annual Conference session. Rev. Bass has served on the South Georgia Cabinet for eight years and ...

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 ...

Bishop Lawson Bryan announces the projected appointment of one new District Superintendent to the Cabinet, effective June 2019. Rev. Steve Patton, currently serving as senior pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church at Frederica on St. Simons Island, will be appointed to serve as superintendent of the Northwest District. He succeeds 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. Patton has been a ...

Last week's severe storms Areas across the Southeast woke up March 3 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 ...

The South Georgia Conference welcomes Sherry Buresh to the staff in the Office of Connectional Ministries. Sherry joins the staff in the role of Disaster Recovery Coordinator: Hurricane Michael. She will be working specifically in the Southwest District coordinating long term recovery efforts for those impacted by Hurricane Michael. This position is a one year recovery project and is funded through the connection by an UMCOR grant. She brings more than 15 years of disaster response experience ...

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. ...

GROWING IN GRACE BEN GOSDEN Dear Methodist Movement, How are you? It’s been a pretty rough week for you. Truth is, it’s been a pretty rough last 40 years. I’m writing because I don’t think I stop enough to tell you thank you. I owe you a lot. On a cold December Sunday in 1982, I was baptized into the church by Rev. Dick Reese. From that moment, through cold water and the mystery of God’s grace, my life course was to be impacted by the Methodist Movement. Sunday after Sunday I went to church ...

By Kara Witherow, Editor A popular meme states, “It’s never a good sign when Jim Cantore comes to town.” Cantore, a meteorologist and on-air personality for The Weather Channel, is a famous figure in hurricane reporting and is well-known for being in the middle of the worst weather. But on April 27, South Georgia residents have nothing to fear from Cantore. Instead of reporting from the eye of a hurricane he’ll be the keynote speaker at the Conference Discipleship Teams’ “Witnessing Through ...

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 ...

Tuesday, February 26 Highlights VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Bishop Lawson Bryan and Dr. Scott Hagan, pastor of Bonaire UMC and a reserve delegate, talk about the final day at General Conference.  General Conference concludes, adopts Traditional Plan On a day when “time is our only enemy” and three years’ worth of decisions had to be made by the 6:30 p.m. deadline in order for a Monster Truck Rally to be set up in The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Mo., time was still made for prayer, worship, ...

Monday, February 25 Highlights VIDEO HIGHLIGHT: Bishop Lawson Bryan and Dr. Scott Hagan, pastor of Bonaire UMC and a reserve delegate, talk about Day 3 at General Conference.  Legislative Process Continues The third day of the special called session of General Conference began with delegates in legislative committee, determining what the General Conference, in plenary session, will take up tomorrow. All petitions were reviewed by today’s legislative committee to determine which petitions will ...

VIDEO HIGHLIGHT: Bishop Lawson Bryan and Dr. Scott Hagan, pastor of Bonaire UMC and a reserve delegate, talk about Day 2 at General Conference. Legislative Process Begins After a day of prayer and worship, day two of the special called session of General Conference focused on the business side of things. The morning began with the 864 delegates hearing a report from the Commission on a Way Forward, and the afternoon was spent prioritizing and organizing the business of the conference. While...

The United Methodist Church’s top legislative body is meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, February 23-26, 2019. Eight voting delegates from South Georgia - half clergy and half lay - are among the 864 delegates from around the world. General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church, typically meeting every four years. At the request of General Conference 2016, the Council of Bishops set a plan for addressing the overwhelming number of proposals related to same-sex ...

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 ...

OUR CONNECTION MATTERS NITA CRUMP 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:27-29, NIV) Our third annual multicultural luncheon was held last Saturday in Cordele. People from across the conference gathered to celebrate unity...

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 ...