Trinity United Methodist Church
Morristown, Tennessee
Morristown, Tennessee
Trinity United Methodist Church
425 Wilder Street, Morristown, TN 37813 423.586.5360
425 Wilder Street, Morristown, TN 37813 423.586.5360
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Page updated 6/29/2011 @ 5:30pm
CHRIST FOR THE WORLD
This year’s theme: What does it mean? The following is a brief description by our Bishop, James E. Swanson Sr.: “We are unique people. The Bible refers to us as a ‘royal priesthood.’ May we be the Christ for a world in need of a Savior. May we be the new hand that reaches an old heart and brings renewal. May we be the voice that champions the cause of the poor. May we be the wounded healer for a world gripped in sickness. May we be the people of Christian principles as we become “Christ for the World.”
Conference started on Sunday evening with the lighting of the Christ Candle, followed by the Service of Ordination. Monday, following brief separate Laity and Clergy sessions, we came together and got down to the business of electing delegates to attend the Jurisdictional and Gen¬eral Conferences in 2012. Following the first of 14 lay ballots and 18+ clergy ballots taken throughout the next 3 days, Bishop Swanson and Lay Leader Mary Ruth Richards presented the State of the Church Address, which celebrated many accomplishments of Holston churches, but also addressed why they believe that every United Methodist needs to answer a “Call to Action”, and become part of the answer in this makeover plan, developed by a steering team which studied our strengths and, more importantly, things we need to do better, in order to answer Christ’s command to go into the world and make disciples. There was the dismal news, that church membership and attendance, as well as our focus on mission, continues to decline throughout the USA. However, Methodism is growing in other areas of the world. The Call to Action plan has several directives that you will be hearing about, and that our church will be under taking this year, and continuing over the next 10 years, that are hoped to turn these declines into growth. I wish there was room here to tell you more about this plan, as it is extensive and badly needed. Just know you will be hearing a lot more and you will become a part of the solution by working on this plan as things rollout.
We started working on passing the 2012 budget but it was continued until Tuesday. Monday night was the Memorial Service for those pastors, or spouses of pastors, that passed away in 2010. Tuesday held more balloting and the passage of the 2012 budget. After several amendments were proposed, debates for and against were heard and voted on, the budget was finally passed as amended.
The 2012 budget, approximately $10.6 million, actually held the line on expenditures, and was within a few dollars of the 2011 budget, as Holston Conference took very seriously, the financial straits that many churches currently find themselves in. A perfect example of these constraints was the money collected this year, for Change for Children-$52,602, and the South Sudan project-$92,422. At 2010 conference we had raised approximately the same for Change for Children, but for Sudan donations were approximately $190,000. The lady who was attending conference representing South Sudan, thanked us profusely and said that the people of South Sudan exist because “Holston cares” and I felt very sad that the donation had dropped by 50%. However, there was good news for Liberia and Zimbabwe, as the different kits and buckets, like those we prepared, totaled 28 tons of food, school and health supplies and was worth approximately $187,000, which was very close to last year.
While Bishop Swanson congratulated us on this giving, he still reminded us (and said it is my responsibility as your lay representative to conference to remind you), that if everyone would only give their tithe we could easily go about God’s work around the world, without worrying about our local churches finances. He used this analogy and I thought it a good one. Why is it we are glad to give a waitress a 20% tip for food and service that last us only a couple of hours, but we won’t give God 10% of what he gives us, that lasts us our entire lifetime? Where do you stand?
SUBMITTED BY JEAN WILSON, LAY MEMBER TO ANNUAL CONFERENCE
This year’s theme: What does it mean? The following is a brief description by our Bishop, James E. Swanson Sr.: “We are unique people. The Bible refers to us as a ‘royal priesthood.’ May we be the Christ for a world in need of a Savior. May we be the new hand that reaches an old heart and brings renewal. May we be the voice that champions the cause of the poor. May we be the wounded healer for a world gripped in sickness. May we be the people of Christian principles as we become “Christ for the World.”
Conference started on Sunday evening with the lighting of the Christ Candle, followed by the Service of Ordination. Monday, following brief separate Laity and Clergy sessions, we came together and got down to the business of electing delegates to attend the Jurisdictional and Gen¬eral Conferences in 2012. Following the first of 14 lay ballots and 18+ clergy ballots taken throughout the next 3 days, Bishop Swanson and Lay Leader Mary Ruth Richards presented the State of the Church Address, which celebrated many accomplishments of Holston churches, but also addressed why they believe that every United Methodist needs to answer a “Call to Action”, and become part of the answer in this makeover plan, developed by a steering team which studied our strengths and, more importantly, things we need to do better, in order to answer Christ’s command to go into the world and make disciples. There was the dismal news, that church membership and attendance, as well as our focus on mission, continues to decline throughout the USA. However, Methodism is growing in other areas of the world. The Call to Action plan has several directives that you will be hearing about, and that our church will be under taking this year, and continuing over the next 10 years, that are hoped to turn these declines into growth. I wish there was room here to tell you more about this plan, as it is extensive and badly needed. Just know you will be hearing a lot more and you will become a part of the solution by working on this plan as things rollout.
We started working on passing the 2012 budget but it was continued until Tuesday. Monday night was the Memorial Service for those pastors, or spouses of pastors, that passed away in 2010. Tuesday held more balloting and the passage of the 2012 budget. After several amendments were proposed, debates for and against were heard and voted on, the budget was finally passed as amended.
The 2012 budget, approximately $10.6 million, actually held the line on expenditures, and was within a few dollars of the 2011 budget, as Holston Conference took very seriously, the financial straits that many churches currently find themselves in. A perfect example of these constraints was the money collected this year, for Change for Children-$52,602, and the South Sudan project-$92,422. At 2010 conference we had raised approximately the same for Change for Children, but for Sudan donations were approximately $190,000. The lady who was attending conference representing South Sudan, thanked us profusely and said that the people of South Sudan exist because “Holston cares” and I felt very sad that the donation had dropped by 50%. However, there was good news for Liberia and Zimbabwe, as the different kits and buckets, like those we prepared, totaled 28 tons of food, school and health supplies and was worth approximately $187,000, which was very close to last year.
While Bishop Swanson congratulated us on this giving, he still reminded us (and said it is my responsibility as your lay representative to conference to remind you), that if everyone would only give their tithe we could easily go about God’s work around the world, without worrying about our local churches finances. He used this analogy and I thought it a good one. Why is it we are glad to give a waitress a 20% tip for food and service that last us only a couple of hours, but we won’t give God 10% of what he gives us, that lasts us our entire lifetime? Where do you stand?
SUBMITTED BY JEAN WILSON, LAY MEMBER TO ANNUAL CONFERENCE
