kseast2003-1

WORSHIP SERVICES The focus this year was on the first part of the Kansas East Annual Conference mission statement which is to “invite” others to join with us through a relationship with Christ. How do we invite others into our church? Not just the church building but into the church which is the body of Christ.

During the opening worship Bishop Scott Jones asked us to think about the plan God has for us as individuals, churches and as Christians in our world. What God has called us to do can actually be summarized in five verbs-“Go! Disciple! Baptize! Teach! Remember!” Camping Ministries will receive the offering of $2,038.00.

Candles were lit in memory of pastors, spouses and others related to the conference who died in the past year. Three pastors, seven spouses, and one child were honored in the Memorial Service on Thursday, June 2. The offering of $3,322.21 was designated for Congregational Growth and Development.

This year during the Retirement and Commissioning service on Friday, June 3 eight pastors retired: Doug Brown, Shirley Edgerton, Edith Funk, C. Lincoln Johnson, Nelson Thompson, Jerold Vogt, Doug Williams, and Ron Williams. During this same service one probationary deacon: Kurt Cooper, and three probationary elders: Steven Blair, Russell Brown, and Nancy Pauls were commissioned. Highlighting the service was a performance by La Esperanza’s “Citizens of Heaven”. The offering of $1,682.11 was designated for up keep of the Kansas Cabin at Mt. Sequoyah.

Friday night the youth really had the congregation moving with their enthusiasm and excitement as they shared the love of Christ through their faith filled music. Luke Wetzel welcomed us to worship in Christ who is every thing! Stirring sermonettes by Libby Cramer and Cody Shannon opened a window to the path of these young Christians. The offering of $1,769.84 went to the Youth Service Fund to assist youth for mission trips and projects.

Ordination was held at the conclusion of the Annual Conference on Saturday, June 4^that 2:00 p.m. Nine people were ordained elders: Eduardo Bousson, Charlotte Coates, Marcia Eaton, Karen Jeffcoat, Mindy Johnson, Rebecca Johnson, Karen Lampe, Dan Michaux and Mitch Todd. One person, Lois Johnson, was ordained deacon. The offering of $1,802.98 from the Service of Ordination will be made available for seminary scholarships.

Laceye Warner, professor at Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C. provided a history of evangelism in the UM tradition and directed us “Toward a Wesleyan Evangelism.” Our history is a window to the future of effective evangelism in our local churches. If we push ourselves outside our own comfort zone to walk with those in need of Christ, like John Wesley, we can grow the church. We can Go! Disciple! Baptize! Teach! and Remember!

ISSUES AND PETITIONS Several issues and petitions were brought before the annual conference with only three, funding for ecumenical ministries, the teaching of evolution and intelligent design in public school, and the conference budget requiring extended debate.

A motion to amend a previously adopted (2004) resolution, “A Kansas Partnership,” was heard and the decision was made to substitute for this the work of the task forces now attempting to respond to the four strategic questions asked by the Bishop at the February 26 Special Session of Conference. The One-Conference Task Force will be dissolved.

The Revised Strategic Plan for Hispanic Ministries was presented and continued to be supported by the conference in order to expand our ministries to an every growing Hispanic population in Kansas. The Hispanic population has doubled in Kansas over the past ten years and we must increase our efforts to meet those needs.

A resolution asking the KEC to support a statement to the State Board of Education to keep science teachings free from faith biases received an affirmative vote.

The Commission on Archives and History asked for approval to join with the Kansas West Commission as an Area Wide Commission on Archives and History and to have a combined archive service at Baker University, which were both approved.

Both petitions brought forth by the KEC Order of Deacons passed, which will allow them to work more directly with pastors and PPR committees to provide ministry within the church and to work as servants to the world.

The conference once again voted to support the Global Aids Fund and to support a resolution to support the protection of children from mercury-containing drugs.

The Sexual Ethics Policy Implementation Team, through a petition, asked for and received approval for changes in the Kansas East Conference policy on the protection of children and youth. The changes establish a minimum age of 16 years old to be certified and that the lead teacher in a class must be at least four years older than the children or youth who are in the class. Previously there was no minimum age for certification. Anyone who is already certified and is under the age of 16 years of age will still be allowed to remain certified.

Last, but not least, a resolution was brought forth by Jan Hayen on behalf of the Cabinet asking the KEC to agree to enter into a working relationship with the Small Membership Church and Shared Ministries Office of the General Board of Discipleship (GBOD), for developing a Shared Ministry Team Pilot Project. The Pilot Project is expected to take 3-5 years in development and will be part of a group of similar projects developed by the GBOD in other annual conferences.

Unfortunately, there was some sad news for our conference as we saw the closure of three churches within our conference in the past year: Dearing Chapel, Kansas City Central Avenue, and Maple Grove UMC.

At CFA’s recommendation, Friendly Acres, our retirement community in Newton, was given permission to conduct a capital campaign to begin the replacement and/or renovation of much of its campus built in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

We celebrated the generosity of Kansas East UM’s who have given $416,098.76 to the UM Committee on Relief (UMCOR) for tsunami relief!

The Conference approved, by a nearly unanimous vote, all eight constitutional amendments presented to us by the General Conference. Our votes will be added to those of all other Conferences and the grand total will determine their final passage.

The Structure Study, brought to the Conference by the Futuring Team with the endorsement of the Leadership Team, passed. Changes will be effective September 1, 2005. The Nominations Committee was empowered to begin work immediately to bring a revised slate of officers and members to the Leadership Team at its meeting on July 30. That group was empowered, for this year only, to elect persons to fill positions in the new structure. The Futuring Team will spend the next year training chairpersons and then committees (particularly those with new responsibilities). Once that task is done the Futuring Team itself will go out of existence.

CELEBRATION OF MINISTRIES

Conference Merit Scholarships ($850 each) – to Ashley Fischer of Robinson, Justine Greve of Topeka, and Carissa Nichols of Hiawatha all attending Baker University this fall and Luke Wetzel attending Emory University beginning this fall.

Francis Asbury Award for contributions to campus ministry – Rev. Nancy J. Gammill

"Doc" Wollen Awards for volunteers and supporters of Camp Chippewa – to Gene Baxter, Jack Beauchamp, Rev. Larry Bowyer, Rev. Phyllis Garrett, and Revs. Dean & Mary Alice Knewtsen.

Healthy Congregation Awards -.to Ogden Friendship House (small church), Topeka: Grace (medium church) and Pittsburg: First and Prairie Village: Asbury (large church)

Denman Evangelism Awards – to Rev. Mindy Johnson (Clergy at Waverly-Prairie View) and Kimberly Stewart (Laity at Lecompton)

Discipling Church Award – to Waverly (small church), Topeka: Grace (medium church), and Manhattan: First (large church)

Bishop's Award for Exemplary Service in Ecumenical Ministry – Rev. Ken and Jeanette Grenz

Welcoming Congregation Awards designated by the Igniting Ministries office of UM Communications– Emporia: First, Overland Park: Valley View, Paola, and Topeka: Lowman

Bishop’s Committee on Children in Poverty acknowledged grants made to: Topeka: Asbury/Mt. Olive, Bellevue-Highland, Osage Co. United (7 churches), Parsons: Faith, Topeka: Fellowship Inc., Columbus, Topeka: Highland Park, KC: Metropolitan Ave., Mound City, Ogden Friendship House, Chanute: Otterbein, Reading, Sedan, Parsons: Wesley, Pittsburg: Wesley House, and Wilsey.

UM Rural Fellowship Certificate of Merit presented to the Rev. Ron Williams (at the UMRF banquet)

A budget of $5,294,209 was presented by the Conference Council on Finance and Administration. While it showed an increase of 16.87%, much of this ($600,000) is a showing of the amount that has been, in the past, called the “enhancement factor.” This is an amount that for many years has been apportioned above and beyond the budget to allow for the fact that some churches each year are unable to pay their apportionments in full. It is shown in the budget this year to demonstrate the fact that, if we are able to raise this amount (meaning all churches are able to pay their apportionments in full), the money will be used to rebuild the reserves we are required to have which have been depleted in the difficult financial years of 2001 through 2004. Other budgeted expenditures increased only 3.78%. Because of this, actual apportionments in 2006 will be about level with those of 2005 (although the apportionment formula will cause some churches numbers to rise and others to fall based on either their membership or total spending in 2004). The budget for the conference was approved with only one change which was to allow for the funding of a Records Steward and office of the Records Steward in conjunction with the Kansas West Conference as approve in committee and on the consent calendar.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS Nine persons were Commissioned as Lay Speakers: Carol George, Joyce Allen, Diann Demas, Janet Goodenow, Mary Larson, Linda Stotler, Myron Stover, Deanna Shepherd, and Melinda Harwood

– Special recognition was given to Frank Dorsey, director of Congregational Growth and Development who retired last year but continued halftime as the director until his “real” retirement effective June 30th, 2005.

– Many speakers helped us remember the words of Bishop Scott Jones by reminding us to, ”keep the main thing, the main thing,” by focusing on our ministry and mission.

– A resolution was passed to have an African American Gospel choir as part of the worship plans for next year.

– Conference Advanced Specials were approved: Camp Chippewa, Center of Grace (Olathe), Cross-Lines Cooperative Council, Inc. (Kansas City), Fellowship, Inc. (Topeka), Ogden Friendship House (Ogden), Wesley House (Pittsburg), UMCM’s at Emporia State University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, University of Kansas, Washburn University; and all cooperative parishes

– The 2005 Kansas East Annual Conference offered nine workshops on invitation for attendees and others throughout the Kansas East Conference to learn more about ways to “invite” others to share in…

Our Mission . . . to connect and empower people and churches in living out the Gospel's call to invite, nurture, equip, and send forth disciples of Jesus Christ.

Special “thank you’s” go to all of the people who worked so diligently to make this year’s Kansas East Annual Conference a success especially:

The Worship Team, chaired by Mic McGuire for putting all of the worship services together

All who provided music at worship services & at the beginning of each business session

Kay Stephens who, despite her absence at Conference, was instrumental in processing all registrations for Conference

Doris Wills who volunteered to take Kay Stephens place at Annual Conference as registrar

Karen Robertson who came out of retirement to help fill in for Kay Stephens preparing registration materials for Conference

Lonnie Bailey who was there to help set up, make sure arrangements were working as planned as we went along, and who was there at the bitter end for clean up.

Nancy Kollhoff and Scott Jagodzinske for running the PowerPoint projection systems during worship and business sessions respectively

Bishop Scott Jones for so effectively leading his first full session of the Kansas East Annual Conference

All of the clergy and laity who participated and supported the work of the Kansas East Annual Conference by being actively involved and keeping the “connection.”