The 2024 Michigan Annual Conference begins next week, and Michigan UMs will worship God, conduct business, and embrace a new future together.

JAMES DEATON
Content Editor

Clergy and lay members will gather at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Acme, Mich., for worship, business, fellowship, and mission engagement at the sixth session of the Michigan Annual Conference from Thursday, May 30, to Saturday, June 1, 2024. The clergy session and clergy retirement celebration will be held a day earlier on Wednesday, May 29.

“Fearless: Embracing a New Future” is the theme, and the keynote speaker is Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli, Senior Pastor of the historic Foundry UMC in Washington, D.C. Based on 1 John 3:2 and Isaiah 41:10, the conference theme points forward and focuses on God, who will provide the strength and guidance to lead the Michigan Conference as it moves into the future.

Watch all the worship services and business sessions on Facebook (click to watch), beginning with the opening worship service on Thursday, May 30, at 1 pm ET.

The 2024 Michigan Annual Conference website has many details and resources, including the program guide with a detailed schedule and the video reports, budget, and legislation that will be presented to conference members. Click the button below to access the website.

The 2024 Michigan Annual Conference will officially begin on Thursday afternoon with the opening worship and memorial service at 1 pm. Bishop David Bard will preach his opening sermon, “Pantophobia,” and set the tone for our time together as Michigan United Methodists.

The scriptural theme, “Fearless: Embracing a New Future,” will shape worship throughout Annual Conference, from the visuals to the music, liturgy, and sermons.

Bishop Bard wants people to come to Annual Conference expecting God’s Spirit to touch their lives in a new way. He acknowledges the Michigan Conference and the entire United Methodist Church are emerging from a challenging and painful season following the COVID-19 pandemic and the departure of churches through disaffiliation. Even though a few churches may yet seek to leave The United Methodist Church, it’s time, he says, to focus forward.

“Our United Methodist tradition, our Wesleyan way of being Christian, has so much to offer, and it is time to creatively and courageously reclaim the richness of this tradition and move into the future with a sense of adventure. Fearlessness does not mean ignoring the challenges that await or the fearful realities we confront. It means facing the future with deep faith in Jesus Christ, a genuine sense of expectancy and adventure, and less fear.”

Bishop Bard notes that conference members are being asked to reflect ahead of time on what excites them about being in ministry as United Methodists, on what they are celebrating in their church, and about what dreams God might be stirring in their souls. “I hope people, as they come, will take time to deepen relationships. I hope they will be part of a mission project at Annual Conference, whether it be the Zero-K — Move to End Child Hunger (click to learn more), the Rice Meal Pack (click to learn more), or the Mission Festival (click to learn more).”

Rev. Dr. Jennie Browne, Clergy Assistant to the Bishop and Director of Connectional Ministry, encourages clergy and lay members to pay attention to the videos and interviews planned for Friday and Saturday, which will highlight examples of fearless outreach, discipleship, and innovation happening here in the Michigan Conference.

“The people and ministries being highlighted aren’t somehow magic,” she notes, “they just keep trying despite moments of disappointment and failure. They’re not afraid to make mistakes because they know that that’s how we all learn.”

Browne also asks conference members to consider what habits and traditions in their contexts might need to be set aside to move into the new future God calls us to enter. She explains, “Setting a tradition aside doesn’t mean it was a bad idea. It just means that it no longer serves us well, and that room must be created for new ways. Local churches are learning how to be nimbler and permission-giving. Now it’s time for the Michigan Conference to learn the same lessons. How can we encourage individuals and churches to try new things without creating unnecessary and discouraging requirements? How can we embrace the idea that failure, committed in the name of innovative ministry, is a good thing?”

Annette Erbes, Conference Lay Leader, also reiterates that attendees should watch for the videos and interviews on Friday and Saturday, as Browne mentioned. The Laity Perspective event, open to lay and clergy members on Thursday evening, will also highlight how congregations are fearlessly reaching out and creating new ministries in their communities.

“It is our hope,” notes Erbes, “that this sharing together will empower and invite us all to move forward and embrace a new future in our Michigan Conference.” Lay members, in particular, she says, are free to listen to their hearts, get curious about needs in their communities, prayerfully consider ways to address these needs, and move ahead in ministry.

Rev. Anna Moon, Worship Coordinator for the 2024 Michigan Annual Conference, notes how the theme of “Fearless: Embracing a New Future” led the worship design team to ponder on our freedom in Jesus Christ. This led them to think of children and then the image of a kite.

“As a kite flies as the wind blows,” says Moon, “we are reminded of the Holy Spirit being that wind, leading and guiding us in Christ Jesus. So even though sometimes we may not know what may come next, we can give that fear to God and experience freedom in the Lord as the Holy Spirit leads and guides us and we humble ourselves, trust, and obey our Lord God!”

Moon gave one highlight conference members should expect to witness during worship at Annual Conference. Although the children’s choir will not be live, a pre-recorded video of them will be shown during the opening worship service.

“With much help and support from many,” explains Moon, “we had more than 40 children and youth from the Greater Detroit and Heritage Districts gather one Saturday afternoon at Northville: First UMC to record them singing ‘Jesus Loves Me’ in five languages, including sign language. We had about six different churches represented, and they sounded amazing!”

The offering received during the opening worship service on Thursday will benefit our covenant partners through the support of Haitian Assets for Peace International (HAPI) and the Bishop Judith Craig Children’s Village. Each will receive 45% of the offering. Bishop David Bard has also designated a 10% tithe for Water for Life in Liberia.

Haitian Assets for Peace International (Advance #3020490) will receive 45% of the total offering. HAPI empowers the people living in rural areas of Haiti by providing medical care, health resources, and training. The Bishop Judith Craig Children’s Village in Liberia (Advance #11820A) will receive 45% of the total offering. The funds will provide basic needs, education, counseling, and health care to orphaned and financially vulnerable children. Both HAPI and the Bishop Craig Children’s Village are international EngageMI ministry partners of the Michigan Conference.

Bishop Bard has also designated a 10% tithe of the opening worship offering to Water for Life, another Liberia-focused mission. Please watch this new video created by the Michigan Conference about the progress of this mission in Liberia.

For those donating by check, please make your check payable to “Michigan Conference,” noting “AC Offering” in the memo line. Bring your check to the opening worship service or mail your check directly to Michigan Conference Center, Attn: Accounts Receivable, 1011 Northcrest Rd., Lansing, MI 48906. You can also give online via this secure link.

This year’s special guest is Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli from Foundry UMC in Washington, D.C. A gifted pastor-theologian, Gaines-Cirelli will teach on Friday afternoon and then preach during the Saturday morning worship service on Acts 2:1-21. Her sermon will be titled “Poured Out.”

Rev. David Eardley, chair of the Commission on the Annual Conference, is glad to have Gaines-Cirelli share her wisdom with conference members. He comments, “She brings us a great perspective of engaging the world around us through her ministry of spiritual growth and engaged discipleship — emphasizing radical hospitality, shared ministry, spiritual practices, and solidarity with the poor and oppressed. She will bring us a powerful call to fearlessly be the church as we embrace a new future.”

Lay and clergy members are encouraged to review all the legislative and business materials that will be presented and voted on at Annual Conference. Read and download voting materials, legislation, and the proposed 2025 budget from this web page. Watch video reports from key leadership members from this web page.

Printed copies of the legislation and other materials, except for the program guide, will not be available at Annual Conference. Please print legislative materials ahead of time or access them digitally while on-site.

Video reports from seven key leaders of the Michigan Annual Conference have been posted for viewing. Please note that these reports may involve legislative action and will not be played at Annual Conference. Please watch them ahead of time. Questions regarding the reports will occur during the Annual Conference plenary sessions.

Michigan Conference leadership has put together several missional activities for conference members to engage in. Here are a few highlights:

• • Golf Scramble to Benefit Campus Ministries (click to register) — The annual Golf Scramble returns on Thursday, May 30. All proceeds will go directly to the campus ministry sites to be used for the benefit of the students. Over $6,000 has been raised since the event’s inception in 2017. The Golf Scramble rate is $75 for ten holes. There is a limit of 78 participants, so register early. People can also register on the day of the event. Download flyer for more details.
  • Zero K — Move to End Child Hunger (click to donate) — This fundraiser provides the opportunity for everyone — regardless of fitness level — to participate and support this important effort to help end child hunger in Michigan. With a Zero-K, you choose how to move your body at a pace that works for you. For those interested, an on-site 5K will be held on Thursday, May 30, at 10:30 am. Read more and learn how to participate.
  • Rice Meal Pack with Midwest Mission (click to volunteer) — This hands-on event is hosted by veteran ministry partner Midwest Mission on Thursday, May 30. The event will be held from 9 am to noon, and 250 volunteers are needed for assembly. Standing and sitting jobs are available, and you can stay as long as you can. Read more about this event.
  • Mission Festival with EngageMI Ministry Partners — This meet-and-greet will be held on Thursday, May 30, from 7 to 9 pm. Much like a community fair, the festival will feature exhibits for local, national, and international mission opportunities available through our EngageMI mission engagement program. Read more about this event.

Last Updated on June 5, 2024