During opening worship on June 4, the Rev. Dr. William Dobbs invited the West Michigan Annual Conference to stay in the boat with Jesus. “We must not be willing to accept empty nets anymore,” he said. MIC photo/John Woodring
  M. KAY DeMOSS
Senior Editor-Writer, Michigan Area   GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (MIC) – The West Michigan Annual Conference was held here on the campus of Calvin College June 4-7 with Bishop Deborah Lieder Kiesey presiding.

There was anticipation in the air due to a variety of factors … spirited preaching; benchmark legislation; and the active participation of young people during presentation and debate. At the end of the days, retirees and ordinands were honored, powerful lessons on revitalization were heard and the future direction of the Area’s ministry and mission was locked inside two bank bags.

Flash forward … when those bags were opened on June 10 at the Area Ministry Center, it was revealed that the members of both the West Michigan and Detroit Annual Conference had voted overwhelmingly to become one conference. Bishop Deb now asks for continued prayers for next steps as she begins to gather an area-wide Design Team together. They are tasked with drawing up a specific plan for the eventual union anticipated in 2019.  

Preaching and teaching

This painting by Doug Dykehouse, member of Portage Chapel Hill UMC, graced the stage and illustrated the theme, “Growing Deep, Growing Strong, Growing Beyond.” ~MIC photo/John Woodring Conference opened in the Fine Arts Auditorium on Thursday afternoon. The lives of 32 saints, gone home to God, were remembered. The Rev. Dr. William Dobbs, outgoing Clergy Assistant to the Bishop, encouraged Conference members to fish in deeper waters. Bill brought his own knowledge as a fisherman to his message. “I spend too much time fishing where the fish are not,” he confessed. “We can’t continue to stay in shallow water expecting Jesus to make fish jump into the boat.”

Bishop Deb’s Episcopal Address Thursday evening spoke to the stress of change. She asked pastors and lay members to return home and ask, “What is God calling us into becoming?” She offered God’s Great Requirement (Micah 6:8), Great Commandment (John 15:12-13), and Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) as guides for faithful discipleship.

The Rev. Nohemi Ramirez, pastor of La Nueva Esperanza and West Michigan’s Hispanic-Latino Community Developer, got the Conference off to a spirited start on Saturday with the help of a jazz band and hip hop dancers. Using a 600-year old tree in her childhood as an example of “deep roots and deeper fruits”, she challenged her listeners: “I am in love with the United Methodist open hearts, open minds, open doors. However, I have felt embarrassed that a lot of times we don’t put these words into practice.” She emphasized the need for more inclusive ministries.

“We United Methodists have good theology but that doesn’t mean we are not spiritually anemic,” said the Rev. Adam Hamilton, guest teacher for the 2015 Annual Conference. The founding pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KN, his four-and-a-half hours of sharing focused on “Leading Beyond the Walls.” Lessons covered topics of leadership, worship/preaching and missional outreach. Hamilton’s practical, commonsense illustrations spilled over with hospitality and authenticity. “In what ways does your community not yet look like the Kingdom of God?” he asked. “Bridge that gap.” Noting that “evangelism and social justice are two sides of the same coin,” he encouraged conference members to “start by inviting people to be part of your mission in the world serving other people. Then you invite them to come to church sometime where they hear what it means to be a follower of Jesus.” Hamilton’s presentations will soon be available for viewing and download from www.westmichiganconference.org.

Legislative business A guest showed up at the Saturday Ministry Fair to remind members that next year’s Annual Conference will be in East Lansing. ~MIC photo/John Woodring
In this year before the next General Conference session to be held in Portland, OR in May 2016, members made decisions that reached beyond the Annual Conference. Three General Conference petitions were dealt with by the house:

1. A new formula for the equalization of Annual Conference membership, clergy and laity, was defeated. The proposed formula was based on average attendance at annual conference rather than clergy membership in the annual conference.
    
2. Approval was given to ask General Boards and Agencies to divest from companies involved with illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.
    
3. After lengthy discussion and complex navigation of parliamentary waters, the conference endorsed the Connectional Table’s “Third Way.” Brought to the floor by the Rev. Kennetha Bigham-Tsai—Lansing D.S. and member of the Connectional Table—the petition would seek to change The Discipline in the following way…acknowledge that the denomination has historically not condoned homosexuality but allowing pastors, in accordance with state law and their personal conscience, latitude to perform same-sex marriages (while not requiring them to do so). Further, Annual Conferences could choose to or refuse to ordain openly LGBTQ clergy.
   

Legislative action, involving the Annual Conference policies, rules and social concerns, included:

1. Voted to become one Conference 551 yes to 83 no. (Detroit vote on same was 718 yes to 75 no). This recommendation now goes to the 2016 North Central Jurisdictional Conference for approval. The Conference will be held in Peoria, IL in July.
    
2. Voted to form a single Corporation to administer Michigan Area Camps, Campgrounds and Retreat Ministries. 
    
3. Revised the Clergy Sexual Ethnics Policy for the Michigan Area and replaced the Conference Abuse Prevention Policy.
    
4. Advocated increased taxation on alcohol with revenue applied to alcohol abuse, prevention, treatment and recovery; denounced terror in Nigeria; encouraged energy efficiency and recycling; and supported maternal health through the Healthy Families, Healthy Planet program.

Five churches were discontinued during the Corporate Session: North Evart and North Star (Heartland District); Sonoma (Albion); and Lansing Trinity and Sebewa Center (Lansing).   High points   Other significant moments include the celebration of the Michigan Area surpassing its $1.5 million commitment to Imagine No Malaria. “Our nets have been cast and they have come back full,” said a jubilant Rev. Molly Turner, Field Coordinator for INM. Turner shared that $1,658,291 had been given since 2013. Before Conference adjourned, an additional $5,172 had been raised by the spontaneous effort of Conference Youth, ten of whom underwent a grateful shaving of hair and beard.

The Rev. Bob Smith was present and accounted for at his 75th Annual Conference! ~MIC photo/John Woodring Members of the Area Design Team for a Service of Repentance toward Reconciliation invited conference members to take the first step on a year-long journey to “breathe a new covenant together with” native and indigenous peoples. A packet will be sent to all local churches this summer that will take people beyond misunderstandings in our history books in order to initiate “restorative justice and healing.”

News about people

Two awards were announced. The Bannister United Methodist Church and its pastor, the Rev. Mona Dye, received the new “One Matters” award conferred by Discipleship Ministries (formerly the General Board of Discipleship).  The Francis Asbury Award of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry was given to the Rev. Lisa Batten, “a person who exemplifies and supports campus ministry.” Lisa serves as the Campus Pastor at Kalamazoo: Wesley.

The Rev. Bernard Randolph, who retired in 1978, appeared via video to wish his treasured brothers and sisters well. Randolph holds the Conference Cane as the oldest Elder residing in West Michigan.

Six persons were received as Provisional Elders; there was one Provisional Deacon welcomed. One deacon—Cheryl Ann Mulligan—and four Elders—Matt Bistayi, Eric Burton-Krieger, Cori Cypret, and Lyne Stull-Lipps—were ordained on Sunday afternoon. The retirement of eleven Elders was observed on Saturday evening.

Transitions on the Cabinet were noted by Bishop Deb. Thanks were given to the Rev. David Hills, leaving the Heartland District superintendency. Gratitude was expressed for the Rev. Dr. William Dobbs, who enters into retirement after 43 years of ministry, including wise assistance to two bishops. The Rev. Melanie Lee Carey was introduced as the new Clergy Assistant to the Bishop. She serves as Superintendent of the Detroit Renaissance District through June 30.

Go figure

The Rev. Adam Hamilton spent significant time with young people present at Conference. “Effective young leaders…” he said. “If we don’t have them there will be no future.” Hamilton encouraged the WMC to set a goal for how many young people are going to answer the call to ministry in the next 10 years. ~MIC photo/John Woodring And finally, some significant numbers shared during the 2015 Conference session:

• 1,100 … number of persons on the Nominations Report committed to do the Lord’s work on Conference boards and agencies
• $450,000 … the “Changing Lives Campaign” hopes to raise this amount for camp scholarships, director support and camp maintenance
•  $22,700 … special giving during Annual Conference (Ordinand gifts $1,453; Hispanic/Latino Ministry $3,659; New Church/VCI $3,535; Haiti Task Force $3,924; Ministerial Education Fund $3,148; Camping Ministry $1,809; Imagine No Malaria $5,172)
• $5,967,263 …the 2016 Annual Conference Budget 
• 13% … the ministry shares rate for 2016 (down from 13.25% in 2015)
• 100% … amount paid on General Church apportionments by the West Michigan Conference (one of 25 U.S. Conferences to pay in full)
• 82% … percentage of West Michigan churches giving to the General Advance (a tie with the Detroit Conference)
• 57,533 … membership in the West Michigan Conference at the end of 2014 (down 1,694 or 2% from  2013)
• 32,911… average worship attendance in 2014 (down 1,990 or 5% from 2013)
• 7,589 … average Sunday School attendance in 2014 (down 843 or 10% from 2013)

Michigan Areae Communications Director, Mark Doyal, reminded members not to come to Calvin College next year. From June 8-13, 2016 more than 2,000 clergy and lay members of the West Michigan and Detroit conferences will gather instead in East Lansing. “Two conferences, one mission: sending disciples into the world” may be followed at 2016.michiganumc.org.

 

Last Updated on October 27, 2023