Annual conferences say goodbye to bishops, approve budgets
Annual conferences say goodbye to bishops, approve budgets
April 7, 2004
By United Methodist News Service
Some United Methodist annual (regional) conferences meeting this spring and summer will say goodbye to retiring bishops and become better acquainted with the candidates they are endorsing for the episcopacy.
The 2004 annual conference sessions will be the last for 20 bishops in the United States. They will retire from active service after jurisdictional conferences in July elect their successors. Retiring are 12 white men, two white women, four African-American men, one Asian-American man and one Hispanic man. Four bishops in the central conferences - regional units outside the United States - are also retiring this year.
The Red Bird Missionary Conference, meeting May 14-15 in Frakes, Ky., will be the first of 63 U.S. conferences to conduct sessions this spring. The final U.S. conference gathering will be East Ohio, meeting June 21-25 in Lakeside.
Some annual conference sessions outside the United States were held in March, and other meetings will occur through December. Meeting dates for some conferences in Africa and Europe are incomplete.
Annual conference members, including lay and clergy representatives from every local church, will also approve budgets, receive reports from conference boards and agencies, adopt programs of mission and ministry, and pass resolutions.
A bishop will preside over each conference session. One-year appointments of all clergy members of the conference will be announced, new deacons and elders will be ordained, and candidates for ordination will be approved.
Annual conference meeting dates and places for 2004 are:
U.S. ANNUAL CONFERENCES
North Central Jurisdiction
Dakotas, June 2-5, Pierre, S.D. Detroit, May 21-24, Adrian, Mich. East Ohio, June 21-25, Lakeside, Ohio Illinois Great Rivers, June 10-13, Peoria, Ill. Iowa, June 10-13, Ames, Iowa Minnesota, June 1-4, Saint Cloud, Minn. North Indiana, June 3-5, West Lafayette, Ind. Northern Illinois, June 10-12, St. Charles, Ill. South Indiana, June 10-12, Bloomington, Ind. West Michigan, June 3-6, Grand Rapids, Mich. West Ohio, June 13-17, Lakeside, Ohio Wisconsin, June 13-16, Middleton, Wis.
Northeastern Jurisdiction
Baltimore-Washington, May 27-20, Washington Central Pennsylvania, June 10-12, Grantham, Pa. Eastern Pennsylvania, June 16-19, Grantham, Pa. Greater New Jersey, June 17-19, Atlantic City, N.J. New England, June 10-12, Wenham, Mass. New York, June 2-5, Hempstead, N.Y. North Central New York, May 21-23, Liverpool, N.Y. Peninsula-Delaware, June 3-6, Princess Anne, Md. Troy, June 9-12, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. West Virginia, June 10-13, Buckhannon, W.Va. Western New York, June 11-13, Buffalo, N.Y. Western Pennsylvania, June 10-12, Grove City, Pa. Wyoming, June 3-5, Scranton, Pa.
South Central Jurisdiction
Arkansas, June 9-12, Hot Springs, Ark. Central Texas, May 30-June 2, Waco, Texas Kansas East, June 3-6, Baldwin City, Kan. Kansas West, May 26-29, Salina, Kan. Louisiana, June 9-12, Lafayette, La. Missouri, June 4-7, Columbia, Mo. Nebraska, June 10-12, Lincoln, Neb. New Mexico, June 2-5, Glorieta, N.M. North Texas, June 6-9, Plano, Texas Northwest Texas, June 9-12, Abilene, Texas Oklahoma, May 31-June 3, Tulsa, Olka. Oklahoma Indian Missionary, June 10-13, Preston, Okla. Rio Grande, June 10-13, Corpus Christi, Texas Southwest Texas, June 2-5, Corpus Christi, Texas Texas, May 30-June 3, Houston
Southeastern Jurisdiction
Alabama-West Florida, June 6-9, Montgomery, Ala. Florida, June 3-6, Daytona Beach, Fla. Holston, June 13-16, Lake Junaluska, N.C. Kentucky, June 2-6, Louisville, Ky. Memphis, June 6-9, Jackson, Tenn. Mississippi, June 1-3, Biloxi, Miss. North Alabama, June 6-9, Birmingham, Ala. North Carolina, June 9-12, Fayetteville, N.C. North Georgia, June 15-18, Athens, Ga. Red Bird Missionary, May 14-15, Frakes, Ky. South Carolina, May 30-June 2, Orangeburg, S.C. South Georgia, June 6-9, Macon, Ga. Tennessee, June 13-16, Murfreesboro, Tenn. Virginia, June 13-15, Hampton, Va. Western North Carolina, June 10-13, Lake Junaluska, N.C.
Western Jurisdiction
Alaska Missionary, May 28-30, Chugiak, Alaska California-Nevada, June 16-19, Fresno, Calif. California-Pacific, June 16-21, Redlands, Calif. Desert Southwest, June 10-13, Scottsdale, Ariz. Oregon-Idaho, June 9-12, Salem, Ore. Pacific Northwest, June 23-27, Moscow, Idaho Rocky Mountain, June 16-19, Denver Yellowstone, June 10-13, Billings, Mont.
CENTRAL (OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES) CONFERENCES (Information on some conferences is unavailable; other conferences have already met.)
Austria Provisional, May 19-23, Salzburg, Austria Bulacan Philippines, April 13-16, Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines Bulgaria Provisional, Sept. 23-26, to be determined Central Congo, (Section A), Democratic Republic of Congo, Aug. 15-18, Wembo-Nyama Central Congo, (Section B), Democratic Republic of Congo, Aug. 19-22, Kananga Central Luzon Philippines, May 27-30, Pura Tarlac, Philippines Central Russia, July 1-4, Moscow Czech & Slovak Republics, June 17-20, Prague, Czech Republic East Congo, (Section A) July 11-14, Kindu, Democratic Republic of Congo East Congo (Section B) July 15-18, Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo East Mindanao Philippines Provisional, April 1-4, C.M. Recto, Davao City, Philippines Eastern Russia Provisional, May 20-23, Ekaterinburg, Russia Germany East, June 12-16, Chemnitz, Germany Germany North, April 14-18, Berlin German South, June 24-27, Reutlingen, Germany Hungary Provisional, April 14-18, to be determined Mindanao Philippines, May 20-23, Kidapawan City, Philippines Nigeria, Dec. 6-12, Jalingo, Nigeria North Central Philippines, March 31-April 5, San Manuel, Isabela, Philippines Northern Mozambique, June 21-25, Beira, Mozambique Northern Philippines, April 13-16, Madarulog, Enrile, Cagayan, Philippines North-West Russian Provisional, June 24-27, St. Petersburg, Russia Northwest Mindanao Philippines, May 27-30, Iligan City, Philippines Northwest Philippines, June 3-6, Baguio City, Philippines Oriental& Equator, July 25-29, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo Pampanga, Philippines, May 19-22, Mexico, Pampanga, Philippines Pangasinan Philippines, May 20-23, Dagupan City, Philippines Philippines, May 24-28, Tagaytay City, Cavite, Philippines Poland, June 24-27, Klarysew, Poland Serbia-Montenegro/Republic of Macedonia, Oct. 15-19, Strumica, Macedonia Southern Mozambique, Dec. 8-12, Maputo, Mozambique Southern Russia Provisional, May 27-30, Kiev, Russia Switzerland-France, June 9-13, Thun, Switzerland Visayas Philippines, June 3-6, Visca, Baybay, Leyte, Philippines West Congo, Sept. 15-22, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo West Middle Philippines, May 31-June 1, Cabangan, Zambales, Philippines
News media can contact Linda Green at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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