Pastor’s Ponderings
Lay Representative and Pastor Report – Annual Conference 2024
To my Claybanks Church Family,
I want to take a few minutes to thank my Claybanks family for sending me to the Michigan Annual Conference as their Lay Representative. This year’s theme was “Fearless, Embracing a New Future.” Fearlessness is not the absence of fear or concern, but it’s living with “less fear,” according to Bishop Bard.
While Bishop Bard gave a couple very moving messages and kept us laughing at many times, my biggest take-away was, “We will not always be at our best, though we strive to be, but we can always work to be at our better,” in his message titled “Anything Good?” I also considered the guest speakers Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli and Rev. Doctor Lillian Daniel to be very dynamic and thought provoking. From Rev. Gaines-Cirelli I gleaned a new short prayer: “Let me trust in the Lord more than I distrust myself.”
The music we sang/listened to is always one of my favorite things. We sang a combination of older hymns as well as some contemporary Christian music and even some that were composed/written by the music leader. The icing on the cake was listening to the conference choir sing “It is Well with My Soul.” They did an absolutely phenomenal job with my favorite hymn.
I would probably be remiss if I didn’t report back to you on the legislation and other reports that took place. This is my most least liked part of conference, but here are just a few of the highlights:
- The conference budget this year was lowered from last year by 8.4%. A lot of this was due to the closing/disaffiliation of churches.
- Only 73% of Ministry Shares were received last year.
- 6,500 Rice packs were packed by fellow attendees which totaled 39,000 meals to be sent worldwide.
- Passed the 2025 Minimum Salary Schedule
- Voted in favor of Witnessing and Voting for Civility, Compassion, and Democracy in 2024
- Voted in favor of a Call for peace with justice in the Middle East.
There was much discussion on many of the above legislation as well as amendments, amendments to the amendments, reversals, and explanations, but I must say, I believe most of it was done with dignity and grace.
Again, I thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be your Lay Representative.
Sincerely, Konnie Grant
Claybanks United Methodist Church Family
Thank you Konnie for representing Claybanks UMC and thank you Reba Peterson for being an Equalization Representative. We were very well represented as a church at conference with three from our church.
Just to add a few things to Konnie’s report: Our Clergy session detailed educational requirements for clergy during the next two years with emphasis on “Anti-Bias/Anti-Racism” training. We continue in a downward movement where we will come to a point of not enough clergy for all our churches in the future. Legislation for our Annual Conference did not include any of the items ratified by the General Conference (Held in late April and early May). Items will first go before the Jurisdictional Council and items for our ratification will be part of our Annual Conference Legislation in 2025.
We are in a time of unification for the United Methodist Church with the departure of 22% of our church in the conference during the past two years. Nationwide the percentage is similar, which presents to us as United Methodists many opportunities to do things a little differently as we strive to be the church that God calls us to be in making disciples for the transformation of the world for Jesus Christ.
Pastor Gary
Claybanks United Methodist Church 