Bishop Day on the District

Pen-Del Annual ConferenceFall 2015Bishop Peggy A. Johnson

Luke 4:16-19, 24-30

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

…And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. But the truth is, there were many widos in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.

There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

Devotional Thoughts

Conference Mission Statement:C.A.L.L.

•C – Connecting•A – Acting•L – Leading•L - Loving

Good News!!• Churches are reaching out to their neighborhoods more• Churches are offering VBS• Camp Pecometh is increasing in new offerings and

participation.• Churches are giving more to missions and Volunteer in Mission

Trips are on the increase• Young people continue to be called into the ministry• Pastors and laity are growing in their faith• Conference staff and boards and committees are resourcing

our churches• Apportionment giving is making a difference in this world!!

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK PDC!!!

General Conference 2016

General Conference

• There are 864 Delegates, 42% of them are from other countries and 30% of the delegates are from Africa.• The conference will be held in Portland,

Oregon from May 10 until May 20, 2016.• There are 2 lay and 2 clergy going from PDC.• Technology at GC will allow for better use of

resources: tablets with electronic versions of materials in several languages will be available.

Some issues before GC:

• Creation of a Global Discipline that includes the basics: the Constitution, doctrinal standards (theological task), Ministry of all Christians, Social Principles

• Human Sexuality conversations – numerous proposals• Restructuring the denominations with the goal of more nimble

operations, more regionally appropriate– numerous proposals• World-Wide Social Principles• Constitutional Amendment to expand the purpose of GC to

include worship, prayer and fellowship• Proposals concerning exiting congregations• Proposal to require some level of endorsement for petitions

beyond that of a single individual.• Conversations rather than all Parliamentary procedure

Northeast Jurisdictional Conference

Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference• July 12-15, 2015 at the Lancaster Marriott Penn Square in EPA• More area volunteers are needed to assist with the hospitality

(see Boyd Etter if you want to help: bbetter@msn.com)• We will send 4 clergy and 4 lay delegates and two youth

delegates with voice and not vote• We will elect one or two bishops depending on the decision

about downsizing the jurisdiction• Bishop Matthews will retire (mandatory age) and the late

Bishop McLee’s interim (Bishop Middleton) will resume retirement

• NEJ will receive reports, conduct elections of General and Jurisdictional Committees, establish budget, celebrate the retirement of Bishop Matthews, consecrate the new bishop(s)

Down-sizing of the number of Episcopal Areas in the NEJ

Down-sizing of Episcopal Areas in the NEJ• In 2014 we fell below the threshold of total

members by 5,000 that was require to maintain 9 Episcopal Areas. An area must have 300,000 members• We may keep all 9 areas. We may go down to 8.

We may put PDC with BWC and still keep 9.• We don’t know how it will turn out. More

conversations will happen in October.

Imagine No Malaria

Progress in the fight against Malaria• We have raised $66 million so far!• We have reduced the mortality rate in half• We have purchased radio transmitter and cell phones and sent

out public nurse educators to teach people about malaria• We have built and rehabbed clinic and hospitals• We have trained nurses and doctors• We have provided testing equipment and medicines• We have distributed over 44.2 million bed nets• We are the only faith group working with the UN Foundation• This disease is totally treatable!!

Goal: $5 per worshipping member; 100% participation by all churches

Strive to host at least one additional event Resources available at imaginenomalaria.org;

contact Amy Botti at abotti@epaumc.org

“Enough is Enough” by Erin Hawkins of GCORR

Actions Steps:• Be accountable: building relationships among the whole

human family• Be inclusive – show love, respect and acceptance for people of

all races, classes, genders, age, and identity• Be courageous – have conversations about race and “isms”

even though they are difficult• Be prayerful• Issues statements of solidarity: demand no more violence and

death because of race, call systems accountable for oppression when it is evident, demand that there be no more dehumanization of people who are different from oneself

Native American Act of Repentance

Giving Substance to Words:

• Establish relationships with Native and/or Indigenous people• Learn the history and culture and what has happened in

your area in the past• Host an “Act of Repentance” at your church• Take a special offering on Native Ministries Sunday• Support efforts to repatriate ancestral remains• Commit to advocacy for land rights, better health care,

education and employment• Support relationships with partnering congregations with

indigenous congregations

Act of Repentance at Annual Conference – June 9, 2016

New Director of Connectional Ministries

New Superintendents

Camp Pecometh

Upcoming Dates to remember

• Sat. October 10th – 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – “The Well” at St. Luke’s UMC in Denton, MD• Fri. October 30 – Sat. October 31st – Strengthening the

Black Church for the 21st Century • Sat. November 7th – 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Laity

Stewardship Event (Calvary UMC in Milford, DE)• Sat. November 14th – 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Laity

Stewardship Event (Cornerstone UMC in Bear, DE)• Sat. December 5th – 9:00 – 2:00 pm – AA Pastors

Summit St. Luke in Cambridge, MD• Fri. January 8th – Sun. January 10th – Youth Rally – O.C.

MD• Tue. January 12th – Thu. January 14th – Mid Winter

Retreat - Doubletree Hotel, Lancaster, PA

• Mon. February 8th – 8:30 am – 11:30 am – Area Lenten Day Apart at Aldersgate UMC – Wilmington – with Bishop Young Jin Cho• Sat. March 5th – 10 am – Confirmation Rally at

Barratts Chapel• Thu. March 17th – Sat. March 19th – Restoration• Fri. April 8th – Sat. April 9th – Young Adult Summit• Sat. April 9th – Area Order of Deacons• Mon. April 18th – PDC Order of Elders• Sun. April 24th – Tue. April 26th – Local Pastor’s

Retreat at Black Rock Retreat Center

Annual Conference

• Thu. June 9th – Sat. June 11th – At UMES in Princess Anne, MD• Preachers/Speakers: Rev. Dr. Thom White

Wolf Fassett, Dr. Eric Law and, Bishop Peggy Johnson• Theme: “Racial Justice: The Tree of Peace”• Ordination: Fri. June 10th at 7:00 pm• Candidates for bishop will be nominated