By Ann Herrold-Peterson & Gerry Kennedy
Annual Conference this year was again in Middleton, so Gerry and Ann had quick commutes to attend as your Lay Members to the Annual Conference from FUMC-Madison.
An ongoing theme of our time together beginning with Bishop Schwerin’s opening talk and through the Bible Study presented by Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean was that we are living in a time of ongoing and rapid change, and we must be flexible and recognize that we can no longer just do what we’ve always done. During these rapidly changing times the Church can be recognized as a refuge, but only if “refuge” is recognized as being a shelter for a limited time, while we await the next phase and during that time living with and practicing hope while seeking the next steps forward. We are living in a time when people are being “religious” in many ways, people’s religious identities are becoming unbundled, religious “communities” are being created, half of young adults were raised without religion. In these times we must continuously innovate and draw our circles much larger.
During the conference there were three persons ordained as Elders and four Elders transferred into the WI conference, two persons were commissioned for the Elder track and one was commissioned for the Deacon track, and three were presented to be licensed as Local Pastors. We celebrated the service and now retirement of nine clergy and held a memorial service for those who had served in the Wisconsin conference and died since the last Annual Conference.
No items in the Consent Agenda were removed for further deliberation and all other items requiring a vote were unanimously approved without modification. Over the remainder of the Conference we acted on Pensions and Pastoral Minimum Compensation, closed three United Methodist churches, and established a budget for 2027, each with meaningful discussion, but, as was the case last year, none with rancor or high intensity.
We heard from the many groups that have been established at the Conference to support the local churches as we seek to find the new and different ways necessary to continue To Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for The Transformation of the World who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in a rapidly changing environment.
Please join us in praying and working together for an exciting new future for FUMC, Madison.
Gerry Kennedy, FUMC Madison Associate Lay Leader and Lay Member to the Wisconsin Annual Conference
Ann Herrold-Peterson, Chair of the FUMC Madison Staff Parish Relations Council and Lay Member to the Wisconsin Annual Conference