2018 Kentucky Annual Conference

Location of conference gathering: Northern Kentucky Convention Center, Covington, KY

Dates of conference gathering: June 11-13, 2018

Officiating bishop: Bishop Leonard Fairley

Guest speakers and memorable points or quotes by speakers:

Opening Worship: Bishop Fairley, sermon title: "Looking Through the Eyes of the Spirit"

Ordination and Commissioning Service: Bishop Ken Carter, sermon title: A Future with Hope – memorable quotes – "Maybe God wants us to see something different: God's dreams, God's agenda, God's mission."

"The church of 2018 is not Scriptural. The church of 2018 is not Wesleyan. The church of 2018 is not sustainable. Except for that, everything else is fine". - Bishop Carter speaking about our tendency to want to believe everything is fine in our local church.

Retirement Service: No sermon but we did observe the Passing of the Mantle from one of our retiring clergy to one of our newly ordained clergy.

Memorial Service: The Rev. Jim Fant, sermon title: "Remember. Recall. Recommit" – memorable quote – "When we hit a wall like runners do and those in the book of Hebrews, Jesus meets us there because he had his own wall in the Garden of Gethsemane. We have a choice at the wall. We can lean in and surrender like Jesus or retreat and give up."

Main actions enacted by the conference: Approved the 2019 budget of $7.2 million. Members of the annual conference approved a motion that would require the conference board of pensions to refund a portion of deductibles paid by members on the KAC's insurance plan.

The KAC recognized outgoing director of administrative services/conference treasurer Joni Way, who joined the conference in 2013 and is retiring. Mrs. Way, who is also a retired Yum! Brands Inc. executive, will move to Dallas to be closer to her family. The Rev. David Garvin is assuming the role as director of administrative services/conference treasurer.

During the retirement ceremony 19 clergy members were honored for their years of service in ordained ministry – a total of 588 years.

The bishop also announced that the mission offering raised $102,597. The mission offering will go towards the work of our campus ministries. The total now stands at over $105,000.

Number of people ordained, commissioned or received into associate membership, and average age: Seven people were ordained as elders; six people we commissioned on the elder track; and one person was commissioned on the deacon track.

Number of people retired: 19

Membership stands at 149,803, down 853 from the previous year.

Worship attendance stands at 49,391, down 1,091.

Church school attendance stands at 21,554, down 168.

Professions or reaffirmations of faith for 2017 1,659, up from 2016 1,533.

Adults and young adults in small groups for 2017 31,682, down from 2016 29,948,

Worshippers engaged in mission for 2017 19,517, up from 2016 18,095.

--Cathy Bruce, Kentucky director of communications