South Georgia United Methodists gathered to worship and conduct the business of the annual conference as Bishop David Graves led his third regular annual conference session in South Georgia.
Held June 2-4 in the UGA Tifton Convention Center in Tifton, Georgia, one overriding theme prevailed during the 160th session of the South Georgia Annual Conference: “One Matters.”
Bishop Graves delivered a powerful message in the opening worship service Sunday evening, setting the stage for the week as he reflected on the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.
“Friends, we need to get right to the heart of what is going on here,” said Bishop Graves after reading Luke 15. “Jesus is teaching us that people matter to God. Every single person on the planet of the earth matters to God. So the question begs us, church: Do lost people matter to us?”
The following evening during the Service of Ordination with Commissioning, Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, episcopal leader for the North Alabama and Holston annual conferences, continued the theme as she asked the question: “How are you showing each person who crosses your path that they matter?”
“We are called to demonstrate and to have people know that they matter to God and to us,” said Bishop Wallace-Padgett. “What a call, what a joy. Go forth and live a lifestyle of service that helps every person you know understand that they truly matter. Everyone matters to Christ, and so everyone matters to us.”
In his laity address, J. Knapp, conference lay leader and member of the newly formed Grace United Methodist Church in Thomasville, Georgia, shared that part of showing others they matter is carrying the light of Christ. He encouraged South Georgia laity to join arms in true partnership with clergy and be the church they are called to be to show others they matter to God: that haven from the storms of life; that place of peace and healing; that place of encouragement where the love of Christ is found in overflowing abundance.
“We are ready to embrace the opportunities God is laying before us as leaders of the South Georgia Conference,” Knapp said. “Let’s go from here carrying the light of Christ and the ministry of encouragement into a world in desperate need of His love, mercy and saving grace.”
One Matters Moments were scattered throughout the business sessions providing practical tools to help clergy and laity focus on reaching out to others and creating deep roots of discipleship.
In the business session, members:
- heard a report from South Georgia delegation members about the postponed 2020 General Conference.
- celebrated Fully Connectional and Evangelistically Fruitful Churches.
- heard an update on the Bishop’s Priorities from Connectional Ministries staff. Priorities include disrupting and dismantling racism, clergy mental health, resourcing the local church for ministry, and church planting and revitalization.
- celebrated with individuals who received denominational awards: Brandon Tolle, Macon Wesley Foundation director, received the Francis Asbury Award from Higher Education and Ministry; the Rev. Mike Powell and Asbury United Methodist Church received the One Matters Award from Discipleship Ministries; J. Knapp and the Rev. Chester Harris received the Denman Evangelism Awards from the Foundation on Evangelism.
- celebrated the commissioning of Lauri Jo Upchurch as a deaconess.
- applauded the 50th anniversary of GNTV.
- heard about a new clergy pension plan. which begins Jan. 1, 2026.
- were introduced to the Rev. Elizabeth Coppedge-Henley, the new president of the Georgia United Methodist Foundation, and the Rev. Adam Roberts, the new director of the Georgia United Methodist Commission on Higher Education and Collegiate Ministry.
- received a special offering totaling more than $11,000 for higher education and campus ministry in South Georgia.
- approved a budget of $3,559,229 for 2025.
Commissioned as a provisional member preparing for ordained ministry as an elder was Payton Harrison Stone. Ordained as a deacon in full connection was Shannon James Baxter, Jr. Ordained as elders in full connection were Robert Michael Bankston, Pamela Vaughn Johnston, and James Patrick Owens.
Eleven clergy were recognized during a retirement recognition service, and five were recognized for achieving their 50th anniversary in ministry. Twenty-seven clergy and clergy spouses who died in the past year were remembered during the memorial service. The Rev. Rick Lanford was the preacher for this service.
On Tuesday, the Rev. Doreen Smalls, superintendent of the Northwest and Southwest districts, preached from Jeremiah 29:11 during the morning worship service.
“As we face hard times, the life of the church cannot come to a halt. The South Georgia Conference will not come to a halt. The UMC will not come to a halt,” said Rev. Smalls. “What we do is we adjust where necessary, and we keep it moving. We continue to have holy conversations, holy conferences, start fresh expressions and new churches. We continue to make disciples of Jesus Christ and continue to tell this dying world about a living Savior, sharing Jesus with others, and we continue to be the church.”
During his episcopal address, Bishop Graves also talked about moving forward and ‘doing hard better’ in this season.
“When you lean into God’s greatness and how it has changed your life, you can count the blessings during the storms of life that are raging right now,” said Bishop Graves. “You want to experience the blessings of God. Let’s get in the midst of the storm and let the Holy Spirit do the Holy Spirit’s work. We’re called to show up and to be faithful.”
Bishop Graves gave a bracelet to each person in attendance. One side said “One Matters” and the other side said “Doing Hard Better.”
“If you’re waiting for it to get easy, it’s not going to get easy,” said Bishop Graves. “But if you’re waiting for a blessing, and you’re waiting for the faithfulness and goodness of God, jump all in and love people and love Jesus. Be renewed, and let’s win people to Christ. Let’s let people see the love of Christ in us.”
— Kelly Roberson, assistant to the bishop and director of conference ministries/communications