2018 Upper New York Annual Conference

Members of the Upper New York Annual Conference gathered for the ninth session May 30-June 2 at the SRC Arena in Syracuse, New York.

Upper New York Area Bishop Mark J. Webb officiated and led the conference around the theme "Boldly Living Our Call."

"If we are to boldly live our call — if we are to be effective in the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ — our identity must be grounded in the identity of Christ," Bishop Webb said during opening worship. "We must acknowledge Christ! We must acknowledge who Christ is, not based on who the world says he is or based on our ideas, our definitions, our understandings, but on who Jesus said he was in word and in action. We must confess Jesus as our Savior and Lord"

The Rev. L. Gregory Jones, conference teacher, led two study sessions. The first focused on not going back to Egypt.

"Each one of us has a 'back to Egypt' part of our souls," Jones explained. "We get a glimpse of what God is calling us to do, and we get uncertain. And we say, 'I don't think so. Egypt sounds just fine to me.' Oh how often we just settle for 'going back to Egypt.'"

Click here to view the first study session in full.

The second study session focused on getting the past out of our eyes to attain an extraordinary future.

"If we are going to boldly move into our call, if we are really going to be able to understand the summons coming from God, we need to recognize all that needs to be unlearned so we can change," Jones said.

Click here to view the second study session in full.

The following recommendations were addressed through holy conferencing:

Conference Leadership Team recommendation that every Upper New York congregation be required to use the VitalSigns Dashboard starting Sept. 1. The conference supported as amended to strongly encouraged rather than required. Click here for details.

Board of Pension and Health Benefits recommendations one and two, both supported. Click here for details.

Equitable Compensation recommendations one through five, all supported or supported as amended. Click here for details.

• Recommendation from the Accessibility Committee — Disability Awareness Weekend, supported.
• UNY2018.SHRec.1 — Recommendation from the Social Holiness Team-Welcoming a Stranger, supported.
• UNY2018.SHRec.2 — Recommendation from the Task Force on Peace with Justice in Palestine/Israel — Advocating for the Rights of Children Living Under Israeli Occupation, supported.
• UNY2018.SHRec.3 – Recommendation from the Social Holiness Committee — Fossil Fuels, supported.
• UNY2018.SHRec.4 — Recommendation from the Task Force for Immigration — Radical Hospitality, supported with combined amendments.
• UNY2018.SHRec.5 — Recommendation from the Social Holiness Team — Specify Peace and Justice Coordinator, supported.
• UNY2018.SHRec.6 — Recommendation from the Social Holiness Team — Safe and Free from Firearms, not supported. Click here for more details on the recommendations.

The following resolutions were also addressed through holy conferencing:

• UNYAC2018.1 — On Guidelines for the 2019 General Conference delegation, not supported.
• UNAYC2018.2 — On Sexual Abuse, Harassment, and Misconduct, supported with amendment.
• UNYAC2018.3 — Methodist Heritage, Methodist Doctrine, Biblical Truths, and Sexual Ethics Going Forward, not supported.
• UNYAC2018.4 — Rules and Agenda Changes for Enhanced Order of Floor Discussion and Debate on Motions, Motion to refer to Rules Committee, supported
• UNYAC2018.5 — Lead Resolution, supported with an amendment to test water as well.
• UNYAC2018.6 — Expansive Language, not supported.
• UNYAC2018.7 — Parental Leave, supported.
• UNAC2018.8 — Funding Ecumenical Inter-Faith Leaders, supported.
• UNYAC2018.9 — Location of Annual Conference, not supported.
• UNY2018.10 — Non-Binary Gender Resolution, supported.
• UNY2018.11 — Statistical Reporting, withdrawn.

Click here for detailed coverage of the resolutions that were discussed.

The ninth session of the Upper New York Annual Conference concluded with the service of Ordination and Commissioning.

Bishop Dennis V. Proctor from the North Eastern Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was the preacher.

There was one person commissioned for the work of deacon:

Jessica Faye Glaser

There were six people commissioned for the work of elder:

Cheryl Ann Brown

Raymond C. Gilman IV

Linda Kay Haight

Melissa Marie Killenberger McCarthy

Hector D. Rivera

Lisa Dawn Taylor

There was one person received as an associate member:

James Edward Barnes II

There were three people ordained to the order of elder:

Stephanie Jo Brown

Kevin Duane Slough

Paul D. Winkelman

Bulleted Daily Notes and Daily Wrap videos for use in local church reporting are available here.

Membership stands at 149,752, down 2 percent from the previous year.

Worship attendance stands at 40,547, down 3 percent.

Church school attendance stands at 10,440, up 11 percent.

Professions and reaffirmations of faith for 2017 were 1,614, up 2 percent from 2016.

Adults and young adults in small groups for 2017 were 17,074, down 7 percent from 2016.

Worshippers engaged in mission for 2017 were 10,754, down 2 percent from 2016.

— Steve Hustedt, director of communications