June 12-14, in Albuquerque, New Mexico
The 2019 New Mexico Annual Conference was held June 12-14 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Albuquerque. Resident Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe presided under the theme “Ask, Seek, Knock”.
Approximately, 400 voting members and guests were present. Prior to the official opening of the Conference, Early Bird Workshops were held on Wednesday afternoon. Some of the topics included coaching, discipleship, evangelism, finance, and community partnership.
On Wednesday evening, the New Church Development Team hosted the first annual $5K Give-Away where interested individuals or groups could pitch their idea for an innovative ministry and receive a one-time grant of $5,000. Six intrepid pitchers shared their ideas with judges and an enthusiastic crowd. The criteria used: Courageous, collaborative, “with, not for” and contextual. The winner was Barbara Tegtmeier (a Certified Lay Minister and a Regional Coordinator for Messy Church) pitched the idea to split the $5,000 between two churches who want to start a Messy Church and provide consultation. She leads a growing Messy Church in her own church, Christ UMC-Albuquerque. Opening Worship
The Conference was opened with worship featuring James E. Swanson, Resident Bishop of the Mississippi Conference. Bishop Swanson preached on our “Crisis of Hope”, saying, “Sometimes the church is afraid of the storm because they didn’t learn other lessons. If God had been with us in the past, why isn’t God with us today? If God has been with you in the past, God is with you RIGHT NOW!”
We memorialized those who have died and celebrated our retirees during our Legacy Luncheon and during our first Business Session.
Clergy & Clergy Spouses who passed this year: Oscar A. McBrayer, Michael Steven Brunk, Lenora Faye Davis, Barry Robert Dickens, Ralph Fishburn, Lorna Prust Graben, Jane Shirk Jackson, Lillian Lund Peterson, James Joseph Welch, Jr. & Ira Eustace Williams.
Retirees: Margot Thompson, Reuben Thomas & Steve Trout Our Living Archives were Laity: Beverly Hughes and Clergy: Rev. Noe E. Gonzales
State of the NM Conference
Our Provost, Randall Partin presented the State of the NM Conference. In accordance with our annual conference theme of “Ask, Seek, Knock”, he wore a green suit with question marks. He also used Mentimeter to ask interactive questions with the body to gauge who we are, what ministry is bearing fruit, what is still incomplete, who is our brother?, etc., “Sisters and Brothers, we are still too often preoccupied with what divides us than the Gospel that unites us and that witness undermines our Gospel message because the more we fight, the more the world outside sees something they don’t want to be a part of. We have work to do. God is not yet done with us.”
He reported that we have seen the smallest decline by far in average weekly worship attendance in the past 10 years or more; strongest payout in our tithe in the past three years, and our Conference budget is 43% less than it was ten years ago. “We are living within our means and getting it done.”
2019 General & Jurisdictional Delegate Report
Prior to Annual Conference we requested that members submit questions to our 2019 General & Jurisdictional Conference Delegation. We received a few, which were addressed by our Delegates. The first question was a desire to know how our two voting delegates voted on the adoption of the Traditional Plan. One answered that he voted for the Traditional Plan and the other opted out of answering the question. Other questions were about dissent; options for those who want to stay in connection with the church but do not agree with the Traditional Plan, and another about the formation of a US Conference. Coaching4Clergy President, Rev. Val Hastings led us in a time of considering how changing the questions that we ask, changes our interactions and ultimately, our church.
Service of Lamentation
Our Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe and our guest musician, Ken Medema led a worship service of lamentation. “Anyone ever had the Blues?” Bishop Bledsoe was very open about three instances in his life when he had the Blues and what gave him hope. “What brought hope to [the Psalmist]? It was the understanding that God is still God and we’re not.”
Laity Session
During the Laity Session, Val Hastings provided training to empower laity to stealth coach” in their ministry setting. By using deep listening and seeking perspective-altering questions, laity can make a difference in their work, church and family setting. The laity left the session buzzing with the possibilities.
Commissioning Service
We concluded our time together with a Commissioning Service that lifted up all ministers. Bishop Swanson preached to our two Commissionees and to us all. He exhorted us to not be afraid of ministry, but also do not always call it “my ministry or you might start believing it’s yours”. He quoted a Georgia politician who said “If you see a turtle on fence post, you know it didn’t get there on its own.” Musician Ken Medema sang, “Oh the song is alive everywhere…and you are the ones who get to give the donuts” (referencing a video featuring a sweet 4 year-old girl who said that her favorite things about coming to church were Ms. Barb and donuts.)
The highlight of our Going Forth Service is always the Call to Ordained Ministry at the end. Three people came forward and were welcomed with hugs, smiles and some tears.
Conference Business
Annual Conference Budget
Our Delegates approved a 2020 annual conference budget of $2,239,717, which is $19,074 less than the 2019 budget.
The Pension & Health Benefits Chair, Rev. Joe Whitley celebrated the service of our retiring Conference Benefits Officer, Dru Ann Kuntz and welcomed our new CBO, Anna Marshall. He stated that there will be significant increases in health insurance premiums. All full-time appointed clergy will be enrolled in the UMPIP program and automatically enrolled with a 4% minimum contribution (not mandatory). He also shared that retiree moving expenses will be paid up to $1500.
Passed Resolutions of Note:
UMW Creation Care: That all Churches in the New Mexico Conference and their members are encouraged to purchase recycled paper, recycled toilet paper and recycled tissue for use in their offices and homes and recycle used paper whenever possible. Discontinuance: Aldersgate UMC-Roswell, Sacramento Mountain UMCSacramento
Trustees/New Church Development Resolution of Covenant
A Resolution of Covenant between the Trustees and the New Church
Development Team amended a Conference rule to offer more flexibility in supporting church planters. The amendment will allow that of the 50% funds received from church closures, 25% could be used for any use, including salary support (when all other lines of existing funds have already been used).
One Matters Discipleship Award Recipients:
- Christ UMC – Albuquerque District
- FUMC-Eunice – Clovis District
- Mackey Chapel UMC – El Paso District
Offering
Our Annual Conference Offering was Asylum Seeker Assistance. Approximately $6,000 was raised and three truckloads of requested supplies were collected and transported to Las Cruces and El Paso. The NM Conference continues to plan sustainable ways that we can be actively in ministry in the borderlands.
Requested Statistics
Number of people retired: 3
Membership stands at ___27,703__, up (or down) __(1,239) from the previous year.
Worship attendance stands at __10,659_, up (or down) (147) .
Church school attendance stands at 4,652 , up (or down) __168 .
Professions or reaffirmations of faith for 2018 470 , up (or down) from 2017 59 .
Adults and young adults in small groups for 2018 _6,664_, up (or down) from 2017_(335)_.
Worshippers engaged in mission for 2018 ___7,105__, up (or down) from 2017 __459__.
What did your annual conference do to reinforce the Four Areas of Focus, and what commitments has the conference made for the coming year:
- With the dramatic increase of asylum seekers coming across the border, we quickly provided housing, services and God’s love to families who had been vetted and awaited transport to their US sponsors. The need is great and it is anticipated to continue for years. We are in the process of developing a sustainable strategy.
- We hosted a Four Corners Ministry Summit including the four Bishops that are represented geographically in the Navajo Nation (NM, Desert Southwest & Mountain Sky). Bishop Stanovsky graciously attended as well, since she had been Bishop for Mountain Sky in the recent past. The purpose was to allow these representatives to witness the mission field for themselves, identify issues and find ways to help the Navajo people address the concerns.
- Our New Church Development (NCD) Team hired a coach from Discipleship Ministries. They worked with our Trustees to make it allowable for a percentage of available funding from sale of property to be used for church planter salaries.
- Community of Hope is a new church plant that serves the homeless population of downtown Albuquerque. They receive lunch, a pastoral message, wonderful music, Communion, and fellowship.
- New Church Development micro-grants, ABQ District Endowment Committee grants and other available grants helped to fund ministry ideas ranging from a food truck, community gardens, to a basketball court.
- By 2020, we will have approximately 90 Certified Lay Ministers, which will rival the number of ordained active clergy in our Conference. Their gifts and graces are being used in our Conference in innovative ways.
- Our Conference Coaching Network will continue to offer training & support for laity and clergy to better serve their local mission field. A smaller number may choose to continue their training for national certification and serve the wider mission field. The Conference has committed to offering some financial support.
- We reconstituted our Campus Ministry Board and increased supported and accountability to better enable them to do the critical work with our young adults in which they have been entrusted.
- We have entered into a National Campaign to raise funds for McCurdy Ministries in Espanola, NM.
- We will offer our Lay Servant Ministry Academy and Certified Lay Minister training in Spanish.
- We will solidify our planning around repurposing property in El Paso to serve Asylum Seekers and offering legal assistance.
- Our New Church Development Team have committed to supporting and mentoring prospective church planters.
Like what you're reading? Support the ministry of UM News! Your support ensures the latest denominational news, dynamic stories and informative articles will continue to connect our global community. Make a tax-deductible donation at ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom.