Clergy and lay delegates from United Methodist churches around the Mountain State and several nearby areas will gather Thursday at West Virginia Wesleyan College for the West Virginia Annual Conference.
This year’s theme is “Invitational.”
Highlight of the business sessions will be voting for delegates to 2020 General and Jurisdictional Conferences. This year will be the first time that delegates will be chosen by electronic voting. All other matters will be voted on using traditional means.
The Conference Workbook includes brief biographies of laity interested in serving as delegates to the 2020 conferences. Nominations of additional laity can be made from the floor.
For the first time, the workbook includes information about clergy who have expressed an interest in serving as delegates. Although there are brief stories about some clergypersons in the workbook, they are not the only ones qualified to serve as delegates. All clergy members in full connection are eligible for election.
The central event Thursday, the first day of the Annual Conference, will be the opening worship service. Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball will serve as the preacher and the presider for Holy Communion.
Beginning at 8:30 a.m. Thursday and continuing through Saturday there will be a Ministry Fair in the Rockefeller Gym. Ministries connected with United Methodism in West Virginia and around the world will be highlighted.
In addition, Thursday includes a Clergy Executive Session and a Laity Session at 10 a.m. The session for clergy will be at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church. The session for laity will be in West Virginia Wesleyan College’s Performing Arts Center.