Friday agenda includes Holy Communion, business sessions, worship, Memorial Service, retirements, celebration of Spring Heights
For those attending the Annual Conference on Friday, the day begins with Holy Communion outside, weather-permitting.
In case of inclement weather, Holy Communion will be in the West Meditation Chapel, which is at the end of the hall on the second floor in the back of Wesley Chapel.
Following Holy Communion, worship will continue in the main Chapel with a time of praise and prayer.
After a business session which will include resolutions, reports, and voting for General and Jurisdictional Conference delegates, attendees will transition into another time of worship. Jim Berner, outgoing conference treasurer, will be preaching for the Memorial Service, using the latter part of Romans 8 as his text. Berner’s service to the West Virginia Annual Conference will be celebrated.
Business continues in the afternoon, but the Conference will pause to recognize the Retirement Class of 2019. Videos about each retiree will be posted on the Conference website, www.wvumc.org.
Friday will end with a celebration of the 60 years of ministry of Spring Heights. If the weather holds, the celebration will be on the chapel lawn. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chair. An ice cream social, sponsored by the Conference Council on Youth Ministries (CCYM), will follow.
Highlight of the business sessions will be voting for delegates to the 2020 General and Jurisdictional conferences. This year will be the first time that delegates will be chosen using 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.