The WV Conference Lay Ministry Team will host a special zoom meeting later this month for all first-time Lay Members to Annual Conference. The zoom meeting will be held on Sunday, April 30, at 3:00pm. Lay members will learn what to expect before, during, and after the Annual Conference session in June. Participants will be able to talk with laity leaders, see other newcomers, and ask questions. The zoom link will be sent via email to those first-time attendees who have registered for Annual Conference. District Offices will have the dial-in phone number for those who will join by call-in only.
In addition, the virtual pre-conference Laity Session occurs on Sunday, May 21, at 3:00pm for all lay members to annual conference. Important information regarding specific business and worship sessions will be shared with participants. This will be a zoom webinar and a link will be emailed to lay members who have registered.
Alternate lay members are welcome to join in the newcomers zoom meeting and the laity session zoom webinar in order to be better prepared should they be needed to serve in their charge/church-elected role. All charges/churches must be represented by their elected lay member or alternate lay member during Annual Conference as voting ministry partners with clergy.
On Thursday afternoon of Annual Conference, all laity are invited to the Laity Gathering with guest speaker Dr. James Moore, president of WV Wesleyan College, as well as other presenters. The Laity Gathering offers a special time of learning and fellowship for lay members to annual conference and other lay guests who are interested in this session. Following COVID, last year’s new Laity Gathering format was quite successful and the 2023 Gathering promises to be just as insightful. More information about the Laity Gathering will be available soon.
All three opportunities will be different with a variety of information shared at each one. Questions on the first-time lay member to annual conference zoom meeting, virtual laity session via zoom webinar, and/or in-person laity gathering can be directed to Conference Lay Leader Kristi Wilkerson at lay.leader@wvumc.org.