Help us Imagine Wisconsin Anew!Conference Events
| Peace With Justice Special Sunday - Sunday, May 27 |
| Memorial Day Holiday/OFFICE CLOSED - Monday, May 28 |
| Rev. Tsuker Yang Appointment Celebration - Saturday, Jun 2, 9:00 AM - |
| The Gift of the Stranger (Reedsburg UMC) - Saturday, Jun 2, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM |
| Canoe Coop Leadership Training (Ely, MN) - Tuesday, Jun 5 |
| ICD: Season of Discipling - Culture - Tuesday, Jun 5 |
Sisters, We Still Have a Long Way to Go
Being a United Methodist bishop brings me many joys and great satisfaction. I am constantly engaged in conversations about vision for the future, unlimited possibilities, and discernment in God’s will for our Church. I serve with so many gifted men and women, in so many levels and capacities of the Church. Most days, I am proud, humbled and honored to be an Episcopal leader.
Then there are days when I feel burdened and sad. When we received the news that the two constitutional amendments concerning gender equality were defeated, I was deeply troubled. What did this mean? Were we saying women are not equal to men? Were we saying there should not be equal treatment and inclusion? Come on! This is not true of the Church I serve! We are rich in our diversity, beginning with gender diversity. Women are created in God’s image. Women are led by God’s Holy Spirit. Women are gifted to lead. I am proud that The United Methodist Church has long championed the rightness of women in ordained ministry, and in every leadership function at every level of the Church. And I feel very confident that the failure of these constitutional amendments to pass has more to do with other factors than respect and acceptance of women as equal in every way to men.
Don't Miss the 2018 Annual Conference!
In the standard communion liturgy in our United Methodist Hymnal and Book of Worship, there is an enormous and astounding request on the part of the whole people of God: “By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.” All too often, we gloss over these words without fully understanding or comprehending what we are asking.
In the celebration of our sacrament of Holy Communion, we invite you to join us June 15-18 at the Madison Marriott West as we proclaim our desire to live as the body of Christ. We use unconditional language to move beyond who we are and where we are to commit to a vision to become who God wants us to be. There are no divisions, no judgments, no condemnation in such language. We are asking to be united in Christ, in community, and in committed service to the whole world – in spite of our disagreements and differences. We provide a witness to the world that the power of God’s Spirit in and through Christ Jesus is greater than any earthly division or divide. We seek a healing that is beyond our limited capabilities, and surrender our will to the Will of God.
We Will Learn and Worship Together
Bishop Modesto Mamani, the Bishop of Bolivia, will preach during Opening Worship, Thomas Kemper will lead us in Bible Study, Bishop Eduard Khegay, the Bishop of Russia, will preach at the Ordination service and Bishop Linda Lee will preach at our memorial worship service. Rev. Howard Hintzman will preach at the Retiree Celebration.
We Will Celebrate 50 Years Together
Join Bishop Donald Ott, Bishop Linda Lee, and Bishop Hee-Soo Jung as we mark “50 Years Together” at our Annual Conference banquet this year. Hear our Bishops reflect on key aspects of our shared histroy over the past 50 years. The Commission on Archives and History will lead us as we take a look back at the 50th anniversary of the union of The Methodist Church and The Evangelical United Brethren Church to form the United Methodist Church at the historic Uniting Conference in Dallas, Texas in 1968. Celebrate our union, and hear from those present at the time, and at the Wisconsin Uniting Conference in 1969.
We Will Conduct Business
In addition, we adopt a budget, recognize and congratulate retirees and take home new ideas and strategies from Learning Day workshops.
We Will Give
We will have two offerings at Annual Conference. During Opening Worship, we will collect donations for mission work in Russia (Eurasia In Mission Together, Advance #11510A) and Bolivia (Thiu Rancho Project, Advance #12309A). At Ordination, we will collect donations for the Clergy Transition Fund #7790. Make checks payable to the Wisconsin Annual Conference with the Advance or Fund number in the memo line.
