2022 Annual Conference Summary & Highlights

Overall Annual Conference 2022 Summary

The 2022 Annual Conference was held June 10-13 at the KI Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The theme of the session was "Discerning God's Will for All" based on scripture from Romans 12:1-2. The focus of the conference was responding to God's call to all to be in ministry and service together.

Read a complete summary of Annual Conference 2022.

All videos and materials can be found on the conference website at www.wisconsinumc.org/annual-conference. Below are some highlights from Annual Conference. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out us at communications@wisconsinumc.org. 

Youtube Playlist For Annual Conference 2022

The State of the Church Address

Bishop Jung offered his State of the Church address. When we know who we are, we know what our mission is. We are called to seek clarity, not certainty.  We are people of personal holiness and social holiness. We are called to prayerful introspection for our own journey of transformation related to anti-racism which must be a part of everyday ministry. We are called forward by renewing and transforming grace for wholeness making. We must recognize, repent, and restore. We are only just starting work on cultural competency and anti-racism led by Anti-Racism Task Force. Imagine the mystery of God that we will enjoy. Think of yourself this way, as a servant of Christ and steward of God’s great mysteries. We are called forward by healing and transforming grace. 

You can watch the full State of the Church address on the conference website or on our YouTube channel.

Ingathering Success at Annual Conference 2022

What an awesome job with Ingathering 2022.  We are grateful for everyone who generously donated kits, supplies and money for Midwest Mission. We found a great spot out of the sun and rain, where people were able to drop off their donations. A big thank you to the volunteers who helped unload and check in items: Debbie K, Lisa B, Mike P, & Vernita G. Thank you also to those who offered to be Drop Off sites and bring items from churches not attending in person this year. 

While in Wisconsin, the Midwest Mission truck delivered supplies to United Methodist Children Services and Northcott Neighborhood House. Wisconsin Annual Conference Collected 10,580 pounds, the most of all annual conferences. Totals for the 2 day collection in Green Bay and what was sent to Conference Office during May are:

$8,585.73
1,642 Personal Dignity Kits
683 Home Care Buckets

And much more including supplies to make more kits, school bags, layettes, blankets, working sewing machines...Financial donations continue to come into the Conference Office by mail and online.  If you would like to make a donation please write a check to: Wisconsin Conference add “Ingathering” to memo line.

Wisconsin Conference Of The UMC
750 Windsor Street, Sun Prairie, WI 53590

We have 2 permanent drop off sites available for donations throughout the year. Check Midwest Mission's website https://www.midwestmission.org/midwest-mission. Kits, Projects & Patterns tab and Donate tab list the current needs.

Annual Conference Offerings 

Please consider supporting one of our Annual Conference funds this year. If you weren't able to make an offering at Annual Conference and would still like to, click here. Thank you for considering joining us in supporting one of these valuable funds.

2023 Budget Presentation 

The 2023 budget was presented by Sarah Sneider, Treasurer & Director of Administration. Sarah presented an overview of the 2021 Statistical data. There is a video prepared by Don Cramer on our website, detailing the results of the statistical data that churches submitted. 2021 Financial results were presented. The Conference received over 1 million dollars in donations that supported over 125 programs across our conference. Overall, we were under budget for expenses for 2021 by $342,000. We ended the year with a positive result of net income of $180,941.

The 2023 budget was presented with allocation percentages as follows:

Local congregational development    $1,883,868      29.6%
Global connectional ministries           $1,505,461      23.7%
Clergy and lay leadership                    $ 561,127        8.8%
Connectional ministries                      $2,072,472      32.6%
Conference support ministries           $   347,400        5.5%
Other                                                   $     (6,000)     -0.1%
                                                            $6,364,328      100%
 
The full budget presentation video can be found on the conference website. 

Worship Services

During Annual Conference there was an Opening Worship service and 3 main worship services throughout the conference. The opening worship provided a dynamic interactive sermon between Bishop Hee-Soo Jung and Rev. Grace Cajiuat, that brought the gathering into the story of Jesus’ experience with the Syrophoenician woman and her daughter afflicted by an unclean spirit. 

The Retiree Service was held Saturday before lunch and was led by Class of 2022 retiree, Rev. Don Greer. His sermon asked the question "How do we walk forward from this moment and this career?". 

The Memorial Service followed the lunch break on Saturday. The gathered body shared in remembering those persons associated with the Wisconsin Annual Conference who entered eternal life in the last year.  Proclamation was offered by Rev. Forrest Wells, Class of 2022 retiree.

The Ordination Service was held Sunday afternoon following the business of the Annual Conference and was led by Bishop Hee-Soo Jung. Six people were ordained as elders in full connection, three people were commissioned as provisional deacons, six people were commissioned as provisional elders, and one elder transferred from another conference. 

All the worship services can be found on the conference website or on the conference YouTube channel. 

Business & Action Items

Throughout the weekend the business of the Annual Conference was administered through video presentations, live speakers, action items voted on, and dialogue. All action items presented to the body for vote passed. For a complete list of the action items voted on and the results please click here. 

Endorsement for Dan Schwerin, Bishop Jung

The General and Jurisdictional Conference delegation was invited forward to offer a re-affirmation of Rev. Dan Schwerin, 1^st elected clergy delegate of Wisconsin Annual Conference as an episcopal candidate to the North Central Jurisdiction with a video presentation by Rev. Jenny Arneson, 2nd elected clergy delegate.  Lisa King, 1^st elected lay delegate offered   an update of the work of the delegation and the results of the online NCJ conference.

Bible Study with Jim Winker

The Saturday and Sunday sessions began with an opening devotion time and Bible study, Discerning God’s Will for All; Romans 12:1-2, led by Jim Winkler. “How can we affirm others and encourage them to live out of the awareness that they are already acceptable and do not have to justify their existence?”

Disaffiliation of Local Churches Approval Process for the Wisconsin Conference

Rev. Steve Zekoff presented the action item. This policy document outlines the terms and conditions by which a local church in the Wisconsin Conference can exercise its right to disaffiliate. The General Council on Finance and Administration has developed a “Standard Form for Disaffiliation Agreements” as required by ¶2553.4a. Judicial Council Decision 1424 affirmed that the Annual Conference has the authority to develop additional procedures and standard terms (which become part of the Disaffiliation Agreement) that are not inconsistent with the minimum standards for disaffiliation required by ¶2553. 
The full text of the action item can be found on page 29 of the 2022 Approved Action Item Report. All information pertaining the process for disaffiliation can be found on the Conference website at www.wisconsinumc.org/disaffiliation-information.

Commitment to Restorative Healing: Boy Scouts of America 

Action Item wc110: Commitment to Restorative Healing: A Wisconsin Conference Resolution on Survivors and the Boy Scouts of America, was presented by Dan Schwerin, Assistant to Bishop Jung on behalf of The Conference Board of Trustees, the Conference Council on Finance and Administration, the Cabinet and Bishop Jung.
 
“Restorative healing is at the heart of the Sermon on the Mount, moral action that is restorative to our interdependent good. Jesus calls us to compassion in Matthew 5:41, called to resist injustice with non-violent compassion, to demonstrate trust in the abundant grace of God and to be generous and that our witness be restorative.
 
There is a proposed settlement that puts survivors at the center of the healing. The settlement commits the UMC to providing $30 million dollars toward a Survivors’ Trust Fund as a part of the total financial settlement of $850 million dollars.
 
Our Wisconsin Conference UMC portion of the financial settlement is $208,096. We are not asking that this be added to the annual apportionments. We ask that you pray and consider if we can raise all the $208,096 for the Survivors’ Trust Fund.” The full text of the action item can be found on pages 27-28 of the 2022 Approved Action Item workbook on the website.

Share Your Photos With Us From Annual Conference 2022

Did you attend Annual Conference and capture some photos that you would like to share? Click here to share your great photos with us for a chance to be featured in the weekly ENews, or on one of our Social Media Platforms. We can't wait to see your photos!

Where To Access Photos and Video Recordings From Annual Conference 2022

To access all content from Annual Conference 2022, check out one of the sites below:

Youtube
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Annual Conference Website
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