On June 7-10, over 1000 United Methodist lay and clergy persons from Connecticut and New York will gather for the 218th Session of the New York Annual Conference. This message is the first of two letters detailing what happens at annual conference.
Today’s focus is on the five special offerings taken and the opportunities for individuals and churches to share their gifts. Many churches organize fundraisers or take special offerings and send their contribution with their delegate to annual conference. The (5) offerings for Annual Conference 2017 are:
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Bishop's Partners in Mission
The offering at Wednesday’s Opening Worship will be for Bishop's Partners in Mission. Funds raised will support 3 major mission foci: world-wide and community mission, General Church Shared Ministries, and leadership development of our clergy and laity. As partners in mission together we serve our neighbors, together we make disciples and together we witness to God’s love.
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Black College Fund
Thursday’s offering supports the Black College Fund. In 1972 General Conference established the Black College Fund apportionment. Today, the church supports 11 historically Black colleges and universities, more than any other religious denomination.
Each year a student chosen as the Lina H. McCord Ambassador of the Black College Fund visits in order to personally express thanks for the NYAC’s support. The 2017 ambassador is Russell Williams III. Mr. Williams attends Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas. Your contribution makes it possible for students like Mr. Williams to attend college.
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Justice for Our Neighbors
Friday morning’s offering supports Justice for Our Neighbors or JFON, a national network of church-based, volunteer-supported immigration law clinics that provide free legal advice and representation to vulnerable, low-income immigrants. The NYAC-JFON has served clients in New York since 1999. A recently posted story by JFON tells the story of Consuelo and the reunion with her 3 children - just in time for Mother's Day.
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Anchor House
Friday evening's offering supports Anchor House, the House of Hope, a faith-based residential treatment program. Anchor House traces it’s beginnings to 1967 when Rev. Cotto-Thorner, a pastor in the NYAC agreed to help a drug addict on the condition that he bring other addicts to church for food, coffee and conversation. The young man brought 30 others, and thus the ministry of Anchor House was born. Today Anchor House has a 50 bed men’s facility and a 28 bed women’s facility with a program that lasts approximately 12 to 18 months.
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Young Clergy Debt Assistance Program
The offering for Saturday's Ordination will be for the NYAC Young Clergy Debt Assistance Program. This fund was the vision and creation of Bishop Martin D. McLee who had a profound desire to provide financial support to clergy aged 40 years or younger serving in the New York Annual Conference. Your support of the fund allows recipients of the award to work toward developing long-term financial planning as well as receive assistance with their educational debt. This year the deadline for applications for the program is July 2, 2017.
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Health Kits Challenge
Health kits are collected at annual conference from Wednesday to Thursday evening.In 2016 NYAC churches delivered 4,198 health kits to annual conference.
Last year there were 45 federally declared disasters, 35,530 disasters requiring state emergency response and an additional 12,248 local disaster events. There is even more need for health kits in 2017. Please accept the challenge to deliver more health kits in 2017.
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Join the Conference Choir
All are invited to join the conference choir. Practice begins at 8:45 on Saturday, June 10th.
For information about additional rehearsals or questions, please contact Raymond Trapp, Director of Music or Ian Wharton, Coordinator, at music.worshipnyac@gmail.com
Your contributions make a difference!
Matt Curry, Director of Connectional Ministries
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