Full Session – Clergy and Laity – Saturday, October 24 at 1:00pm

In this abbreviated annual conference session there will be no petitions or resolutions, as there are no legislative sessions. Only the necessary items such as budget, pension and equitable compensation will be reported. There will be worship and recognition of those who have died during this last year.

Registration will be a bit different this year: 

• All clergy are automatically registered for clergy session and for the full session, and will receive an email with their attendee links and unique voting ID number. Clergy do not need to fill out a registration form.  See the clergy session page for more information. 
• Laity and guests must fill out a registration form to attend the full session. To register, click here. Shortly before annual conference, laity with voting privileges will receive an attendee link and unique voting ID. Laity and guests without voting privileges will receive an attendee link. The deadline for registration is Wednesday, October 21^st. No late registration is permitted. If you do not register, you will not be able to participate in the webinar or vote, but you will be able to watch Annual Conference on our social media platforms.
• For Elected Local Church Lay Members: Please check with your pastor to be sure that you are listed as the lay member from your church in the Charge Conference Leadership Form that needs to be submitted by the pastor/church each year. If you are not listed, we cannot provide you with voting credentials for annual conference. If you are not listed here: https://www.nyac.com/lay-and-reserve-members-to-annual-conference please get this cleared up with your pastor. Those not on this list will not be credentialed as the official voting lay member of your church. 
• If you or another member of the annual conference (lay or clergy) needs to phone in for annual conference meetings and cannot vote online, please reach out to Carol Merante in the conference center by email cmerante@nyac.com or phone 914-615-2228 and we will work with you to help find a solution. 
  
  Webinar and Voting Training: For those who have voting privileges and were not able to attend the voting training provided at district conferences, an additional training session for using the voting system will be held on October 20th at 6pm. Click here to attend the live training. In the meantime you can view the GNTV webinar and voting training that was presented at the LIW District Conference.

For additional information and updates, please click here.

NY Justice for Our Neighbors' Virtual Gala for Immigrant Justice?. For over 20 years New York Justice for Our Neighbors (NY JFON) has been welcoming immigrants into our communities with compassion, dignity, and love by providing free, high-quality immigration legal services to immigrants in need, educating communities of faith and the public about the immigration system, and advocating for immigrant rights. We're celebrating the immigrant neighbors we have represented and their resiliency in the face of all obstacles, especially through the current pandemic. This 21st Anniversary Gala will feature words from Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton; commentary from our superstar attorneys TJ Mills, Alexis Duecker, and Samantha Blecher; musical offerings from Jorge Lockward and friends; and, of course, videos of the people with whom we stand in solidarity in this work: our immigrant clients. General tickets are free and your generous donations are greatly appreciated. Join us on givebutter.com/NY-JFON or our Facebook page (@NYJFON) for an hour of inspiration and fun on November 12 at 7pm!

This year’s Laity Celebration will be held via Zoom on Saturday, November 14, from 10AM - 1PM.  We will be studying the book Black & White: Disrupting Racism One Friendship at a Time, by Teesha Hadra & John Hambrick.  We have a limited number of copies available at the Conference Center for purchase, on a first-requested, first-mailed basis. Or, you may order your own copy (Amazon, Cokesbury, Barnes & Noble, etc.). Please register early, as space is limited to 100 on the Zoom call. Register here. If you have questions, you may contact Roena Littlejohn at 203-331-9653 or Roena.Littlejohn@nyac-umc.com. You will receive a link to join the meeting a few days prior to the event. "There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28 (CEB)

Don’t miss Bishop Thomas Bickerton’s
address to the Laity at this special event!

The work needed to dismantle systemic racism is now more important than ever. With this understanding, 2020 Crossroads Anti-Racism Training will continue virtually this year.

Crossroads aims to create and strengthen structures of accountability to people and communities of color and other socially oppressed groups, both within the institution and in the wider community.

Crossroads Anti-Racism training is *FREE AND MANDATORY for all New York Annual Conference (NYAC): 

• Pastors;
• Local Church leaders;
• Conference- and district-level positions;
• Lay Leaders (district and local);
• Lay servants and lay ministers;
• Staff Parish Relations Committee Chairs;
• Candidates for ministry; and
• Cabinet Members.

For additional information or to register, please click here.

• Pure Religion - The Orphan Opportunity 
  A Conversation with Rev Wayne Lavender, Ph.D.
  Sunday, October 25, 7 to 8:30 PM
       With an estimated 150 million orphans in our world today, we are presented with both a preventable crisis and opportunity. Rev Wayne Lavender: pastor, author, and founder of the Foundation for Orphans,  has made it his life’s work to raise awareness, advocate for, and address the orphan crisis. In his words, "There is no reason for this crisis. There are enough resources on this planet to feed, clothe, house, educate and provide health care to every person alive today and many more. We have the resources. What we lack are the moral vision and collective will to make this a reality." He also believes that having a clearly defined mission focus is a key to the revitalization of our churches and denomination. 
       Join us on October 25, as Tom Vencuss, NYAC Director of Missions, moderates a conversation with Rev Lavender as we discuss the “Orphan Opportunity.”   
       This class will be offered on Zoom and based on Wayne’s book, Pure Religion: The Orphan Opportunity. Hard copies of the book can be purchased directly from Tom Vencuss (tvencuss@nyac.com) or Wayne Lavender (wayne@f4o.org) for $14.95. Kindle versions are available via Amazon for $7.99. Reading the book is recommended, not required. All proceeds go to support the work of the Foundation for Orphans.    
  To register, email Trudy Creary: receptionist@nyac.com
• Global Missions Fellows Program:
  Global Mission Fellows are young adults, ages 20–30, who are committed to work in social justice ministries for two years. They serve outside of their home communities, either in the United States or overseas. This graduate-level fellowship allows participants to address the root causes of oppression and alleviate human suffering alongside community organizations in a variety of issues including public health (including HIV/AIDS), migration/immigration, education and poverty.
  For more information
• News from Nicaragua: Dr. Belinda Forbes, missionary to Nicaragua, shares a 4-minute video update about the work she is doing with Accion Medica Cristiana.
• Global Ministries welcomes new General Secretary Roland Fernandes. Read his letter to church leaders and UMCOR partners.

ERT Trainings – We can be anxious or we can be prepared
As this year has already proven to be an unusually active hurricane season, it is important that the New York Conference be prepared not only to respond to disasters in other parts of the country, but also for a significant weather event within the bounds of our Conference. 

ERT-Recertification - Given the initial response, we will have one ERT-Recert workshop on November 10 from 7 to 10 PM. This is for persons who already have badges – even if your badge has expired. Register Here

ERT-Basic Training – This is for persons for have never taken an ERT Basic class. UMCOR requires an 8-hour training session. It will be held on Friday, November 13 from 5 to 9 PM and Saturday, November 14, from 8 AM to noon. Participants must attend both sessions. This program will be in collaboration with the New England Disaster Response program.  Register Here  

From UM News Daily Digest - October 13, 2020

WASHINGTON — Bishops in the U.S. called on United Methodists to encourage people to vote in the Nov. 3 elections. "The right of every citizen to vote in the United States is under attack, and with it, the foundation of American democracy and the sacred worth of all persons," said the Faith and Democracy statement signed by signed by 31 active and 28 retired bishops. Council President Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey said the statement is not from the Council of Bishops, but is a conciliar statement by United Methodist episcopal leaders living in the United States. Other U.S. bishops also issued individual statements.
Read press release
Read full statement
UM News: Churches urge voting

And from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership: The Church and Election Day 
Although congregations are prohibited from endorsing candidates or parties, Doug Powe and Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff say there is much a church can do to encourage people to vote, ensure that voting occurs in a safe and secure manner, and encourage hope and civility in this polarized time.
Read more now.

The NYAC/Archives and History Storytelling Workshop will take place on Saturday, November 7, 2020 virtually, on Zoom. To ensure an optimal learning during this FREE, full- day event, registration will be strictly limited to 30 participants who will have the opportunity to take part in a broad range of activities, including a plenary session, and two interactive workshops that will give you the chance to study at the feet of two proven and renowned storytelling masters, professional storyteller Sheila Arnold, and Rev. Donald Davis, a retired UMC preacher and one of the most popular figures on the U.S. storytelling circuit.            There will also be breakouts offered for deeper, individualized learning, a live performance by Arnold and Davis to set the stage and more.  To manage capacity, we encourage all who are interested in participating to register today. Have questions? Please email them to shareyourstory@nyac.com or call 914-615-2241.   What's Happening in Your District? Catskill Hudson                                                    Connecticut Long Island East                                                   Long Island West Metropolitan                                                          New York-Connecticut NYAC Mission Statement We strive to share God’s love by creating safe places where all are accepted and welcomed, connecting the needs of people to the presence of God, and transforming the world through Christ. Learn more