June 18, 2025 Weekly Update
Happy Wednesday!
Last Saturday our Mountain Sky Annual Conference wrapped up at St Andrew UMC in Highlands Ranch, CO. Luci (CFUMC Lay Delegate), Andy (Equalization Lay Delegate), and I worshiped with almost 600 laity and clergy from our 300+ churches across our conference. Our new bishop, Bishop Kristin Stoneking, was gracious, humorous, and efficient as she presided over her first Annual Conference gathering.
We voted on legislation regarding the annual clergy compensation petition, creating a new queer ministries committee at the conference level, encouraging vocal support and action for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women’s initiatives (including creating a new conference task force) and approved a vocal action to condemn the genocide by Israel in the West Bank & Gaza, including a press release to be sent to every elected official in the Mountain West and major newspapers. All of the legislation and petitions can be found here: https://www.mtnskyumc.org/petitions-elections-legislationAC2025
We also voted on amendments to our Book of Discipline. Those amendments included changing the structure of the UMC at a worldwide level, called regionalization; including an updated paragraph about Racial Justice and our task to combat racism, white nationalism, white supremacy; including gender and ability as protected membership statuses for UMC members, which increases our inclusivity; and clarifying educational requirements for clergy delegate voting methods for General conference. All votes across every annual conference this year will be tallied together, and the amendments must receive a 2/3 approval to be added to our Discipline.
We heard in person from Bishop Israel Maestrado Painit of the Davao Episcopal Area, Philippines. He is the youngest UMC Bishop of the Philippine UMC. His assignment comprises the 2 major Islands of the Philippines (Mindanao and Visayas).
We celebrated two new Missionaries leaving Billings First UMC– Pat and Kim Lewis -for the ministry “Give Ye Them to Eat” in Puebla Mexico. CFUMC’s Mission Team has approved a donation to Kim and Pat’s ministry this summer.
And finally, we celebrated our conference’s total giving to ministries and missions through the General Board of Global Ministries – over $525,000! We punch way above our weight in giving to global ministries compared to other annual conferences. Woohoo!
Next year Annual Conference will gather in Billings, MT! It would be a great chance to attend, help host, or volunteer! Let me know if you are curious or interested!
Blessings,
Pastor Jared