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North Georgia United Methodists
Annual session to be held June 16-19
Some 2,500 United Methodist
clergy and laity from across North
Georgia will journey to Augusta
June 16-19 for their annual session
—a time for worship and renewing
friendships, for conducting business
for the coming year, and for pas
tors’ receiving their yearly assign
ments.
This year’s agenda is an intense
one that includes significant busi
ness decisions, reports on mission
initiatives and time spent in worship
and celebration. New clergy will be
ordained at the evening worship ser
vices June 16 and 17 and retiring
ones will be honored at 10:30 a.m.
June 18.
Two highlights of the conference
will be a report on the conference
wide initiative launched last year to
meet the needs of children and fam
ilies living in poverty and a celebra
tion of the conference’s strong
membership growth in 1997.
Total conference membership
stands at 295,593, a gain of 4,819 or
1.7 percent over 1996, spread
across more than 900 congrega
tions. The net increase likely means
North Georgia will lead annual con
ferences in the denomination in
membership growth as it has done
throughout most of the 1980 s and
19905.
North Georgia will lead annual
conferences in the denomination in
membership growth as it has done
throughout most of the 1980 s and
19905.
The video report on the children
and poverty initiative will feature
efforts by local churches and the 12
regional districts to meet needs in
their communities. In addition to
congregational programs, each dis
trict has established during the past
year at least one transitional home
and in some cases, several more
where families in crisis can live
while seeking to become self-suffi
cient.
Youth will lead the night-time
worship service June 18. The con
ference youth choir, Cantemos, will
sing, and leave immediately after
ward on tour. A special offering,
with a goal of $200,000, will be
taken for a major development pro
ject at Camp Glisson, a camping
program for children and youth
located outside Dahlonega. The $5
million Camp Glisson project
includes replacement of 17 cabins,
renovation of the lodge and the con
struction of a meeting room facility
CRISPENS from 3B
We have great need in our world
today and that is the need for hope.
I have a lot to be thankful for a
storm I survived. This past May, I
celebrated my fifth year of being
cancer free. I have learned a great
lesson that I want to share with you.
It’s all about HOPE! God has taught
us to trust Him. With this trust we
gain enduring faith. Hope gives all
of us something to hold onto when
we come to the edge of life.
As believers, we trust God and
should have hope, not fear. God,
through His abiding love, is always
there for us, giving us strength,
courage and hope; vigorously fight
ing the fight. I am here to tell you
that God wants us to eliminate the
negative faith shattering thoughts
Satan would have us believe. God
wants us to say: “I will not accept
or tolerate sickness and disease."
Scripture tells us that we are here
on earth to test our faith. But, what
t>Ucwer QodJs peiuyv
for your MarrUqe>!
$$ Portrait
MarriagE
LIVE CONFERENCE
DR. BRUCE WILKINSON PERSONALLY LEADS THIS CONFERENCE
FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 7:OOPM-9:3OPM SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 9:OOAM-4:OOPM
REHOBOTH CHURCH-NORTH • 1245 OLD ALPHARETTA ROAD • ALPHARETTA, GA30005
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 770-521-0065
925 PER PERSON CHARGE COVERS
THE TWO-DAY CONFERENCE, WORKBOOK AND MATERIALS, SAT. LUNCH AND REFRESHMENTS
PRESENTED BY REHOBOTH CHURCH - NORTH AND WALK THRU THE BIBLE MINISTRIES
and family renewal center.
Another child-related matter com
ing before the conference for
approval is a policy for the preven
tion of child sexual abuse in district
and conference events.
“Although it is our fervent hope
and prayer that child sexual abuse
does not occur in our district and
conference programs, we must put
into place sufficient mechanisms to
reduce the risk of abuse of children,
youth, and those who work with
them,” the policy states.
It mandates that anyone working
with children at conference events
be at least 21 years of age, have
been interviewed beforehand and
provided character references and
consented to a criminal records and
drivers’ license check. Other safe
guards must also be followed,
including the presence of two adults
at all times and the training of
workers to recognize signs of possi
ble abuse and the requirement under
Georgia law to report any incidents.
Delegates will be asked to approve
a merger of the health components
of Wesley Woods Center in Atlanta
—a geriatric hospital and assisted
care facilities with Emory
Healthcare. Wesley Woods was
established by the North Georgia
Conference in 1955 to meet the
needs of a growing older adult pop
ulation. The seven residential units
operated by Wesley Woods across
North Georgia are not included in
the merger.
Several significant proposals
affecting the life of the conference
are coming from the Council on
Finance and Administration.
Among the recommendations are:
(1) the elimination of one district,
or geographical area within the con
ference, so there would be 11
instead of 12;
(2) the division of responsibilities
currently held by one person into
two positions, so that there would
be a full-time executive assistant to
the bishop and a full-time director
of ministerial services and benefits;
and
(3) the creation of a task force that
would bring to the 1999 conference
a proposal for a communications
department that would coordinate
efforts in print media, radio, televi
sion, websites and advertising.
Currently several different bodies
within the conference have respon
sibility for communications.
Two resolutions concerning envi-
is faith? Faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen. During times like
this, God sees how strong our faith
truly is. The question is, how much
do we trust God?
Here are the words found in the
first letter from Peter 1:6-7:
So be truly glad! There is wonder
ful joy ahead, even though the
going is rough for a while down
here. These trials are only to test
your faith to see whether or not it is
strong and pure. However, hope is
not possible without faith and faith
is not possible without tiust.
The burdens we have to endure in
life was never meant to be handled
by man alone. It is God’s plan for
us to trust Him genuinely without
reservation. Remember, God had no
reservation about loving us. God
had no reservation about sending
His only son to die for us so that we
may have eternal life with Him.
ronmental issues ask North Georgia
United Methodists to work for
clean-up of the Chattahoochee
River and to support good earth
policies in general.
Two resolutions sure to gamer
debate call for the closing of the
School of the Americas at Ft.
Benning, which trains military and
police personnel from Latin
American countries and oppose a
called session of General
Conference.
General Conference is the legisla
tive body of the United Methodist
Church that decides matters bind
ing to the denomination. Several
groups across the church have
called for a special session
including the bishop and district
superintendents of the North
Georgia Conference before the
regularly scheduled meeting in
2000.
The controversy hinges around
the acquittal of the Rev. Jimmy
Creech of Nebraska in a church
trial for violating church law when
he conducted a same-sex ceremony
for two lesbians. Creech’s defense
had argued successfully that a pro
hibition against pastors’ conducting
such ceremonies in the church’s
“Social Principles” do not carry the
weight of church law.
The acquittal enraged many
United Methodists across the coun
try who want an immediate session
of General Conference to vote on
making the ban on same-sex unions
clearly prohibitive.
With such controversial issues as
the appropriateness of same-sex
ceremonies weighing on the hearts
and minds of United Methodists,
Bishop Davis is seeking to bring a
renewed sense of worship and unity
to annual conference.
Bible studies at 8:30 a.m. June 17,
18, and 19 will utilize the latest in
technology to heighten the worship
experience. The Rev. Ben
Witherington, a professor at
Asbury Theological Seminary in
Wilmore, Ky., will use clips from
movies, popular music, computer
generated graphics and video dur
ing his presentations on “The
Amnesia of the Church.”
“In the age of television and com
puters, we have increasingly more
visual learners,” said Witherington.
“We have to do a better job of inte
grating a visual component... (in)
worship so that it doesn’t just reach
people over 45.”
God’s love is an indelible founda
tion that can overcome our fears
and give us a surge of courage to
deal with our miseries. From the
very moment my wife and I turned
our adversities completely over to
God, we have been captivated by
His love. With this love comes an
overwhelming delightful sense of
peace. This peace is real. All you
have to do is ask for it! When we
become faced with the dilemmas of
life that seem to be unfair, don’t
become immersed in self pity. Look
up and put your eyes on Jesus. He
will always be there for you.
When you come to the edge
Os all light you have known,
And are about to step off into
darkness;
Faith is knowing there’ll be some
thing to stand on,
Or you will be taught how to fly.
Be blessed.
Baptist North
advisory board
On March 31, it was
announced at the Georgia
Baptist Health Care
Foundation’s Donor
Appreciation banquet that
four new members have
been added to the advisory
board of Baptist North
Hospital in Forsyth County.
Pictured clockwise from top
left are: Janis Lively,
Chairman of Tournament
Services for the Invitational,
Pro-Am Chairman for the
Nationwide Championship;
Catherine Amos, director of
Orchard Place, a senior living
facility; Melissa Corliss,
works with the law firm of
Hamil, Dickinson & Dubuc;
Katie Harvey, Sentry
Insurance and is active in the
Lutheran Church and the
American Cancer Society.
Photos/Submitted
Christian writing workshop scheduled
The 1998 Southern Christian
Writers Conference workshop
will be held June 12 and 13 at
Samford University in
Birmingham, Ala.
Designed for both beginning
and experienced writers, it will
include instruction on writing
and publishing novels, poetry,
drama, non-fiction books and
magazine articles. Sessions are
geared to writers interested in
both Christian and secular pub
lishing.
Details on the workshop and
registration may be obtained by
writing or calling Joanne Sloan,
SCWC Coordinator, P.O. Box
1106, Northport, AL 35476
(phone 205-333-8603).
Speakers will include Sandy
Brooks of Clinton, S.C., director
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of Christian Writers Fellowship
International; Cristine Bolley of
Tulsa, Okla., book editor with
Eagle Management Group;
Leonard Goss of Nashville,
Tenn., Senior Acquisitions
Editor at Broadman & Holman;
Linda Tomblin of Spindale,
N.C., contributing editor of
Guideposts magazine; Matt
Tullos of Nashville, Tenn.,
dramatist and former National
Drama Service editor; and
Cheryl Wray of Birmingham,
book author and freelance maga
zine writer.
Also giving presentations will
be novelist Kay Cornelius of
Huntsville, Ala.; photojournal
ist/editor Billy Grimes of
Atlanta; poet Mary Sayler of
DeLand Fla.; Paulette Rogers of
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Sunday, Jure 7,lW> I
Birmingham, Ala., Christian .
ministries consultant; Jo
Huddleston of Auburn, Ala.,
magazine and book author; .
Bonnie Harvey of Decatur, free
lance writer; and Ron Hill of .
Birmingham, editor/publisher of
The Flicker, a children’s maga
zine.
Sessions will include topics
ranging from writing poetry and
novels to freelance photography
and drama. Other topics will be
getting started in writing, strate
gies for marketing, writing a
mission statement, working with
editors, creating short fiction,
writing full-time, producing
church publications, writing per
sonal experience articles, sub
mitting a book proposal and
writing for children’s magazines.
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