News
Monday, Jun 10, 2019
Dear Ones in Christ Jesus:
The 50th Session of the West Ohio Annual Conference is behind us. Thank you for five days of good, worshipful work. If you include the Clergy Session, it’s six days. Well done. We covered lots of territory as we immersed ourselves in Hope. Along the way, there were lots of “shout outs” of gratitude for all of the people who worked in front of and behind the scenes to make the session work. They are a remarkable mix of volunteers and... (read more)
Friday, Jun 7, 2019
Hope was in the air as the 50th session of The West Ohio Conference gathered on the shores of Lake Erie at Lakeside Chautauqua. Bishop Gregory V. Palmer presided over the conference, which was held June 2-6. The conference theme of “Be Not Afraid – HOPE,” was based on Romans 15:13, “May the hope of God fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Palmer addressed the conference, speaking into the... (read more)
Thursday, Jun 6, 2019
Thursday morning worship opened with The Rev. Vera Welker sharing the Call to Worship, reminding the congregation that we ground our hope in the grace of Jesus Christ. The WOC praise team led the congregation in singing several praise songs followed by prayer. Bishop Palmer invited the newly elected delegation to General and Jurisdictional conferences onto the stage to consecrate their work on behalf of The West Ohio Annual Conference. The Bishop asked the dele... (read more)
Thursday, Jun 6, 2019
Be Not Afraid…Hope!
Hope…it seems simple enough. It’s a common word we learn early in life. And yet when the heaviness of life shatters dreams, imprisons our spirits, strips us of our value and belovedness, hope can seem elusive. In this space, fear begins to creep in, and its power, strengthened by despair and a sense of aloneness, can extinguish the power of hope, throwing us into the valley of dry bones. How, in this valley, can the power of fear be overcome... (read more)
Thursday, Jun 6, 2019
The Celebration of Ministry worship service opened with the traditional singing of the triumphant hymn, “Lift High the Cross,” as Cross, Christ Candle and Holy Bible were carried forth in Hoover Auditorium. Those being commissioned as provisional Deacons and Elders followed as the congregation sang with great expectation for this sacred hour in the lives of all gathered. Banners displaying colorful designs and meaningful scripture paraded down the aisle followe... (read more)
Thursday, Jun 6, 2019
On Wednesday afternoon, the Conference’s Connectional Ministries Awards were presented to individuals and churches throughout The West Ohio Conference.
This year, West Ohio honored four recipients of the Harry Denman Evangelism Award, two clergy and two lay. This award is given to United Methodists in each annual conference whose exceptional ministry of evangelism brings people into a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. The clergy award winners ar... (read more)
Thursday, Jun 6, 2019
On the Wednesday morning of Annual Conference, Mitchell Harper, Conference Lay Leader, gave the laity address. Speaking on the Conference theme, “Be Not Afraid – Hope,” Mitchell expounded on the kind of hope we should have as Christians.
“We Christians have a different kind of hope,” Mitchell remarked. “Instead of a ‘fingers crossed’ type of hope, we have a ‘confident expectation’ type of hope. … Amidst all the uncertainty, there are still plenty of things we c... (read more)
Thursday, Jun 6, 2019
On Wednesday afternoon, Associate Director Stan Ling gave the Council on Development Report to the Annual Conference. The original purpose of the Council on Development was to create awareness of the programs and agencies of The United Methodist Church, and to encourage investment in the Conference.
The Council’s priorities include…
Donor relationships, cultivation, and the stewardship of gifts
Local churches and providing stewardship training
Conference miss... (read more)
Thursday, Jun 6, 2019
Long before the creation of The United Methodist Church in 1968, and even before the establishment of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1784, John Wesley – founder of the Methodist movement – was already working for the equal treatment of all God’s children, particularly when it came to education. Wesley regarded education as essential to faith formation, as we continually seek a greater understanding of God’s truth in our lives. He also saw education as provid... (read more)
Wednesday, Jun 5, 2019
On Wednesday morning, Bishop Mande Muyombo from the North Katanga Episcopal Area gave a brief report on the mission and ministries of The United Methodist Church in North Katanga.
Wings of the Morning, an aviation ministry that transports critically ill and injured people to healthcare facilities in larger cities, is currently building a new hangar for its aircraft. This will provide greater security for the planes and provide rental space for other organizatio... (read more)