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Summary report for 2010 New England Annual Conference session

Written: 7/8/2010

• The lives, and new eternal life, of departed pastors, spouses, and active lay members of the conference were affirmed and remembered. During a memorial service that included the different views of the River of Life, worship leaders named those who have crossed that river this year; clergy and spouses who have passed away, as well as churches that have closed and places where congregations are letting go of buildings and established church settings to embrace new ministries. Family members of those remembered added water to the custom-built fountain at the front of the chapel. Through sacrament and song, the communion service led us into celebration of Christ’s victory over death.
• For the first time this year, the retirees were honored with personalized videos shown throughout the Conference Session. The retiring class gathered on stage as the Bishop led the body in a prayer of thanksgiving for the witness and service to God and God’s church rendered by these leaders.
• Seventeen persons were recognized as newly licensed local pastors, one person was ordained as deacon, seven were ordained elders and one was recognized as an elder, one was commissioned for the work of an deacon, and six were commissioned for the work of an elder.
• During the ordination service, $3,676 was received for the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund. Other offerings received during the conference session included $3,877 for the Conference “Leap Forward in Mission” initiative, $7,823 for youth ministries through the CCYM Check Challenge, and $5,467 for Haiti relief – all totaling more than $20,843 in conference giving.
• The Ziegler Preaching Award was presented to Rev. Dr. Ruth Merriam of Church on the Cape in Cape Porpoise, ME. In her sermon, Rev. Merriam reflected on the difference between a thermometer, which measures and reacts to temperature, and a thermostat, which controls temperature. Using this metaphor, she invited the assembly to decide whether we are “thermometer people” or “thermostat people.”
• Following the reaffirmation of the New England Annual Conference commitment to combating racism, the chairperson of the Conference Commission on Religion and Race, Lisa Fagerstrom, invited the assembly into small groups to discuss and reflect on our ongoing anti-racism work.
• The Annual Conference tech team helped us establish wider connections during our conference sessions. For the first time, conference sessions were broadcast over the Internet in a live webcast. The webcast was viewed 1,996 times over the three conference days. In another conference first, we “Skyped” with missionaries Belinda Forbes in Nicaragua, and Jeremias Francas in Mozambique.

• Approved an amended 2010 budget of $6,648,548 reflecting the addition of ministries and mission shares from the Vermont churches,
• Approved a 2011 budget of $7,265,451,including nearly than $1.8 million for the general church and World Missions;
• Approved 43 resolutions; including a resolution calling for an end to the Korean War, a call to reaffirm the sacred dignity and rights of undocumented immigrants, the establishment of a Board of Congregational and Community Development, and a resolution updating the conference’s clergy sexual misconduct policy which has been in effect since 1992.