WHEREAS the Conway United Methodist Church,  located in Carroll County, Conway, New Hampshire has a long and proud history of mission and ministry over these past 206 years; and

WHEREAS in their ongoing efforts to be faithful to God and responsible to their obligations they have had a ¼-time appointment with under 20 in worship in recent years and have prayerfully discerned they are no longer able to continue; and

WHEREAS the congregation explored options through a “possibility study” (¶213), including merger; and

WHEREAS at a special Church Conference held on June 3, 2012, the members gathered and voted to close the church and declare its properties “abandoned” in accordance with ¶2548 of the Discipline turning the property and all assets under the care of the trustees of the New England Conference effective October 15, 2012; and

WHEREAS the final service of celebration and deconsecration was held on October 14, 2012 with a time of honoring and remembering the saints who had come before, those who were faithfully serving in the present time as well as praying for the future of the people called Methodist in the Mt. Washington Valley area, and

WHEREAS the members of the Conway UMC approved as part of their closing motion to create a financial legacy, after the dissolution of all assets, to be used for new church starts and local church transformation within the Mount Washington Area; and 

WHEREAS the District Superintendent  has recommended  abandonment of the Conway UMC effective October 14, 2012 and the Discontinuance effective July 1, 2013 and has received consent from the presiding Bishop, a majority of the District Superintendents and all proper Disciplinary requirements have been followed; 

BE IT RESOLVED that the NEAC honor the 206 years of ministry in, and through, the Conway UMC, as well as their intent in their closing and with their resources to be a legacy church, offering life to new and transforming congregations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Conway UMC be declared discontinued effective July 1, 2013; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Conway UMC directs (with the affirmation of the District Superintendent, the Director of Congregational Development, The District Board of Building and Location, and the support of the Cabinet) that the NEAC trustees dedicate all  real, personal, tangible and intangible property assets (including assets from the sale of any property) minus any outstanding financial obligations be held in trust in the Hebrews 11 Fund earmarked for new church starts and local church transformation within the Mount Washington Area of New Hampshire; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that through the NEAC office of Congregational Development (working in consultation with the NEAC trustees, the NH District Superintendent, and the NH District Church Building and Location Committee), exploration of the viability of new ministry redevelopment as well as local church transformation in the Mount Washington Valley Area will be determined following Discipline guidelines and conference policies with final approval of a strategic plan to be approved by the presiding Bishop and a majority of the District Superintendents; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that should any assets be discovered in future years, such assets shall be transferred to the New England Conference to be used as directed by the Discipline, the intent of this resolution, and the New England Conference policies.