A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference
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Confronting the Sin of Racism
If you missed Wednesday's Webinar, Confronting the Sin of Racism, it's available for your viewing now. You can click on the screen shot above
or follow this link. We heard from Dr. Rev. Leroy Barber, Dr. Daymond Glenn, Rev. Steve Baber and Michelle Lang-Raymond. It was a departure from the current topics related to COVID-19. But it was a necessary, rich, powerful discussion, which will fuel future work in the Greater Northwest Area.
Recommended follow-up reading:
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Reimagining Life Together
Linked below is a new document titled Reimagining Life Together. It aspires to provide guidance on the requirements and recommendations for local churches and ministry settings to reopen buildings and return to in-person ministry activities during the COVID-19 crisis.
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Updated on Western Jurisdiction Conference, Episcopal Coverage
On May 26, the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church
announced new dates for the 2020 Jurisdictional Conferences in the United States that were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Jurisdictional Conferences in the U.S. will now be held Nov. 10-12, 2021. The Mountain Sky Conference will still host the Western Jurisdictional Conference.
In this extraordinary time period when COVID-19 has caused the postponement of both General and Jurisdictional conferences, decisions were made regarding the retirement dates and episcopal assignments to provide coverage until new bishops could be elected and assigned.
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Local members complete Certified Lay Ministry basic course
In the month of May, seven members from several Anchorage United Methodist Churches came together virtually on ZOOM for the Certified Lay Ministry BASIC course. This is the first step towards becoming a Certified Lay Servant, Certified Lay Speaker, or Certified Lay Minister within the United Methodist Church. This course focuses on Spiritual Leadership and Care among United Methodist leaders. Those completing the course were:
Turnagain UMC
Tia Hollywood and Bud Walters
Anchor Park UMC
Jennifer Miller
St John UMC
Diane Carlyon, Kimber Olson, David Bates, and Margaret Griffo
In addition, four of these persons continued on and completed the Advanced Certified Lay Ministry class in Preaching, making them eligible to become Certified Lay Servants. Those who have completed the preaching class are:
Turnagain UMC
Tia Hollywood
Anchor Park UMC
Jennifer Miller
St John UMC
David Bates & Margaret Griffo
If you have interest in being a part of the next Certified Lay Ministry Classes, either the Basic or the Preaching class, I invite you to indicate your interest on this Google form:
https://forms.gle/PjN8t7KaHkE3h3qv5
Please join me in congratulating these individuals on their accomplishments as we lift them up for future leadership within their local congregations and the conference.
Together in the Work of Christ,
The Rev. Andy Bartel, Lead Pastor
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Northwest UM Foundation Annual Review
The Northwest United Methodist foundation typically hands out their Annual Review during Annual Conference. Since that isn't happening in the typically manner this year, they are offering it digitally.
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Elnora is turning 100!
Many of you in the conference know Elnora Ouding from her many years as a lay member to Annual Conference from Anchor Park. Let us celebrate Elnora Ouding as she turns 100 on June 15!! Please send cards to her at 8211 Del Street, Anchorage, AK 99502. Elnora likes royal blue, rainbows, and flowers.
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Bishops call on church to act to end racism
In the aftermath of police killings of unarmed black people, United Methodist bishops call on all fellow church members to use their voices, pens, feet and hearts to end racism. Among the actions the bishops urge is daily prayer.
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Twin Cities clergy march for justice, solidarity
More than 30 Minnesota United Methodist pastors and hundreds of clergy from various faith traditions took part in a silent march organized by Twin Cities African American clergy and the presiding elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Clergy were invited to attend to bear witness for justice and stand in solidarity with African American colleagues. The death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis has triggered protests and marches around the country.
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GCORR Real Talk
In the next episode of GCORR
Real Talk
, they've invited faith leaders in the Latinx community to share about the effects of COVID-19 and ways in which systemic racism has been further unveiled during the pandemic.
They're excited to hear and learn from Deaconess Cindy Andrade Johnson and Rev. Dorlimar Lebrón Malavé for this real talk.
Join them on
Facebook
on Wednesday, June 10, at 3 pm ET.
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Statement from the Discipleship Ministries Board of Directors
The board of Directors of Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church are united in our stance that Black Lives Matter. We are committed to fighting systemic racism.
And our baptismal vows call us to resist evil.
Therefore, we recommit Discipleship Ministries to create resources, initiatives, and events that help form disciples of Jesus Christ who will work to dismantle systematic racism. And we will actively participate in United Methodist efforts to actively dismantle structures of systemic racism.
We will LISTEN to the experiences of our black and brown siblings to begin the process of understanding their experiences.
We will LEARN from the resources we have produced and will continue to perfect future resources for church leaders that help end racism.
And we support the
EndRacism Campaign
of The United Methodist Church that shows how we as a church will ACT to end this virus known as racism.
May God be with us all,
The Board of Directors of Discipleship Ministries
June 7, 2020
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White clergy raise funds for monumental removal
A group called White Clergy for Black Lives Matter raised $50,000 to defray costs for removal of a Confederate monument in a Birmingham city park. United Methodist pastors have had a leading role in the ecumenical effort.
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Free course on preserving church history
Registration is open for a free course on the preservation of the history of local churches. The online class, which begins Sept. 14, will cover a wide range of skills necessary to become a complete church historian.
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9: AUMC Clergy Session via Zoom
21: Father's Day
26: Leadership Team meeting
28-30: GNW Cabinet Retreat
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4: Independence Day
13: WJ Mission Cabinet meeting
15: Tax Day
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Upcoming Clergy Birthdays
June 10 -
Carlo Rapanut
June 15 -
Matthew Reinders
July 11 -
Joseph DowlingSoka
Bob Smith
July 21 -
Lisa Talbott
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Conference Office
907-333-5050
Superintendent Carlo
907-854-8340
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Submissions
- If you have an article or event that you would like to share with the rest of the conference, submit it to the conference office by Tuesday at 9:00 am for consideration.
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The mission of the United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Held and supported by the transforming relationship with God through Christ, we of the Alaska United Methodist Conference seek to be a community that creates a home for all peoples, finds our hope through grace and journeys together in God's preferred future.
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