Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez’s

installation service to be held March 11

The Upper New York (UNY) Committee on Episcopacy invites all United Methodists in UNY to join us Saturday, March 11, at 2 p.m. to celebrate the assignment of Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez as our new episcopal leader. At this installation service, we will thank God for the life, ministry, and leadership of Bishop Héctor, offer him and his family our gracious hospitality, and hear our new bishop share his vision for how God intends to lead us into the future together.  

This service of installation and celebration is intended for the whole Conference. You may participate in one of two ways: 

1. In-person at the Liverpool First United Methodist Church in Liverpool, NY. A limited number of seats are available. Please RSVP for in-person participation no later than March 4 by registering here. An onsite reception will follow this service.  

2. Via Livestream from anywhere in the Conference and beyond. To connect, please click here on the Conference website on the day of the service. For Livestream participation, no RSVP is necessary. 

 We look forward to joining together Saturday, March 11, to welcome our new resident bishop and elebrate all God seeks to do in and through us in the days ahead. 

Special message from Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez:

Superintendency Coverage for 2023-24

At the end of June, three District Superintendents, the Rev. Nola Anderson, the Rev. Abel Roy, and the Rev. Ted Anderson, will complete their full eight-year terms of service. As we continue moving forward, and after much prayer and consultation with the Cabinet and other Conference leaders, I have decided not to fill these three district superintendency vacancies and move forward with a cabinet composed of the six remaining district superintendents. Effective July 1, each district superintendent will serve two districts. The current number of districts will remain the same. Later in the spring, I will share more information about UNY District coverage assignments for 2023-24. To read more, click here

2023 appointment season news from Bishop Héctor Burgos Núñez

On Jan. 23, Upper New York (UNY) Area Resident Bishop, Héctor A. Burgos Núñez, sent a letter to the Upper New York Conference regarding the upcoming appointment season. This letter featured the processes for appointment discernment, retirement announcements, expressing interest in open churches, and transitioning churches.

Click here to read the full letter, which includes important dates.

Bishop Héctor welcomes you

Bishop Héctor Burgos Núñez, who prefers to be addressed as Bishop Héctor, is the new bishop of the Upper New York (UNY) Conference. Bishop Héctor is eager to meet laity and clergy throughout the Conference and has scheduled dates for regional meetings. Albany and Adirondack Districts are in the Northeast Region, together with the Mohawk and Northern Flow Disstricts. The meetings will be as follows:



• Feb. 9, 2023 – Lakes Region –
• Leroy UMC
• Feb. 16, 2023 -Northeast Region – New Hartford
• March 1, 2023 – Lakes Region – Auburn UMC
• March 2, 2023 – Northeast Region – Plattsburgh UMC
• March 15, 2023 – Southern Tier Region — Olean: Christ
• March 16, 2023 – Southern Tier Region — Central Endicott



The clergy meetings will be from 1-3 p.m.

The laity meeting (and clergy unable to attend the earlier time) will be from 7- 8:30 p.m.

Click here to read more.

Are you connected to the UNY Conference?

Do you receive the latest news and updates from UNY Conference?

All pastors should be connected and as many people from your congregation that would like to be.

Open to everyone – pass the word!

If you are not connected please follow the instructions below. 

To sign up either click the following link: https://bit.ly/UNYnotes.      

Or follow the steps below:

go to the conference website: www.unyumc.org

Click on News in the toolbar

Select Connect with UNY

You can sign up for all six categories, or just select the UNY Notes

Scam artist alert

Please be advised that a man using the name Arthur DeLorenzo has once again been contacting some of our churches asking for assistance. His most recent plea was to our church in Saratoga Springs. He is not to be trusted. He has used other names, including Doug Frank. His most recent plea was for gas cards for a woman who has cancer. If you do get a call/visit from him, please contact the District Office, (518) 608-1246 or adirondackdistrict@unyumc.org

Dismantling racism resource:

Black pastors group calls for Feb. 1 as day of prayer

The Rev. Dennis Blackwell, pastor at Asbury Community Church in Woodlynne, NJ, is weary of the news reports of people being shot, many times Black people. He urges The Church to collectively address this issue. His group, Black Methodists for a Better Future, is hoping to get started on the first day of Black History Month, Feb. 1, by promoting a National Day of Prayer and fasting to ask God’s help with the problems of gun, domestic, and economic violence, and systemic racism. He is asking people to gather in their worship spaces at noon in their respective time zones.



Click here to learn more.

Grants will continue support for Ukrainians



ATLANTA — Citizens of Ukraine will receive emergency food aid, mental health support and temporary housing through $2.5 million in grants from the United Methodist Committee on Relief to International Orthodox Christian Charities. Aid also will be directed to assist refugees in Romania and the more than 1.2 million who have chosen to remain in Poland. 

Read press release

Invite your community to worship this Easter

United Methodist Communications is offering beautiful postcards, banners, yard signs, and more to help invite your community to your Easter service(s). Customizable resources are available in a wide variety of designs, languages, and message types. Get up to $200 off these resources by using code UMCEA23 for a limited time.

Click here to check out the designs and/or to order. 

2023 Cady Grant applications now available

Application forms are now available for the Upper New York Conference Cady Grant. Cady Grants are awarded annually to fund ministries, education, programs, or experiences that provide benefit or education to preferably, but not exclusively, African Americans and/or Native Americans. Priority will be given to proposals that have not recently been funded by the Cady Grant. Salaries and stipends will not be awarded from this grant. Awards may be up to $8,000.

Cady Grants are available to individual United Methodists, local churches, District, or Conference ministry teams within Upper New York.

The application deadline is March 15.

Click here for more information and the application.

Native American Ministries news

Thank you, local churches in Upper New York (UNY)!  

Because of your caring and generosity, the UNY Committee on Native American Ministries (CONAM) has been able to be in life-giving ministry with our three Native American churches this winter. As we all know, heating and utility bills have increased drastically. Because of the faithful donations from many churches in our Conference through Native American Ministries Sunday (NAMS), we have been able to give $3,000 to each of our Native American churches for heating fuel, utilities, and internet connections.

We are blessed to have three Native American churches within the boundaries of the Upper New York Conference:



·    Four Corners UMC, on the Cattaraugus Territory (near Buffalo)

·    Hogansburg UMC, on the Saint Regis Mohawk Reservation at Akwesasne (near the Canadian border)

·    Onondaga Nation UMC, on the Onondaga Nation Indian Territory (in Syracuse)

CONAM is blessed to be in ministries with these Native American churches and is grateful to the local churches that join us in ministry. 

Spiritual restoration in the wild

Nature saved Jesus from burnout. He favored open air mountains, meadows, deserts, and the sea for silent retreats. Perhaps nature can restore your soul.

It most certainly can, according to the Rev. Henry Frueh, a retired Upper New York (UNY) chaplain. In the most recent issue of the Advocate, which focused on spiritual wellness, he wrote an article about the importance of nature for spiritual restoration; this article included steps to what he calls “Spiritual Restoration in the Wild 101.”

Click here to read this article about water, wind, earth, and fire for the soul.

If this article moves you, peruse pages 32-37 in the 2022 Issue II of the Advocate, for places across our Conference where you can experience God’s beautiful

Church responds to days of mass shootings

PASADENA, Calif. (UM News) — United Methodists are responding with prayer and comfort for the grieving and renewed calls for advocacy against gun violence after a wave of mass shootings from California to Louisiana to Iowa. United Methodists are especially expressing solidarity with Asian American communities left mourning by two of the attacks in recent days. Heather Hahn reports.

Read story

Commentary: Pastor reflects on Monterey Park shooting

A Disciple's Heart - Zoom study

A church in The Mountain View District is offering a book study/discussion ZOOM program every other Thursday beginning Feb. 2 through April 13 (6 sessions) from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. All are invited, Click here to view the flyer.

Sabbath Life retreats offered by

Church in the Wild starting in March

Sabbath Life was developed in 2014 by the Rev. Grace Hackney and wellness advocate Kelli Sittser using a one-year grant from the Duke Endowment. Since then, hundreds of pastors and spiritual leaders have attended these series of monthly one-day retreats with a focus on learning and developing a Sabbath practice, connecting with God in Creation, and connecting with others. Church in the Wild is excited to bring Sabbath Life to Upper New York!

Sabbath Life retreats will be held the second Monday of each month from March through November 2023 at Sky Lake Camp & Retreat Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (April will be the third Monday). The retreat center is in Windor, in the Binghamton District.

Click here for more information.

2023 Safe Sanctuaries schedule

The UNY Safe Sanctuaries Team has scheduled four 3.5 hour Zoom basic trainings in 2023. There are also two Training of Trainers sessions scheduled.

The Basic trainings will be held from 9 AM to 12:30 PM on Saturdays Feb. 4, May 6, Aug. 5 and Nov. 4. The Training of Trainers will be held from 9 AM to Noon on Saturdays March 4 and Oct. 7.

The Basic training is for all clergy and anyone working with children or vulnerable adults. The Training of Trainers is for anyone who would like to become a church or District Safe Sanctuaries trainer in the UNY Conference. You need to have taken the Basic Training first.

If you need training between these dates, or would like to host an in-person training, please contact the District Office or send an email to the Safe Sanctuaries team (safesanctuaries@unyumc.org)

Registration for the February training is now open. Click here to register.

For more information regarding Safe Sanctuaries, visit the Conference website: Click here.

To view the poster, click here.

A Basic Training for Camp and Retreat Ministries only will be held via Zoom on June 10. To view the poster, click here.

United Methodist Higher Education Foundation

More than $2 million in scholarships available

Paying for college can be stressful. For many families, affording higher education is the number one factor when deciding which school a student will attend.

The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation (UMHEF) scholarships help make it financially possible for qualifying students to obtain higher education, especially those attending United Methodist-related institutions. In rare cases, awards are also given to students attending other schools.

Click here to learn about the different types of scholarships available, eligibility requirements, and to apply. Most deadlines are around March 1.

United Women in Faith

Scholarship for lay women available

NEW YORK — The deadline to apply for the United Women in Faith National Scholarship for lay women is April 18. The scholarships are designed to be used for undergraduate or graduate study or student internships in religion or a related field such as social work. Preference will be given to people affiliated with The United Methodist Church and women involved with UWF. The average scholarship is $1,000, and the maximum is $5,000.

Read press release

New Statistical Program is now live

Pastors and church leaders:

PLEASE share this information with the person(s) that care for your yearly Statistical reporting.

Here is the Default Churches login information:

LINK to new platform: https://stats.gcfa.org/

          Username:     Your six-digit GCFA Number

          Password:       ACStats2022!

Be in touch with Carrie if you need your GCFA number.

You'll need to change the password once you log in. Please store your password in a safe place!



ALSO: When you log back into the system, your login (user name) will be the email address that you entered when you initially signed in. It WILL NOT be your GCFA number.

PLEASE NOTE: You cannot use the same email address twice for 2 different churches/Users.

(Example: A user cannot use the same email address for 2 different churches: The system will allow the second user to be created, but then It will delete the password for the previously made first user and won’t allow you to login under that first user. It would make sense to use the church's email address if you have one, because at this time, we're not sure if that login (email) can easily be changed from year to year.)

It appears that you will be unable to update your church details at this time. We will let you know how to do that when that function becomes available.

Click here to view more information on the Statistical Reports, including a user's guide.

The deadline to submit statistics is March 17.

If you have questions, please give me a call at the District Office at 518-608-1246 or adirondackdistrict@unyumc.org and I will do my best to assist you.

Special session set to consider disaffiliations

The Upper New York Conference’s March 2023 Special Session of Annual Conference to consider disaffiliation requests will take place remotely on March 25 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Registration will open on Feb. 1, 2023, and close on March 10, 2023.

For information on the disaffiliation process, click here.

NEW! Engage New People Grant

The Upper New York New Faith Communities Team is excited to announce the new “Engage New People Grant” to benefit local churches in the Upper New York Conference that are working to Engage New People not already in their church/ministry.

New Faith Communities Conference-wide purpose is to reach people outside the Church in new and contextual ways. 

Grants will be available up to $2,500 to help local churches and ministries. Grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis in 2023. Churches and Ministries may apply for up to $2,500 during one calendar year. Please expect 60 days to review your application.

Apply for the “Engage New People Grant” by completing the Engage New People Grant Application

Upon completing the application, we will reach out to the pastor/lead planter of the church and/or contact person listed to confirm your submission.

The UNY New Faith Communities Team has requested this grant be continued into the 2024 budget, but this cannot be guaranteed. 

An opportunity to reach out to the homeless

If you travel around the Capital District you will not have failed to notice there are people on the streets needing help. And if you think you are seeing more than ever, then you are correct: numbers have been increasing over recent years.

Joseph's House & Shelter is just one of the agencies that help homeless people, but the Outreach Vans which take food, water and blankets to people living outside in Albany and Rensselaer Counties are operated by Joseph's House staff and volunteers - and there is an inexpensive way to help us reach people. Food, water and blankets are how we build trust and start the process of getting people inside, and into a safe home. 

If your congregation can help us get a nutritious snack into the hands of people living outside we would be so grateful. We need donations of sandwiches - and peanut butter and jelly on regular white bread works fantastically. It is simple protein that can be popped in a backpack and saved for a bedtime snack, and we give out 50 to 100 every day, along with other food, bottled water, winter gloves, lip balm, and much more and we do that every day of the year, holidays included.

There is a simple sign up calendar with all instructions, and Janet Douglass would love to send you the access to it. Please email Janet at jdouglass@josephshousetroy.org. Janet is also willing to come to speak to your United Methodist Men or United Women of Faith, church council, youth or social ministry team - however small - about what Joseph's House does, and how. "

Joseph's House & Shelter, 202 4th St., Troy, NY 12180

www.JosephsHouseTroy.org

 or stay connected on Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/JosephsHouseTroyNY/

United Methodist Committee on Relief:

How to help amid tornadoes and floods

ATLANTA — Storms swept through Alabama, Georgia and other southern states this week, spawning at least 35 tornadoes and claiming the lives of at least seven people, including a child. Floods that have killed at least 19 people continue to ravage California. United Methodists can help by assembling cleaning kits and donating to the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s Advance for U.S. disaster relief.

Help by providing cleaning kits: Click here.

Kits can be delivered to the UNYAC Mission Hub, 7481 Henry Clay Blvd., Liverpool or call Carrie in the District Office (518) 608-1246.We may be able to transport them for you.

To donate, click here

Special Sundays: Six Mission Projects

any church can adopt in 2023

There are mission projects in which your church can participate without booking travel or having to get participants’ shots up to date.

There are six Special Sundays that are celebrated by congregations of The United Methodist Church. If your church is participating in these Sundays, then your church is affecting many lives. These are great stories of impact that your church can claim. If you haven’t been participating fully, there is no better time to get involved!

Click here to learn more

#BeUMC resources

The #BeUMC Leader Toolkit includes new resources to help local churches embrace the #BeUMC campaign. New graphics and promotional videos were recently added to the toolkit.

Below you'll find featured downloads from our collection of promotional graphics and videos. These resources will help you promote awareness of the #BeUMC campaign to your congregation or group. Use these graphics on your social media channels and church website, in worship and other events, or on any electronic or print communication. Or create your own custom graphics using imagery from your community with the help of design assets.

To read more, click here.

Boy Scouts of America Affiliation

and Building Use Agreements

Troops and local congregations seeking to continue or start a relationship will need to complete a new “BSA Affiliation Agreement” and “Facilities Use & Indemnity Agreement.” Click here to download the BSA Affiliation Agreement. Click here to download the Facilities Use & Indemnity Agreement.  

All UNY local congregations seeking to be in relationship with a local troop should use these and only these forms. 

In most areas, the affiliation agreements and facility use agreements are being implemented and the implementation is going well. There are BSA Councils that are not cooperating in a few Conferences and as the BSA learns of these, they reach out to those Councils to address issues.

If you are encountering such issues, please contact Jeffrey Hunt jeff.hunt@scouting.org of BSA, who oversees the BSA Councils across the United States.

Updated New York State short-term disability forms

New York State recently updated the short-term disability claim forms. There are now two separate disability claim forms that need to be completed and submitted together to Guardian within 30 days of the start date of disability. 

Click here to learn more and access the forms.

No new elections needed for General Conference 2024

The United Methodist Church’s highest court ruled that new delegate elections “are not required” for the long-delayed and potentially pivotal General Conference, now set for 2024.

What this means is that the Upper New York (UNY) Conference delegates that were elected at the 2019 UNY Annual Conference for the originally slotted 2020 General Conference will be able to serve at the 2024 General Conference. There is no need for new elections.

The location and dates for the 2024 General Conference have also been announced—the event will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina from April 23 to May 3, 2024.

Click here to read more.

Visit 'Spiritual Life" page on

Conference website

The intent of the spiritual life ministry is to support/nurture/companion individuals in their faith journey; to help individuals grow their relationship with God so they can be more faithful, obedient disciples of Christ. Developing our spiritual lives is about each of us living more fully into the person God created us to be and the life that God desires for us. This requires intentionality and attentiveness to God and God’s presence in all of our lives and joining together in community to support and nurture one another.

We invite you to explore the spiritual disciplines and practices that will draw you closer to God and deeper into a relationship with God. Explore with us workshops, retreats, training opportunities that will deepen your relationship as a disciple of Christ.

Click here to view the page on the Conference website.You will find links to many resources.

Job opportunities

UNY Conference announces job opportunities:

- Conference Director of Communications

-Maintenance Supervisor

Sky Lake Camp & Retreat Center

-- Site Director at Casowasco Camp and Retreat Center.

For more information and to apply, click here

Employer legal updates for 2023

With the end of 2022 has come (and will come) significant legal changes. It’s hard to keep up-to-date on all the new workplace laws that are in effect. Tracy Rickett, the Upper New York Human Resources Generalist, has you covered!

Click here for laws related to posting requirements. Click here for three laws related to leave. Click here to learn the pay requirements for exempt employees and a new law requiring pay transparency. Click here to learn about the Human Rights Law update. Click here to learn about amendments to the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act.

With these many new requirements, now is a good time to dust off your handbooks and update them if you have not done so recently. Tracy Rickett is happy to draft or review any handbooks or other policies for legal compliance. You can contact her at tracyrickett@unyumc.org or (315) 898-2017.

Reminder for Churches: Certificates of Insurance

If your church is seeking certificates of insurance for disability insurance coverage (DB 120.1) and/or workers’ compensation insurance coverage (C105.2), the following information will be helpful to you. 

Requests for DB 120.1

Certificates of insurance for disability insurance coverage (DB 102.1) are issued by the disability insurance carrier, Guardian. The following information will be needed from you to request the certificate of insurance. You can email either Tracy Rickett, HR Generalist, at tracyrickett@unyumc.org or Suzannah Emerson at SEmerson@WalshDuffield.com with the following information. Please allow at least 5 business days for your request to be processed. 

NAME OF INSURED CHURCH:

MAILING ADDRESS OF INSURED CHURCH:

EMAIL ADDRESS TO WHERE DB 120.1 CERTIFICATE SHOULD BE SENT:

NAME OF ENTITY REQUESTING PROOF OF INSURANCE (Typically the Dept of Health):

ADDRESS OF ENTITY REQUESTING PROOF OF INSURANCE:

Requests for C 105.2

Certificates of insurance for workers’ compensation insurance coverage (C105.2) can be obtained by contacting American Church Group of NY. They will assist each church in obtaining the documentation needed. Contact them at 800-326-7200; 717-763-5517 (fax) or UMCservice.NY@AmericanChurchGroup.com.

If you have questions on certificates of insurance, please contact Tracy Rickett, Human Resources Generalist, at (315) 898-2017 or tracyrickett@unyumc.org