November 3rd, 2022 Oneonta District UMC News for you
* Please share this newsletter with your friends and congregation members.
District E-newsletters
To subscribe to the Oneonta district E-newsletter, send us your email address.
To submit news for this publication, send it no later than Wed. by 4 PM for Thursday publication, to: [email protected]
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When mailing items to the office PLEASE use the information listed below.
Oneonta District Office UMC
C/O Teresa Wood
28 Orchard St.
Oneonta, NY 13820
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The District Office is open by appointment only.
Please Call ahead to make an appointment.
Office hours vary Mon. – Thurs..
the office is CLOSED Friday Thru Sunday
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IMPORTANT Reminder:
Pastors / Churches - is your church information correct?
· Is the service time correct?
· Is the address and phone number correct?
· Is the contact information correct?
· Has the chair of your committees changed since CC?
Please let the district office know of any updates you would like made to this listing.
Click on the link below to see the information the conference has on your church.
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2022-2023 Church/Charge Conference Annual Forms Due Dates
NOTE* All Clergy Compensation forms are due at the district office 2 wks prior to your Church Conference OR by Nov. 21st - Which ever comes first.
IMPORTANT – NEW this year, there are 2 different Compensation forms. Please be sure to use the correct form or it will be sent back to you.
Form 5. 2023 Clergy Compensation Form (requires Microsoft Excel 2003 or later)- This form is to be used for all Licensed Pastors and appointed Elders
AND
Form 5c. 2023 Retired Serving Clergy/Lay Supply Compensation Form with excel worksheet- This form is to be used for Retired Clergy Serving a church, CLMs and Lay Supply pastors
Now Past Due ( Deadline was Nov. 1st)
*These need to be printed and mailed to the district office*
Due December 1st.: UPDATE ONLINE - DO NOT PRINT A COPY
Due February 15th. 2023
Report of Trustees
Report of Finance Committee
2022 Year End Financial Report
2023 Church Budget - Your church format
2022 Statistical Reports - to be entered online- Link to be provided
Click here to download the 2022-23 Annual Report Form Checklist.
If you need help getting forms please contact Teresa at the district office.
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Dates for Oneonta district Annual Church Conferences announced:
We hope to see you there!
Churches are asked to meet with the Superintendent annually to celebrate and take stock of ministry, as well as conduct necessary business of the church--the Annual Church Conference. These in-person meetings will take place in Fall 2022 at central locations around the district.
All who have membership in the local church are welcome to vote.
The Theme this year is: “Keeping the Mission the Mission”.
Much of the required business we will do will have been considered by the appropriate teams in the congregation before we gather for formal approval at the Church Conference.
The schedule has already been shared with your pastor or other leader of your congregation. I hope as many as possible will be able to attend.
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Watch the NEJ livestream
The Northeastern Jurisdictional (NEJ) Conference is scheduled for Nov. 2-4 in College Park, Maryland. Out of an abundance of caution due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance is limited.
Click here to see a schedule of events and watch the livestream.
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Bishop Webb’s farewell gathering- UPDATE
Upper New York (UNY) Area Resident Bishop, Mark J. Webb, will be retiring from the Upper New York Conference on Dec. 31, 2022.
There will be an open-house style celebration and farewell gathering at the UNY Conference Center at 7481 Henry Clay Blvd. in Liverpool on Saturday Nov. 19 from 1-4 p.m.
All are welcome and you can come and go as you please. The tentative schedule is as follows:
1 p.m. Gathering begins – open-house-style fellowship time
2 p.m. Official program by the Episcopacy Committee
3 p.m. Cutting of the cake followed by more open-house-style fellowship time until 4 p.m.
We hope to see you there!
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UNY Everyday Disaster grant opportunity
The Upper New York Mission Central HUB is excited to announce the “Everyday Disaster Grant” to benefit local churches in the Upper New York Conference that are working in their community to fight everyday (socioeconomic) disasters. These disasters might include, but are not limited to: food insecurity, addiction, racial injustice, violence, or lack of affordable housing.
This funding opportunity is intended to connect, build relationships, and celebrate the impactful outreaches that are happening throughout the Upper New York Conference and are playing a vital role in creating disciples that transform the world. We can't wait to hear the difference you are making in your community!
The grant application will be open from 11/1/22 – 12/31/22. Grant recipients will be announced in February 2023. Please send all questions to Kristina Clark, Director of Upper New York Mission Central HUB, at [email protected].
The grant application is now open and can be viewed by clicking here.
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The Buffalo 10 Scholarship—just the beginning
Eighty-five percent of Black Buffalonians live on the East side of the city, where the racially motivated mass murder took place at the Tops grocery store on May 14, 2022.
The Upper New York (UNY) Conference has a team of Buffalo-area clergy who are working together to support these residents.
The first step is the Buffalo 10 Scholarship. Dr. Scott Johnson, Pastor Angela Stewart, the Rev. George Nicholas, the Rev. Raquel Alston, and the Rev. Tanya Spencer are all pastors at local churches in Buffalo. These pastors along with Buffalo area resident and Conference Commission on Religion and Race member, Charles Syms, submitted a petition at the 2022 UNY Annual Conference on Oct. 6, 2022, requesting the creation of a Buffalo 10 Scholarship to honor the 10 Black residents that were killed at the Tops local market on May 14, 2022.
This petition called for the UNY Conference to establish a scholarship in the name of the Buffalo 10 for students from the 14208 zip-code attending college. This petition was supported by 93.6 percent of the Annual Conference body.
Click here to read more about the initiative UNY clergy has initiated to help give a voice to residents on the East Side of Buffalo.
Click here to donate to the Buffalo 10 Scholarship fund.
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GCSRW celebrates 50 years of ministry with launch of new resource
The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women is marking its 50th anniversary with the release of the Welcoming a Woman Pastor learning module. The self-paced, online resource guides local churches through the onboarding, orientation, and set-up process when introducing a female pastor appointed to serve their congregation.
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United Methodists Communications #IGiveUMC campaign
The new #IGiveUMC campaign launched this week by United Methodist Communications invites donations in honor of a loved one to the church their honoree attends, their own church, or a church with family ties.
The giving campaign by United Methodist Communications in partnership with the General Council on Finance and Administration encourages donors to post a photograph or video on social media using the campaign hashtag.
The UNY Communications team would love to highlight all UNY members participating in this campaign. Please send your loved one’s name and photo to [email protected] and we will let others know that you participated in this campaign.
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Native American leader discusses threatened cultures
In former times, the Rev. Glen Kernell would have been called an “Indian.” His name in the language of his tribe is Chebon.
As European settlement of North America expanded westward, the indigenous population with cultures going back hundreds and thousands of years was overwhelmed, oppressed, and massacred. Families were split up and children re-educated.
Kernell said only 0.004% of Native Americans in North America survived after the relocation and dispossession period when Native Americans were forcibly removed from their lands and taken from their families. Today’s Native population are the descendants of those survivors.
Now, the Executive Director of the United Methodist Native American Comprehensive Plan, Kernall shared the realities of threatened cultures in an eye-opening article.
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Death Notice: Rev. Virgil Muzzy
Please keep family and friends of the Rev. Virgil Muzzy in your prayers. Rev. Muzzy, 73, died on Oct. 25. He served several Upper New York churches, including Honesdale Central UMC, Apalachin: First UMC, Norwich: Broad Street UMC, and others in the former Wyoming Conference. Rev. Muzzy’s family is not planning a memorial service and an obituary will not be published. Condolences can be sent to Rev. Muzzy’s wife, Linda Muzzy, at 4331 S. 11th Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49009.
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Local District News & Happenings |
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Drop Bible study weekly every Wednesday
Richmondville UMC at 10am
Worcester UMC at 6pm
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Red Bird Mission drop-odd site in Oneonta District
Important UPDATE: Unadilla UMC is a drop-off site in our Oneonta district. -
The Unadilla UMC is open the 1st and 3rd Saturdays from 9 -11 am for drop-off.
The truck is coming to pick up at Unadilla UMC on Thursday, 11/17. All boxes and other items need to be at Unadilla UMC by Wednesday, 11/16.
Please contact Sherry Mottto make other arrangements to drop off items. Sherry's phone # is 607-761-9235 and her e-mail is [email protected] .
The trip is planned for Nov. 28 with the packing of the trucks on Saturday, Nov. 26.
The need for shoe-boxes filled with personal hygiene supplies, backpacks, new blankets and sheet sets, and diapers are in great need this year. The need for used clothing is not a critical need at this time as their warehouse is full. The planning team will still take new clothes as they can be used at the Community Outreach Center for distribution.
Your help in this project is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, David Alexander can be reached by email:[email protected] , or you can call 607-743-8955.
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Wesley Heritage Tour 2024
Join Pastor Brett Johnson on the trip of a lifetime to visit John and Charles Wesley’s homeland of England. We will be visiting sites of great importance to United Methodists, including the Wesleys’ hometown of Epworth, Oxford, Bristol, and worship in the Wesley Chapel in London.
We will also be stopping at Stonehenge and Stratford-on-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and St Paul’s Cathedral. Tour dates are July 13-22, 2024. Please use the following link to register: https://portal.myfaithjourneys.com/ and use group code 24002.
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UMY Mission Central Hub News |
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NOTICE: Please direct all questions regarding the Mission Central HUB to:
Kristina Clark
Director of Missional Engagement
Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church
7481 Henry Clay Blvd.
Liverpool, NY 13088
Direct Line: 315.898.2066
Cell: 570.267.5711
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How You Can Help Those Affected by Hurricane Ian
United Methodists plan to lead the way to recovery after Hurricane Ian unleashed substantial damage in Florida and South Carolina. At this time, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has asked for prayers, monetary donations to UMCOR, and for congregations to continue assembling supply kits.
There are so many ways to help!
Click here for monetary donations to go directly to UMCOR.
Click here to access kit supply lists and instructions.
You can also bring the kits and/or appropriate supplies directly to the Upper New York (UNY) Mission Central HUB in Liverpool—contact the UNY Director of Missional Engagement, Kristina Clark ([email protected]), to coordinate a drop-off date and time.
Congregations can also buy supplies for the kits off the UNY Mission Central HUB Amazon wish lists and have them shipped directly to the HUB. If purchasing from another website, congregations or groups can ship the supplies directly to the HUB by setting the mailing address to Mission Central HUB 7481 Henry Clay Blvd, Liverpool NY 13088.
Click here for the UNY HUB hygiene kit Amazon wish list.
Click here for the UNY HUB menstrual hygiene Amazon wish list.
Click here for the UNY HUB cleaning bucket Amazon wish list.
Monetary donations to the UNY Mission Central HUB can be given by clicking here.
Please continue to pray for those affected by Hurricane Ian.
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Training & Education Opportunities |
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Safe Sanctuaries 3.5 hour basic training
(this training is for all Clergy, and anyone working with children, youth or vulnerable adults)
Saturday, November 5, 2022
9:00 am - 12:30pm
Registration Opens October 5, 2022 @ Midnight
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For more information regarding Safe Sanctuaries please visit our website:
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Course of Study Information
If you are registering for a COS class at GBHEM – you will need to list the name and email of your COS registrar.
That information is as follows:
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UMC Clergy Education Offering Courses for Credit
ClergyEducation.com is a resource for clergy and church leaders, offering CEUs accepted by most United Methodist annual conferences.
Click here for a complete catalogue of recorded courses.
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Camp and Retreat Ministry (CRM) NEWS |
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Fall Retreats at Sky Lake Camp & Retreat Center
Autumn is the perfect time to retreat to the woods.
Reserve your spot today!
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November 2022
November 4 @ 3:00 pm - November 6 @ 5:00 pm
It is time to come away and rest awhile as you spend a weekend at Sky Lake free of the distractions of the outside world. We are excited to welcome women over the age of 18 to our “Ladies of the Lake” weekend. MILD AND WILD If you're new to Sky Lake, or if you are returning, you are wholeheartedly welcome. Our leadership team is planning a weekend filled with "mild and wild" activities. You might hike in the…
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The following job openings are posted on the Upper New York website...
1) Reservations Specialist for Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center
2) Seasonal Camp Staff
If you are interested in applying, please apply online through our website. Please contact Tracy Rickett with any questions. Thank you.
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Celebrate Native American Heritage Month
(American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month)
Next month is Native American Heritage Month. Native American Heritage Month is an opportunity to raise awareness about the unique challenges Native people face, and share the ways in which tribal citizens conquer those challenges.
Click here for Native American Heritage Month worship resources.
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The Church Wellness Checkup Information
We believe a Vital Congregation is the body of Christ making and
engaging grace-filled
Christ Followers, who put faith into action.
A Vital Congregation…
Worships with passion
Nurtures and grows disciples
Engages in mission and outreach to their community
Gives generously to the mission and ministries of the church
The Church Wellness Checkup is a tool to help your congregation
become more faithful in
partnering with God in bringing the Kingdom of God to fruition.
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Bishop Webb announces clergy appointments
Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb and the Upper New York Conference announce interim appointments and four retirements pending approval of clergy session. View the full list of changes here.
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New York State Minimum Wage Increase effective 12/31/2022
October 2022/By Tracy Rickett, UNY Human Resources Generalist
New York State Minimum Wage Increase
Effective December 31, 2022, New York State minimum wage will increase to $14.20/hour.
Employers in the Upper New York Conference, regardless of number of employees, must pay non-exempt employee’s minimum wage. Future increases will be determined by the NYS Director of Budget in consultation with the NYS Commissioner of Labor and will be announced on or before October 1 each year. Please click this link for more information on the change to
Non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay under the state and federal wage and hour laws. Overtime pay for non-exempt employees is calculated as time and one-half their regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a workweek.
An updated NYS Minimum Wage poster must be posted at your work site for your employees by December 31, 2022. Once the updated poster is available, the Conference office will post it on our Church Employer webpage under Employment Law Compliance and Posters
New York State Minimum Salary
As of the date of this news article, the New York State minimum salary for employees classified as exempt under the New York State Labor Law remains at $990.00/week or $51,480.00 per year. Any updates to the New York State minimum salary will be published as it becomes available.
Churches should review their wage and hour practices to ensure that their employees are classified properly as non-exempt or exempt and that current minimum wage and minimum salary levels are being paid to employees.
If you have any questions on this topic, please contact Tracy Rickett, Human Resources Generalist, at 315-898-2017 or [email protected].
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Disaffiliation Information-From Wespath
Understanding Pension Liabilities-For Local Churches Considering Disaffiliation
Watch this video for easy-to-understand answers to complex questions related to pension plan funding and the withdrawal liability payment required for local churches that disaffiliate from the UMC.
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Disaffiliating from the UNY Conference and the UMC
During the Upper New York (UNY) Annual Conference held virtually in June of 2021, the body passed Resolution UNYAC2021.7 which created a Study Commission to examine the readiness in the UNYUMC for the Implementation of the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation.
Last fall, the UNY Study Commission issued surveys to clergy and congregations in the UNY Conference about the Protocol. Despite there only being a 30 percent response rate, some congregations and clergy did report that if the Protocol passes, they will leave the United Methodist Church. Click here to read the survey report.
Earlier this month, the Global Methodist Church announced that it will launch on May 1, 2022. Click here to read the announcement.
Given these changes, the Conference Board of Trustees anticipated there would be congregations who might now desire to explore disaffiliation.
Click here to read an article that outlines the disaffiliation process.
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Reminder: Sexual Harassment training mandatory
New York State required sexual harassment annual training prevention reminder
New York State Law requires that employers who have at least one or more employees must conduct sexual harassment prevention training for all employees on a yearly basis. The timing of when to hold the yearly training is up to the employer as long as it is completed annually. A notice of the employer’s sexual harassment policy must be provided to all employees during this time and the employer should maintain records of the training for audit purposes.
Safe Sanctuaries training does not exempt churches from the New York State sexual harassment prevention training requirements.
Click here to learn more about what’s required in the training, how to create a sexual harassment policy if you haven’t already, and free training opportunities offered by New York City that satisfy the state’s requirements.
If you have questions, you can contact Tracy Rickett, Human Resources Generalist in the Conference Office at (315) 898-2017 or via email at [email protected]
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Don't Wait, Get Your Federal Tax Exemption Letter!
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On the Conference calendar
Oct. 16-Nov. 16: Red Bird shoe box drop-offs accepted - DETAILS
Nov. 1-30: Native American Heritage month
Nov. 11: Pre-retirement Workshop 10-3 p.m. - DETAILS
Nov. 15: General Commission on Religion and Race grant application deadline - DETAILS
Nov. 19: Bishop Webb Farewell Gathering 1- 4 p.m.
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2022 Holiday Schedule
The District Office Will Be closed on the Following Dates:
November 24th and 25th Thanksgiving
December 23rd Christmas Eve (Observed)
December 26th Christmas (Observed)
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Oneonta District Office
66 Chestnut Street Oneonta NY 13820 - Physical Address (Second Floor)
Mailing Address
Oneonta District Office of the UMC
C/O Teresa Wood
28 Orchard St. Oneonta, NY 13820
Upper New York Annual Conference
7481 Henry Clay Blvd,
Liverpool, NY 13088
Phone: (315) 898-2000 Fax: (315) 898-2027
Bishop's Office
7481 Henry Clay Blvd,
Liverpool, NY 13088
Phone: (315) 898-2020 Fax: (315) 898-2150
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Your Partners in Ministry at the Oneonta District Office |
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"Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world by... living the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be God's love with our neighbors in all places."
Rev. Bob Kolvik-Campbell- District Superintendent
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