AC DAILY

Saturday, June 8, 2024

KEARNEY – The first new districts for the Great Plains Conference in its decade-long history will take effect July 1.

Members of the annual conference approved a plan to reduce the number of districts from 17 to 10 — a leftover from the legacy of the Nebraska, Kansas West and Kansas East conferences — during the third day of sessions on Saturday. The annual conference sets the number of districts, but the cabinet has final approval of the district boundary lines.

“We want a change we can live into,” that’s not driven by budget or by crisis, said Lisa Maupin, conference lay leader and district task force co-chair.

“It really made sense to do it now,” she added.

The number of district superintendents had already decreased from 17 to 10 during the past several years.

“We don’t claim this is a perfect plan,” said Scott Brewer, conference executive director and co-chair. “This is a step in the right direction.”

Along with boundary changes, clergy and lay members to annual conference approved of the districting committee’s recommendations of a single-board model of governance in each district was approved, and district mission shares, already in place in Nebraska. Under the plan, 5% of the money given by local churches for conference mission shares would be directed to the new funds in each district.

“This is a plan of large vision leaning into who we are at this moment and who we hope to be,” Maupin said.

Budget approved

With no discussion, the conference passed the 2025 budget of $15.17 million, a decrease of 1.41% from the current budget of $15.39 million.

The 2025 budget reflects an anticipated reduction in mission shares income of a little less than 3% and changes that are tied to the districting process.

Resolutions passed

After varying amounts of discussion, several resolutions were passed:

A “Core Beliefs and Doctrines” resolution, reiterating the United Methodist commitment to core values of Christian faith while battling against misinformation campaigns.
A “naming review,” calling for thoughtful examination of names associated with Great Plains Conference entities.
A call for the conference and its mercy and justice team to urge Nebraska lawmakers to make drinkable water at the Santee Sioux Nation Reservation in northeast Nebraska a priority. The conference raised money during this week to provide a shipment of water to the reservation, which has been without clean water since 2019.

Disaffiliation funding follow-up

Rev. Willy Banza and laity member Jose Olivas from Ulysses UMC in Kansas talked about what a disaffiliation vote had done to their church, causing two-thirds of the membership and 40% of the funding to leave.

“(A previous pastor) turned our church into a fiasco, told them lies, and they believed them,” Olivas said.

Banza became pastor last year, after the exodus.

“I was taking a big leap of faith into the unknown,” he said.

Suzanne Wendorff, a lay member from Callaway UMC in Nebraska, told the session about many members leaving while others stepped up into leadership positions.

“We saw great things come from this,” she said. “It was hard.”

Rev. Jeff Clinger, congregational excellence director, said that in many cases, churches in the area helped Callaway, including the offer from Kearney First UMC to send its associate pastor, Rev. Seungli You, to Callaway once a month.

“It’s been an opportunity to see the connection at its best,” he said.

Award winners

Several awards were presented Saturday morning:

The Francis Asbury Award for campus ministry was presented to Rev. Lora Andrews, interim campus pastor for K-State Wesley for the past year, who saw a time of student growth in the organization.
The “Move the Chains” award, in memory of Rev. Nathan Stanton, was given to Joseph Ogole, pastor of Ushindi UM Fellowship in Kansas City, Kansas, which gained many new members, including 64 in February.
The One Matters Award, from Discipleship Ministries, went to Russell Trinity UMC and its pastor, Rev. Michael Ketchens. The central Kansas church had 12 professions of faith and five baptisms in 2023.
The Harry Denman Evangelism Awards were presented to Pastor Juan Carlos Veloso, Omaha Iglesia Communitaria, clergy, for initiating group house studies and online video Bible studies; Erin Sams, Aurora (Neb.) UMC, laity, for reaching out to families in her preschool to encourage them to come to church and learn Bible stories; and Landon Shanahan, Wahoo (Neb.) UMC, whose personal invitations to friends to come to youth group tripled the attendance from five to 15.

Youth worship

A year after she said she gained a reputation as “the crying girl” during the annual conference youth presentation, Emma Yeon, youth president, said she had developed a deeper and stronger faith, beyond wearing sparkly crosses as jewelry and adding a Bible verse to her Instagram bio.

“There was never a time when God left my side,” she said. “He loves me no matter what I do and cares for me always.”

Cabinet retirements

In introducing the extended cabinet, Bishop David Wilson praised the work of Rev. Cindy Karges, Great West and Gateway districts superintendent; and Rev. Dr. Tom Brady, Kansas City District superintendent.

“It’s been a blessing to work with both of them,” Bishop Wilson said.

Karges and her husband, Rev. Kelly Karges, also retiring this year, are moving to Virginia to be closer to their family. Brady and his newlywed wife will remain living in the Kansas City area.

Fun spirit

Brewer brought back his comedic commercials, this time for the fictional Hoaxberry — the return of filmstrips! Portable communion packages! — and was praised by Rev. Neil Gately, a co-conspirator in converting centuries-old hymns to classic rock tunes.

“There cannot be a single conference in this denomination that has as much fun when they get together,” Gately said. “And a lot of it is because of Scott and his warped mind.”

Sunday's schedule

9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Service of Ordination
Commissioning And Recognition Reaffirmation of Ministry
and Setting of Appointments

Adjournment