2022 Florida Annual Conference Recap

The 2022 session of the Annual Conference was held June 9-11 at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. This year’s theme was “Rebuilding the Church, Re-membering the Body: Creating a Spiritual Home for All.” (News particularly related to Heritage is in blue.) Heritage’s Lay Delegate, Mel Swets attended, as did Jim Workman and Peggy Ingram, who were Gulf Central District Delegates.

Bishop’s Offering

This year, two offerings were collected to support Encounter with Christ in Latin America and the Caribbean and to provide technology grants for rural, small membership churches. Click here to learn more about the Bishop’s Offering. Ministries wishing to apply for the grant should click here, though Heritage would not fit into the intended size category.

Episcopal Nominee (for Bishop)

Our former South Central and Gulf Central District Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Sharon Austin, was recognized as the Florida Annual Conference’s Episcopal Nominee. She is the first woman of color nominated for Bishop from the Florida Conference.

Finances

The Conference approved an overall budget of $16,142,422 for 2023, which amounts to a reduction of $187,175 from the previous year’s budget. Details can be viewed in the Conference workbook, on pages 129-132. Additionally, Conference Treasurer Craig Smelser reported that:

• 416 churches, including Heritage, gave 100% of apportionments in 2021.

• Conference expenses were down $425,000 in 2021 in comparison to 2020 — much of this is due to a planned reduction along with the lessons learned about new ways to do our work from the pandemic.

• The Cabinet approved $2.3M in direct grants to local churches through the New Church Development Endowment and Cabinet Development Fund in 2022.

• So far, 34.3% of apportionments have been received through the end of May.

Laity Session/Lay Leaders

The focus of the Laity Session was on the “Four Ps” of laity leadership: Purpose, Presence, Partnership, and Passion. The session ended with a Service of Recognition for Certified Lay Ministry. Click here to view the Laity Session.

At the Thursday afternoon plenary session, Derrick Scott III, executive director of the Campus to City Wesley Foundation (including the University of North Florida and other Jacksonville area colleges), was elected as Conference Co-Lay Leader to serve alongside Co-Lay Leader Alice Williams.

Licensing & Ordination Services

Sixteen people were licensed as local pastors, including Heritage’s Betsy Hughes! Two were ordained as deacons, and ten were ordained as elders, including Tamara Isidore, the first Haitian woman to be ordained in the Florida Conference. Click here to email Betsy your congratulations.

The entire Commissioning class approved by the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry was not approved at the Clergy Session, including Heritage’s Carey Stevens, a candidate for provisional deacon. While her class was not approved, Carey and her entire class are to be admired and congratulated for being approved by the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry after a grueling preparation and evaluation process. Hopefully they will pass next year. Click here to email Carey your congratulations and encouragement.

Click here to view candidates names in the Worship Book. To watch video of the services, click here.

Milestone Churches

The following churches celebrated milestone anniversaries:

• 200 Years: Alachua, First (NW); Fernandina Beach, Memorial (NE); Fernandina Beach, Trinity (NE); Live Oak, Pine Grove (NW)

• 150 Years: Largo, Anona (GC); Waldo, Freedom (NC); Shady Grove, Hendry Memorial (NW)

• 125 Years: Miami, Cornerstone (SE), Tallahassee, Lake Jackson (NW)

• 100 Years: First, Cross City (NW); Jacksonville, Ft. Caroline (SW); Lake Placid, Memorial (SW); Miami, Kendall (SE); Miami Springs, Poinciana (SE); Orlando, Broadway (EC); Lake Helen (EC)

• 75 Years: Tallahassee Heights (NW)

• 50 Years: Longwood, Sanlando (EC); Orlando, Christ Hispanic (EC)

• 25 Years: Naples, Cornerstone (SW)

Connectional Relationships

The Conference voted to approve the discontinuance of Riverview UMC in Ormond Beach.

The following churches were approved for disaffiliation according to ¶ 2553 of the Book of Discipline: First UMC, Vero Beach; St. Paul’s/Highland Avenue Fellowship UMC, Melbourne; Lake Helen UMC, Lake Helen; First UMC, Dunnellon; First UMC, Williston; Solomon Chapel UMC, Orange Lake; Wesley Chapel - Cotton Plant UMC, Ocala; Fort Caroline UMC, Jacksonville; Greenville UMC, Greenville; Hanson-Madison UMC, Pinetta; Cherry Lake UMC, Madison; Rocky Springs UMC, Madison; Davie UMC, Davie; First UMC, Punta Gorda.

2022-2023 Pastoral Appointments

Rev. Matt Horan is reappointed as the pastor for a fifth year at Heritage. Click here to view a list of all clergy appointments in the Florida Annual Conference as of July 1, 2022. Some notable Heritage “alumni” clergy include:

• Rev. Trevor Johnson is reappointed for a ninth year at Community of Hope UMC in Loxahatchee.

• In lieu of Commissioning as a Provisional Deacon at Annual Conference, Rev. Carey Stevens was approved as a local pastor by the Gulf Central District Committee on Ordained Ministry and appointed to serve at Skycrest UMC in Clearwater.

• Rev. B.J. Foster is on a temporary medical leave.

Memorial Recognition

The Service of Remembrance for the clergy and clergy spouses who died in the last year featured a sermon from Rev. June Edwards. View the service here.

Resolutions

Heritage’s Rev. Matt Horan served as the chairperson of the Conference Committee on Resolutions this year. The following resolutions were approved by the Conference:

• A Resolution Offering Apologies and Hope for the Commissioning Class of 2022

• Resolution on Equity in Congregational Development (Amended to include Indigenous and Native American clergy)

• A Resolution on Gun Violence

Resolutions not voted on will be referred to the Conference Table. Resolutions can be found here.

Retirement Recognition

The Conference noted the long and dedicated service of 25 pastoral leaders who move on to retirement. They combined for 671 years of service. Click here to view a video of the service.

Setting the Date for Next AC

The 2023 Florida Annual Conference is set for June 8-10, 2023, in Lakeland, FL.

More Information

Complete coverage of this year’s Annual Conference event is available at flumc.org/news. Full ministry reports are included in the 2022 Annual Conference Workbook.

This update is provided with thanksgiving for, and is based on the work of, Conference Communications Director Brittany Jackson.