charleston, west virginia summary edition july 21, 2012...
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NEJ Daily Christian Advocate - Summary Edition - July 21, 2012
CHARLESTON, West Virginia Vol. 19, No. 7 Summary Edition - July 21, 2012
By Maidstone Mulenga
DCA Editor
Upper New York Area Bishop Marcus Matthews
has challenged the three newly elected bishops in the
Northeastern Jurisdiction to put God’s ministry ahead
of personal goals.
Presiding at the Service of Consecration for Bishops
Sandra L. Steiner Ball, Martin D. McLee and Mark J.
Webb at St. Marks UMC in Charleston, W.Va., Bishop
Matthews said election to the episcopal office was a high
calling that required deep commitment to service.
“The greatest mistake any of us could ever make as
leaders, and therefore servants, is to believe that it’s
more about us than about God and fulfilling God’s pur-
poses,” he said.
He urged the three new bishops to resist the temp-
tation of believing that “because of this new mantle of
service and obligation that you have already arrived.
Nothing could be further from the truth.”
“I invite you to remember, as I and everyone else
who sits where you sit, it’s not really about us; it is and
always will be about God and living out the fullness of
God’s purposes for us in the world.”
Consecration Service brings 2012 NEJ Conference to close
Bishop Marcus Matthews presides during the Service of Consecration for Bishops Sandra L. Steiner Ball, Martin D. McLee and
Mark J. Webb at the 2012 NEJ Conference Friday, July 20 at St. Marks UMC in Charleston, W.Va. Photo by Maidstone Mulenga
THREE NEW BISHOPS
Bishop McLee Bishop Steiner Ball Bishop Webb
BISHOPS, CONTINUED on Page 12
2 NEJ Daily Christian Advocate - Summary Edition - July 21, 2012
Daily Christian Advocate Publisher: Northeastern Jurisdiction of The United
Methodist Church
1936 North Eden Road, Lancaster, Pa. 17601-4952
Ruth A. Daugherty, Secretary
www.nejumc.org
The 2012 Daily Christian Advocate is the official daily
newsletter of record for the Northeastern Jurisdictional
(NEJ) Conference, held July 18-20, 2012 at the Charleston
Conference Center in Charleston, W.Va.
Editor: Maidstone Mulenga, director of communica-
tions, Upper New York Annual Conference
Staff: Beth DiCocco, Christian Vischi, Ashley VanSickle
Upper New York Annual Conference
Editor’s Note of Thanks: I would like to offer my
sincere gratitude to the many people who contributed
to the DCA over the course of the 2012 Northeastern
Jurisdictional Conference.
In a sense, everyone who participated in the NEJ
Conference – the delegates, the episcopal nominees and
the NEJ committee members – contributed to the DCA,
insofar as they were the source of the material for the
stories and reports it contained.
There are others that I would like to acknowledge
more specifically: the NEJ College of Bishops; NEJ Sec-
retary Ruth Daugherty – whose tireless efforts made
everything run smoothly; and NEJ Treasurer/Business
Manager Dight Crain – whose long experience and ex-
pertise were critical.
Let me also thank my colleagues, the conference
communicators from across the Northeastern Jurisdic-
tion, whose diligent work helped keep our audiences
informed of the critical decisions made at this confer-
ence. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the West Vir-
ginia Annual Conference staff and volunteers – for their
gracious hospitality and hard work.
May God continue to bless you all.
COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS
ELECTED TO GENERAL AGENCIES AND BOARDS
List continues on Pages 6-7
3 NEJ Daily Christian Advocate - Summary Edition - July 21, 2012
Summary of approved resolutions Delegates to the 2012 NEJ Conference:
Celebrated the ministries of retiring Bishop
Ernest Lyght, Bishop Jane Allen Middleton and
Bishop Peter Weaver.
Elected Sandra L. Steiner Ball, Martin D.
McLee and Mark J. Webb as bishops.
Celebrated the work of outgoing Secretary
Ruth Daugherty and outgoing Treasurer Dight
Crain.
Elected Thomas Salsgiver and Sharon Dar-
lynn McCrae as new secretary and assistant
secretary respectively for next quadrennium.
Elected David Simpson and Jennifer Williams
as new treasurer and assistant treasurer respec-
tively for the next quadrennium.
Approved the 2013-2016 budget of $1,052,925.
Donated $3,910.08 as offering to further the
work of the United Methodist Appalachian
Ministry Network.
Asked the annual conferences’ boards of or-
dained ministry to consider requiring all clergy
candidates to participate in a VIM experience
prior to ordination or licensure.
Approved changing the Native American
Task Force into the Northeastern Jurisdiction
Native American Ministries Committee.
Approved a resolution by the NEJ Urban
Steering Network to ask annual conferences to
promote the urban ministry by awarding “Kim
Jefferson Award for Effective Urban Ministry.”
Affirmed a statement of grace, full inclusion.
Approved supporting the $75 million cam-
paign by Imagine No Malaria to help eradicate
the disease from the world.
Saluted Bishop Ernest S. Lyght, Bishop Mar-
cus Matthews, Bishop F. Herbert Skeete and
Bishop Felton May for their support of Africa
University.
Approved a motion to study the processes by
which conferences nominate and endorse can-
didates for bishop with a possibility of creating
a unified process across conferences.
Referred to the NEJ College of Bishops a peti-
tion seeking to replace the jurisdictional con-
ferences with the Central Conference structure
in order that they form a task force.
Adopted invitation to Eastern Pennsylvania
Conference to host the 2016 NEJ Conference.
The Episcopacy Committee of the Northeast-
ern Jurisdiction announced the assignments for the
bishops on the morning of July 20. Here are the
assignments for the nine bishops in the NEJ. All
bishops begin their assignments on Sept. 1.
Washington Area (Baltimore-Washington An-
nual Conference): Bishop Marcus Matthews.
Boston Area (New England Annual Confer-
ence): Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar.
Harrisburg Area (Susquehanna Annual Con-
ference): Bishop Jeremiah J. Park.
New Jersey Area (Greater New Jersey Annual
Conference) Bishop John R. Schol.
New York Area (New York Annual Confer-
ence) Bishop Martin D. McLee.**
Philadelphia Area (Eastern Pennsylvania An-
nual Conference and Peninsula-Delaware Annual
Conference) Bishop Peggy A. Johnson.*
Pittsburgh Area (Western Pennsylvania An-
nual Conference) Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton.*
Upper New York Area (Upper New York An-
nual Conference) Bishop Mark J. Webb.**
West Virginia Area (West Virginia Annual
Conference) Bishop Sandra L. Steiner Ball.**
*assignments did not change
** newly elected
Bishops get new assignments
5 NEJ Daily Christian Advocate - Summary Edition - July 21, 2012
EPISCOPACY COMMITTEE
2013-2016
Baltimore-Washington
Clergy: Terri Rae Chattin
Lay: Tom Price
Eastern Pennsylvania
Clergy: James B. Todd
Lay: Mary White
Greater New Jersey
Clergy: Drew Dyson
Lay: Evelynn S. Caterson
Peninsula-Delaware
Clergy: Derrick E. Porter
Lay: Demetrio L. Beach
New England
Clergy: We Hyun Chang
Lay: Bonnie Marden
New York
Clergy: William S. Shillady
Lay: Frederick K. Brewington
Susquehanna
Clergy: Beth E. Jones
Lay: Zedna Haverstock
Upper New York
Clergy: William Gottschalk-Fielding
Lay: Stephanie Deckard
West Virginia
Clergy: Ellis E. Conley
Lay: Judi Kenaston
Western Pennsylvania
Clergy: Joel Garrett
Lay: Sharon Gregory
JURISDICTIONAL
COMMITTEES OFFICERS
Vision Table
Chairperson: Bishop Marcus Matthews
Vice-Chairperson: Lyssette N. Perez
Secretary: Thomas Salsgiver
Treasurer: David Simpson
Episcopacy Committee
Chairperson: Bonnie Marden
Vice-Chairperson: Ellis Conley
Secretary: Demetrio Beach
Finance and Administration Committee
Chairperson: Edward Horne
Vice-Chairperson: Doris Dalton
Co-Secretaries: Sherri Rood
Jefferson Dedrick
Program and Arrangements Committee
Chairperson: Boyd Etter
Vice-Chairperson: Hudda Aswad
Secretary: Tanya Bennett
Rules Committee
Chairperson: Jen Ihlo
Vice-Chairperson: Aslam Barkat
Secretary: Arlene Beechert
Annual Conference Boundaries
Chairperson: Timothy R. Baer
Vice-Chairperson: Shirley Readdean
Secretary: Lenora Thompson
Appeals Committee
Chairperson: William Scott Campbell
Vice-Chairperson: Judy Colorado
Secretary: Gregory Johnson
Investigation Committee
Chairperson: Karin Walker
Vice-Person: William Meekins, Jr.
Secretary : Lyssette N. Perez
6 NEJ Daily Christian Advocate - Summary Edition - July 21, 2012
COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS
ELECTED TO GENERAL AGENCIES AND BOARDS
7 NEJ Daily Christian Advocate - Summary Edition - July 21, 2012
COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS
ELECTED TO GENERAL AGENCIES AND BOARDS
10 NEJ Daily Christian Advocate - Summary Edition - July 21, 2012
Thank you to
retiring bishops,
NEJ secretary
NEJ treasurer
Left: Retiring Bishop Ernest Lyght and his
wife, Eleanor.
Middle left: Retiring Bishop Jane Allen
Middleton and her husband, Jack.
Below left: Retiring Bishop Peter Weaver
and his wife, Linda.
Middle right: Retiring NEJ Secretary Ruth
Daugherty.
Below right: Retiring NEJ Treasurer Dight
Crain. P
ho
to b
y M
aidsto
ne M
ulen
ga
11 NEJ Daily Christian Advocate - Summary Edition - July 21, 2012
2012 NEJ
Conference
in pictures
Top: Retired Bishop William Wesley
Morris lights up worship Thursday
morning.
Below: Bishop Peter Weaver preaches
during the opening worship on Wednes-
day morning.
Left: A liturgical dancer lifts up her
hands during the Wednesday morning
worship service.
Ph
oto
by
Maid
ston
e Mu
leng
a
Ph
oto
by
Ad
am C
un
nin
gh
am
Photo by Adam Cunningham
12 NEJ Daily Christian Advocate - Summary Edition - July 21, 2012
Listening as the prophet Elijah
did for the still small voice of God, is
one way to discern what God wishes
for the NEJ, Bishop Matthews said.
“Sometimes that voice of God says
yes, sometimes that voice of God
says no, sometimes that voice of God
says not yet, but hold steady, be-
cause, in the end, God always wins.”
He told the story of a boy
named Johnny who was walking
with his friends past his grandfa-
ther’s house, where his grandfather
was seated on the porch reading the
Bible. When the Johnny’s friends
asked what his grandfather was do-
ing, Johnny said, “Oh, Grandpa, he’s
cramming for the finals.”
“In a sense, this is also true for
most of us. We are always cramming
for an eternity of fellowship with an
awesome God, an eternity of com-
panionship and fellowship.”
Bishop Matthews advised the
bishops against the danger of
“keeping only an inner circle of folk
around us who only tell us what we
want to hear.”
“To the newly elected class of
2012, you will only be good bishops
if you remember to put Christ first.”
He called on the NEJ members
to join the new leaders helping “us
win souls for Christ, build new disci-
ple-making churches in the North-
eastern Jurisdiction, develop clergy
and lay leadership, and be in minis-
try with the poor.”
Rev. Thaddeus Allen, regional
minister and president of the West
Virginia region of Christian Church
Disciples of Christ participated in the
service as one of the Liturgists, and
an ecumenical representative.
3 new bishops consecrated
BISHOPS, CONTINUED From Page 1
Newly consecrated episcopal leaders Bishop Sandra L. Steiner Ball, left, Bishop Martin D. McLee, top, and Bishop Mark J.
Webb participate in the consecration service on Friday, at St. Marks UMC in Charleston, W.Va. Photos by Maidstone Mulenga