The conference opened on Sunday night with a 60-voice choir made up of youth from churches throughout the conference.

 

Prior to this year’s conference, Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster challenged the churches of the conference to raise $60,000 for the Ganta Hospital in Liberia (Advance # 982168). The bishop arrived at the goal by a desire to recognize the 60th Anniversary of the Advance for Christ and His Church. At time of press, with donations still coming in, the people of the AWF Conference have overwhelmingly responded by raising almost $70,000.

 

Worship leadership was provided by Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster, Alabama – West Florida Area; Bishop Robert C. Morgan, retired; and Rev. Donald Smith, senior minister of Toulminville – Warren St. United Methodist Church, Mobile, Ala.

 

Dr. Laceye Warner, Associate Professor of Evangelism and Methodist Studies at Duke Divinity School where she also serves as Associate Dean for Academic Formation and Programs, led morning Bible studies highlighting Wesleyan teachings. Rev. Adam Hamilton of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection provided three teaching sessions on “Leading Beyond the Walls” on Tuesday. Mrs. Shawn Bakker, director of the Advance, spoke on Tuesday evening commemorating the designated giving agency’s 60th anniversary.

 

In business matters, the conference: 1) established a $17 million budget for mission and ministry for the next year, up 3.78 percent from 2008; 2) recognized Mary Esther  (Fla.) UMC as a “Church for All God’s Children;” 3) adopted a resolution dealing with tax fairness issues in Alabama; 4) voted to send the UM Publishing House contribution of $9,703.60  to the Central Conference Pension Initiative; 5) elected Dr. Steve Furr of Jackson, Ala. as the new conference lay leader; 6) honored Mary Ann Pickard upon her retirement as Conference Archivist, a position she has held since 1976; 7) recognized Skipperville (Ala.) UMC with the Local Church Heritage Award; 8) celebrated two winners of the Denman Evangelism Award: Irving Santos, lay pastor at The Grace Place UMC, Mobile, Ala. (lay winner), and Rev. John Webb, pastor of Pace UMC, Pace, Fla. (clergy winner); 9) recognized the first graduating class of the Rural Church Initiative at Huntingdon College; 10) heard a Blue Lake Campaign update that $2 million of the $3 million goal has already been raised to enhance and improve the conference's camp and assembly grounds; and 11) recognized Samantha Baldwin, 10, of Crawford’s Chapel UMC (Mobile, Ala.) for her work in raising funds for the Ganta UM Hospital in Liberia.

 

Two deacons and 11 elders were ordained as members in full connection on June 2 at First United Methodist Church of Montgomery, Ala.

 

Ten clergy entering into a probationary relationship with the conference were commissioned on June 4 (1 probationary deacon, 8 probationary elders, and 1 probationary elder in a missional setting). Among those commissioned was Tsuchue Vang from Laos, where Bishop Goodpaster also serves as Bishop.

 

Twenty-two retiring clergy were honored on Monday – representing 639 years of service to the United Methodist Church, and 28 clergy and clergy spouses who died in the past year were remembered during a service of commemoration.

 

A special highlight of the conference came June 1 when John and Mary Ellen Bullard of First United Methodist Church of Montgomery, Ala. were recognized as the recipients of the 2008 Kresge Award given by the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation during Sunday's celebrations. The Bullard’s were nominated by Huntingdon College.

 

“Because of God’s amazing love and great grace, we are the church and we grow toward becoming Acts 2 churches filled with faithful, fruitful disciples,” said Bishop Goodpaster.
- Meredyth Earnest. AWF Conference Director of Communication