News

January 11, 2016

Nominations for New AWF Conference Lay Leader

Dr. Steve Furr, Alabama-West Florida Conference lay leader, has announced the formation of the Board of Laity nominating committee that will consider candidates for the next conference lay leader. This person will take office ...

January 06, 2016

AL-West FL Conference Day of Prayer In Preparation for General Conference

Dear Friends, This week a movement of prayer began in our Conference. People who subscribe to our newsletter now receive a daily email highlighting pastors, churches, and daily prayer needs. It is a joy to be connected through ...

December 17, 2015

A Christmas Message from Bishop Paul Leeland

December 17, 2015 Friends in Christ, While children become more excited as Christmas Day approaches, our lives are enriched by the joy and happiness we experience as we share this day with them. The Gospel of Matthew reminds us ...

December 16, 2015

AWF and Huntingdon College Receive Lilly Grant to Identify Future Christian Leaders

The Alabama-West Florida Conference and Huntingdon College have received a grant of $596,285 for the establishment of an expanded Huntingdon Leadership Academy (HLA). The grant is part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s High School Youth ...

December 14, 2015

UMVIM, SEJ Welcome Rev. Alan Gantzhorn as Board Secretary

(UMVIM) – The Staff and Board of UMVIM, SEJ wish to welcome Rev. Alan Gantzhorn of the Alabama­West Florida Conference as the new Board Secretary. Rev. Gantzhorn’s role as secretary was made official at the October, 2015 UMVIM, ...

December 09, 2015

Call to Prayer for the 2016 General Conference

(Dr. Cory Smith) - January 1 will lead off 131 days of continual prayer for the General Conference of The United Methodist Church, which meets May 10-20, 2016 in Portland, Oregon.   The Council of Bishops has invited each of the ...

December 08, 2015

Alabama and Florida Bishops Offer a Pastoral Response to the War in Syria and the Rise of ISIS

Letter to all Florida clergy: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, whose perfect love casts out fear, and who comes to us in the stranger:   As United Methodist Bishops assigned to Florida, we ...

November 11, 2015

The Inconvenience of Apportionments

(B. Kevin Smalls) - This is the time of the year when the letter comes. Yup. The letter. The letter that informs pastors of what the apportionment number is for the next year. For those who are not United Methodist, each one of ...

November 05, 2015

Dauphin Way UMC Supports Refugee Ministries

(Mobile, AL) - During late September and early October, Dauphin Way United Methodist Church invited its congregation to make a special offering to support the United Methodist Church's ministry among the refugee crisis in Europe ...

November 04, 2015

Glory Sighting: Baird and Marnell Forge Clergy Covenant Group

Rev. Dave Marnell (left in photo) and Rev. Brady Baird (right in photo) are pastors in the Phenix City, AL, area. In their brief tenures at their churches, they have made self care and connecting to other clergy a priority. We ...

October 16, 2015

South Carolina Flood Response Update

An update about our brothers and sisters in South Carolina: The South Carolina United Methodist Church is actively involved in recovery efforts after the historic flooding around the state. For more information on what United ...

September 28, 2015

September Cabinet Synopsis

(Dr. Jeremy Pridgeon) - Bishop Leeland and members of the Cabinet met in a regularly scheduled session recently in Montgomery. For the 2015-2016 conference year, the Cabinet is working with Spiritual Leadership, Inc. (SLI), ...

September 25, 2015

Bishop Announces Mid-year Appointments

(Montgomery, AL) - Bishop Paul L. Leeland announces that Rev. Brennan Peacock has been appointed to serve as pastor of Wetumpka FUMC, effective October 1, 2015.  Currently serving as pastor of Providence UMC in Spanish Fort, AL, ...

September 22, 2015

AWF Delegation Endorses Bryan as Episcopal Nominee

The 2016 members of the Alabama-West Florida Conference General and Jurisdictional Conference delegation have endorsed the Reverend Dr. R. Lawson Bryan as their episcopal nominee.   Since 2007, Dr. Bryan has served as senior ...

September 18, 2015

Guest Commentary: Change in Confidence in God

(Rev. Chip Hale) - Our world has greatly changed. For every adult generation, unexpected changes have made part of our pasts disconnected from our present and our future. As Christians, perhaps we have words that can mitigate fear...

September 10, 2015

AWF Churches Forge Red Bird Missionary Partnerships

(Marsha Littleton) - A cohort of volunteers from Clanton, Prattville, Valley and Montgomery United Methodist Churches traveled to the mountains of southeastern Kentucky July 27-31 to assist members of Middle Fork UMC in replacing ...

September 10, 2015

Spanish Fort UMC is Debt Free! Q & A with Rev. Angie Long

Spanish Fort UMC, located in the Baypines District of the Alabama-West Florida Conference, recently celebrated being debt free! The Office of Communications (OOC) spoke with Rev. Angie Long, associate pastor, about this process ...

September 04, 2015

Q and A with Rev. Michael Precht at Crestview FUMC

Rev. Michael Precht is the senior pastor at Crestview FUMC and has served in this appointment since July 1, 2014. In his brief tenure, he has made it a priority to intentionally explore every aspect of ministry at Crestview FUMC. ...

August 28, 2015

Fast Facts: The AWF UM Foundation and Development Fund

Mission: To strengthen ministries of United Methodist churches and agencies by encouraging generosity through education, consulting, development and financial services. Assets: $80 + million Established: 1979 Core Ministries: ...

August 21, 2015

Fall Clergy Day Apart

This letter is being shared with all Alabama-West Florida Conference Clergy: local pastors, associate members, provisional members, all clergy in full connection (elders and deacons), and all retired clergy. We will be meeting ...

August 13, 2015

A Word from Rev. Sara Shaver

This past Sunday I heard a sermon by our colleague Hays McKay on anger. One of the lines in particular that stuck with me was when he said to “reinterpret your rage in the spirit of Christ.” He talked about all kinds of things ...

August 06, 2015

An Invitation from Bishop Leeland

Friends, As clergy serving churches in the Alabama-West Florida Conference, you are invited to attend a gathering of all clergy on October 8, 2015, at Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church with Bishop Mike Coyner, Resident ...

June 29, 2015

A statement from Bill Waddell, Counsel to the Council of Bishops

On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court decided the case of Obergefell v.  Hodges, which struck down state laws that bar same-gender couples from marriage on the same terms accorded to couples of the opposite sex. The ...

June 18, 2015

A Statement from the SEJ College of Bishops

June 18, 2015 In response to the murders of the pastor and eight others during a prayer meeting at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 17, 2015, the Southeastern ...

June 03, 2015

Annual Conference, Day Four, June 3, 2015

In the News Full Recap and Bulletin Insert coming this Thursday! Stay tuned to www.awfumc.org/ac2015 for an informative bulletin insert. It is printer friendly and we encourage you to share it with your local congregation this ...

June 01, 2015

Annual Conference, Day Two, June 1, 2015

In the News Service of Remembrance and Holy Communion: Thirty-three clergy and clergy spouses who passed since the 2014 AWF Annual Conference session were remembered today during the Service of Remembrance and Holy Communion. ...

May 31, 2015

Annual Conference, Day One, May 31, 2015

In the News Opening Worship: The Opening Worship Service of the 2015 Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference session was held Sunday evening, May 31, in the Sanctuary of Frazer Memorial UMC in Montgomery, AL. Bishop Mike Lowry of ...

May 26, 2015

Guide to Annual Conference

Guide to Annual Conference  The Guide to Annual Conference is now available for download. It contains all orders of worship and special announcements pertinent to annual conference. Printed bulletins will not be available so ...

April 27, 2015

Q and A with Rev. Dan Pezet

Rev. Dan Pezet is the new AWF Director of Congregational Vitality and has served in this appointment since July 1, 2014. In his brief ten months, he has canvassed the bounds of the conference to identity many churches with growth ...

March 24, 2015

Annual Conference 2015 Information

Annual Conference 2015 is quickly approaching! This year's theme is the third part of the SEND Model many in the conference have adopted. It is, "The Great Commission: Nurturing Disciples." We are most appreciative to Dr. Tim ...

March 23, 2015

Guest Commentary: Dr. Jeremy Pridgeon

(Dr. Jeremy Pridgeon) - Like so many of you, at least once each week I receive correspondence from an organization seeking support for a ministry. And while these entities are involved in worthwhile initiatives, often they are not...

March 17, 2015

We Remember: Bishop Charles "Handy" Hancock

Bishop C. W. "Handy" Hancock, 91, of Macon, GA, died Friday, March 13, 2015. Services will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2015, at 5:00pm at Mulberry Street United Methodist Church, Macon, Georgia. The Reverend Mike McAfee, ...

March 15, 2015

Bishop Announces District Superintendent and Conference Staff Appointments

March 15, 2015 (Montgomery, AL) – Bishop Paul L. Leeland is pleased to announce two new district superintendents to the Alabama-West Florida Conference appointive cabinet. Rev. June Jernigan and Dr. Tim Trent will begin their new ...

March 12, 2015

UMW President Urges Attention to Human Trafficking

(Lynn Hamric/UMW) - I have never considered myself privileged. Growing up in a small rural area of Alabama on a small farm, I was well taken care of. I always had what I needed, perhaps not always what I wanted. I had a loving ...

March 11, 2015

AWF Historical Society Holds Annual Meeting

(Sharon Tucker) - The Alabama West Florida Conference Historical Society (AWFC-HS) held their 2014 annual meeting at DeFuniak Springs United Methodist Church on January 24, 2015. The meeting was held on this date so that it would ...

February 26, 2015

Huntingdon College Offers Summer Leadership Academy for United Methodist High School Students

Montgomery, Ala.—Huntingdon College invites pastors and youth ministers who serve United Methodist churches in the Alabama-West Florida and North Alabama Conferences of The United Methodist Church to sponsor high school juniors ...

February 25, 2015

A Life-changing Ministry to Those Whose Lives Have Changed

For older adults, many life changes occur that can disrupt their level of comfort and sense of belonging. A move into an assisted living or nursing facility may often be traumatic due to the loss of independence a senior once had—...

February 20, 2015

2015 Legacy Of The Apostle Paul Cruise With Dr. Wachob

You are invited to join Dr. Wesley Wachob on a 13-day Journey following the Legacy of the Apostle Paul from September 14-26, 2015. Dr. Wachob will teach aboard the Rhapsody of the Seas, by Royal Caribbean International as ...

February 10, 2015

A Word from the Bishop: February 10, 2015

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.   Yesterday, the state of Alabama began to recognize same gender marriage as a result of a Federal Court order. The polity of our United Methodist Church did ...

February 09, 2015

January Cabinet Meeting Recap

(Dr. Jeremy Pridgeon) - Bishop Leeland and members of the Cabinet held their first meeting of 2015 in Montgomery.  The session focused on the continued training of superintendents and extended cabinet members as coaches, a review ...

February 03, 2015

GBHEM announces key leadership positions in UMEA, Collegiate Ministry

Upon recommendation by the search teams and confirmation by Bishop Virginia Taylor, Holston Annual Conference, and Bishop Bill McAlilly, Tennessee Annual Conference, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry announces the...

January 28, 2015

An Invitation from Bishop Leeland: Bishop's Day Apart

Dear Friends in Christ,  Periodically, we have the joy of reflecting and sharing our call to ministry with others, and the privilege of serving the congregations of our Alabama-West Florida Conference. There is not another ...

January 13, 2015

A Word from the Bishop: January 13, 2015

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.   With the conclusion of the Southeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops this past week, I returned to our Alabama-West Florida Conference with an awareness of...

January 13, 2015

Upcoming Standing Rules Deadlines

To: Members and friends of the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church: Greetings in the name of Christ. As preparations are underway for the 2015 meeting of Annual Conference, May 31-June 3 at Frazer ...

January 09, 2015

Huntingdon Cross and Flame Award Available to United Methodist Students

Montgomery, Ala.—Huntingdon College President J. Cameron West announced today that the College's Cross and Flame Award, having increased by $500 to $11,000  for full-time day students entering in the fall of 2014, has contributed ...

December 18, 2014

Advent Greetings from Bishop Leeland & the Conference Office

Merry Christmas from Bishop Paul Leeland and the Alabama-West Florida Conference Office. We hope you enjoy this video as we reflect on the meaning of Advent and our hopes for 2015.  http://vimeo.com/114780745

December 14, 2014

Bishop Announces Cooper to Bay Minette FUMC

(Montgomery, AL) Bishop Paul L. Leeland announces that Rev. Jay Cooper has been appointed to serve as pastor of Bay Minette First United Methodist Church, effective February 1, 2015. Rev. Ed Deabler, previous appointed pastor, is ...

November 21, 2014

Responding to the Ebola Crisis: The Council of Bishops

To the People of The United Methodist Church: The Ebola outbreak in three countries of West Africa is one of the most threatening health crises of our day. As of November 7, 2014, more than 13,000 cases had been reported with ...

November 19, 2014

Alice Lee, United Methodist leader, Dies at 103

(Sam Hodges, UMNS) - Alice Finch Lee may be a footnote in literary history as the older sister of Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” But in United Methodist circles, she’s being remembered as an exemplary laywoman ...

November 18, 2014

A Call for Prayer: Ferguson, MO

I’ve preached twice in recent weeks in St. Louis and as I visited in our churches, the tension is palpable as people await the news from the grand jury in the Michael Brown case. Fear runs deep that there will be more violence. ...
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