News

For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and ...

This morning my heart is heavy as we read once again of another act of violence in a church where 26 people were killed and 10 injured. It leaves us with questions of, "Why? When will this stop? When will we lay down our ...

The Alabama-West Florida Conference announces two staff changes in the finance and connectional ministries offices. Mr. Frank Dunnewind, AWF Treasurer and Director of Administrative Services, has announced his retirement effective...

(COB) -  The Commission on a Way Forward, which is working to find unity for The United Methodist Church regarding human sexuality, began its sixth meeting on October 30, 2017, with a devotion that challenged the members to be as ...

(Kari C. Barlow) - Rev. Jeremy Steele didn’t need a think tank’s statistics to know millennials weren’t attending Christ United Methodist Church in Mobile.   All he had to do is look around the sanctuary.   Like so many churches ...

(Rev. Jean Tippit, Board President, QuadW Missional Outreach)  - The QuadW Foundation of Dallas, TX has awarded up to $2,600,000 for the expansion of QuadW Missional Internship and Residency programs, as well as the launching of ...

Alabama-West Florida has received requests for ERTs (Early Response Teams) and mission teams from Annual Conferences affected by recent storms. Coastal communities in Texas, Florida, and South Georgia can all use our help, as can ...

(Kari Barlow for the Alabama-West Florida Conference) - When high school homecoming dances end, most teenagers are nowhere near ready to call it a night. In Gulf Breeze, there’s a tradition of partying hard in beachfront houses ...

(Kari C. Barlow for the Alabama-West Florida Conference) - Skeptics were proved wrong in a big way Sunday at Foley United Methodist Church. More than 500 people turned out for “Path to Peace: A Reconciliation Celebration” that ...

We invite you to watch a video message from Bishop David Graves, Resident Bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Conference. Click here to view. Click here to read the written transcript.  You may also listen to this message as an ...

To our friends, neighbors, and churches in the Alabama-West Florida Conference:   Based on the most recent forecasts from the National Weather Service, it appears that Tropical Storm/Hurricane Nate will eventually have an impact ...

(Kari Barlow for the Alabama-West Florida Conference) - A shift toward digital resources in the Alabama-West Florida Conference is making it easier for newly commissioned ministers to navigate the challenging path to ordination.  ...

(Kari Barlow for the Alabama-West Florida Conference) On Friday afternoons during high school football season, the folks at First United Methodist Church of Marianna don’t have a lot of time to stand around and chat.   They’re too...

Over the last several days, we have watched the destruction from Hurricane Irma as it traveled through the Caribbean, Cuba, up South Florida, and into Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Here in the Alabama-West ...

The Alabama-West Florida Conference is participating in the "Praying Our Way Forward" initiative. The denomination-wide initiative launched on New Year’s Day 2017 with 75 weeks of focused prayer for The United Methodist Church. ...

To the People of the Alabama-West Florida Conference, As we enter the recovery phase of Hurricane Harvey and prepare for Hurricane Irma, along with Tropical Storm Jose forming in the Atlantic Ocean, we continue to navigate the ...

Throughout all of church history, there has never been a time when a healthy, faithful, effective congregation has been more needed and necessary. It is clear that the leadership of the AWFUMC believe to the core of their being ...

We celebrate the one-year anniversary of Bishop David W. Graves being assigned and installed to the Alabama-West Florida Conference. Hear more from him in this interview with Mary Catherine Phillips, AWF Director of ...

The denomination-wide "Praying Our Way Forward" initiative launched on New Year’s Day 2017 with 75 weeks of focused prayer for The United Methodist Church. Each annual conference will take one week to have intentional prayer for ...

Friends,  It is hard to believe the news coverage coming out of Texas and the ongoing catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Harvey. My heart breaks as the stories continue to be reported about how lives are changing as a result of ...

(Kari Barlow for the AWF Conference) - A new 19-member Bishop’s Response Team now stands ready to support congregations across the Alabama-West Florida Conference in times of crisis.     Bishop David Graves, along with his cabinet...

Witness and Invitation from the Southeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, August 17, 2017  "The things, good Lord, that we pray for, give us grace to labor for." - Thomas More, UMH, 408 Serving ...

A message from Bishop David Graves regarding Charlottesville (posted on social media on 8/13/17) As I read social media posts from around the Alabama-West Florida Conference, I am so thankful that many are joining together in ...

(Montgomery, Ala.) – Imagination. The ability to imagine the future often fuels creativity, drive, and determination. On Thursday, August 10, 2017, the Stegall Seminary Scholarship Endowment Foundation asked supporters during its ...

The Commission on a Way Forward has released a status report to the Council of Bishops and the entire United Methodist Church, updating the church and the leaders on the faithful work of the Commission after four meetings. The ...

(Kari Barlow for the Alabama-West Florida Conference) - The ceremony on June 29 was simple, but for Pastor Andres Doimeadios, the small gathering marked the start of something huge. It was the day the Pensacola District Board of ...

"Where do I click?" "I can't find the forms." "Can the conference office help me with this?" These are common questions the staff of the Alabama-West Florida Conference hears often. As a result of feedback from clergy and laity, a...

The United Methodist Inner City Mission (UMICM) is proud to announce that they are a recipient of a $90,000 grant from the Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention. The $90,000 grant is for two years of program ...

We invite you to watch a video message from Bishop David Graves, Resident Bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Conference. Click here to view. Click here to read the written transcript.  You may also listen to this message as an ...

As we prepare for the July 4th remembrance holiday, there is a great debate going on in our country around health care. It seems that we have been in a standoff around this issue for many years. In my opinion, the spiral began ...

Alabama Chief Justice Lyn Stuart makes church family a top priority   (Kari C. Barlow for the Alabama-West Florida Conference) - Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Lyn Stuart loves the view from her office window, which overlooks...

For 150 years, the people called Methodists have connected people to God and people to people through Jesus Christ in Milton, Florida! A celebration of this ministry and mission of First United Methodist Church was held on ...

As the Chair of the Alabama-West Florida UMC Conference Safe Sanctuaries Committee and a former juvenile judge, I am reaching out to you because of your position of leadership at your United Methodist Church. As a member of the ...

To the clergy and laity of the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference: I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the spirit-led, inspirational, incredible, and over-the-top annual conference that we shared ...

The 2017 Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference was held June 4-7 in Montgomery, AL, with the theme, "Imagine: By Faith It Can Happen." Bishop David Graves, presiding over his first annual conference session since becoming the ...

In the News Full Recap and Bulletin Insert coming this Thursday! Stay tuned to www.awfumc.org/ac2017 for an informative bulletin insert. It is printer friendly and we encourage you to share it with your local congregation this ...

In the News Morning Worship: Day three of annual conference began with morning worship and Holy Communion. Rev. Amanda Messer, a deacon at Ashland Place UMC, offered the greeting and prepared the table for communion. Rev. Sung Kuk...

In the News Morning Worship: An addition to the agenda this year is to begin each day with morning worship. Bishop David Graves made this addition so that the conference session would start with a sense of Holy time and carry that...

In the News Opening Worship: A capacity crowd attended the Opening Worship Service of the 2017 Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference session, which was held Sunday evening, June 4, in the sanctuary of Frazer Memorial UMC in ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church is asking U.S. President Donald Trump to reconsider his decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord.  In a statement released today,...

(Bishop Graves for The Montgomery Advertiser) - This will be the theme of the Alabama-West Florida Conference when we gather in Montgomery on June 4-7, for our annual gathering. Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church will host ...

We are quickly approaching the 2017 session of the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference. We are excited to see many of you soon. Click here to access a working agenda. Copies of the final agenda will be distributed at the doors...

Bishop David Graves announces that Rev. Dan Pezet has accepted an appointment outside of the Alabama-West Florida Conference. Pezet has served as Director of Congregational Vitality since 2014. In that appointment he designed and ...

The Judicial Council, the highest judicial body in the United Methodist Church, has released its decision regarding the election, consecration, and assignment of Karen Oliveto as a bishop in the United Methodist Church. If you ...

Washington, D.C.: The Council of Bishops (COB) has called a Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church (UMC) to be held February 23-26, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. In announcing the call, COB ...

We invite you to hear a message from Bishop David Graves, Resident Bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Conference. Click here to view. Click here to read the written transcript.  You may also listen to this message as an audio-only...

To the People of the Alabama-West Florida Conference: Greetings! As we live in the glow of Easter, the Gospel of Matthew concludes with Jesus reminding us, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and...

(Jenn Lusher) - The “Place at the Table” gathering was held on April 8th at Evergreen UMC. It was a great time of worship, food and fellowship between our ethnic churches and leaders around the conference. Our desire was to begin ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Council of Bishops President Bishop Bruce Ough has called on all United Methodists to pray unceasingly, intentionally and earnestly for the unity of the church as the Judicial Council ponders its decision on the...

The Alabama-West Florida Conference, under the leadership of Bishop David Graves, is pleased to announce the naming of Jennifer (Jenn) Lusher as Director of Leadership Strategies. Her priority will be to help align the resources ...