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The July 1 statement by the California-Nevada Conference Extended Cabinet, rejecting disaffiliation and non-payment of apportionments, has drawn the attention of United Methodist News.     In a July 3 story titled “California-Nevada says no to withholding funds, disaffiliation,” UM News reporter Kathy Gilbert writes:     Citing Romans 12:1-5 and John Wesley’s view “On Schism,” the California-Nevada Conference Cabinet said disaffiliation of the Western Jurisdiction from The United Methodist ...

The General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) has joined the Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) in protesting the Trump administration’s just-announced strategy of exacting fines of up to $799 per day from immigrants who ignore deportation orders – as well as from those, including faith leaders, who offer them sanctuary while they fight deportation.   Calling the administration plan an “unjust bully tactic,” GBCS Director of Civil and Human Rights Rev. Jeania Ree V. Moore said information ...

More than 200 United Methodists from around the Bay Area joined Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño in marching in the SF Pride parade, Sunday, June 30, in San Francisco.    “It was a wonderful day,” said Rev. Staci Current, District Superintendent for the Bay District that includes San Francisco (shown here serving Communion, to the left of Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño). “We had worship, including Communion, on the street prior to the parade. The love was palpable.” “It was a very empowering day,” agreed ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 1, 2019   Disaffiliation & Non-Payment of Apportionments Statement of the Extended Cabinet of the California-Nevada Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church     “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the ...

The 2019 Consent Calendar has been posted on the California-Nevada Annual Conference Session 2019 site. It is the first item under Quick Links (on the right-hand side of the page).

The Agenda for Annual Conference Session has been updated and the revised edition has been posted on the conference website. The mobile application (app) has been updated as well. View Updated Agenda.   If you are registered to attend ACS you should have received an email this week from the app’s service provider, CrowdCompass, and another from the conference communications team, with information about how to download the app and use it to best effect. It is not necessary to attend ACS in order ...

Conference Secretary Mark Wharff has elected to post an updated pre-ACS version of Recommendations, Resolutions, and Petitions that he’s calling Compilation 2.1.   Compilation 2.1 includes a fresh edition of Item 1 (with budget columns in landscape format), Item 2 (Committee on Nominations and Connectional Leadership Development Report of Nominations), and additional updates. Clicking on an item in the Table of Contents will take you directly to that page. (Note: On Page 2 of the Table of ...

The praise team and choir from St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Richmond, California will lead worship for the 171st Session of the California-Nevada Annual Conference, meeting June 19-22 in Modesto.   The singers and musicians are under the leadership of Seru (at right, on piano) and Emi (directing choir in main photo) Vatuwaqa.   St. Luke’s offers both Tongan and Fijian Sunday services. The Rev. Ofa Uepi has served as pastor of St. Luke's since 2017 and also is a member of the choir.  

NOTE: TIMES HAVE BEEN CORRECTED Elders, deacons, licensed local pastors under appointment, provisional members commissioned towards the elder or deacon track, and associate members are requested to walk in the Ordination Procession. Meet, robed and ready to go, in the Arbor Theater at 7:10 p.m. on Friday night, June 21. Those being commissioned, ordained, or recognized are to meet for pictures, robed and ready, at 6:30 p.m. in the Arbor Theater. Dress is as follows:   Elders: Wear a robe with...

By JB Brayfindley  Contributor to Instant Connection    Okay, so you’re going to Annual Conference Session this year and maybe it’s your first year (or your 30th!) and you are already lost.     No fear! These three Q & A’s can help you find your way.    1. How do I bypass the lon-n-n-n-g Wednesday morning Registration line?  You can check in on Tuesday evening between 6 and 8 p.m. at the front lobby of the convention center to pick up your badge! Yup, register then and you can just walk into ...

United Methodist Church missionary Katherine Parker will be the keynote speaker at the Mission Lunch at this year’s Annual Conference Session in Modesto, taking place at noon on Thursday, June 20 at Greens on Tenth. The lunch will celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Global Ministries.    The restaurant is located about a block from the DoubleTree Hotel, the site for ACS.    In addition to Parker’s address, the event will include greetings from Global Missionaries personnel and presentation of ...

The Board of Directors of the California-Nevada United Methodist Foundation has announced the retirement of Foundation Executive Director Susan Peters, effective at the end of the 2019 calendar year.    Peters has served in that capacity for 10 years and has guided the foundation’s growth from management of $31.5 million in assets to more than $70 million in assets, according to Rev. Lori Sawdon, president of the board of directors.    Read retirement announcement letter here.    A search for ...

Around 180 United Methodists from 11 churches were expected to take part in Saturday's Sacramento Pride Parade. Instead, more than 300 UMs, representing 15 churches, participated "to let people know we are inclusive and loving congregations,” as Doug Treadwell put it. Treadwell, chair of the Welcoming Team at First United Methodist Church in Sacramento, coordinated the UM churches' participation. Read June 6 story, UMCs Unite for Sacramento Pride Parade. In photos below: UM organizing team ...

The annual scholarship appeal from East Timor Religious Outreach (ETRO) is underway. In 2018, donations to provide education opportunities for poor Timorese young people from small, remote, and poorly-served areas enabled the organization to donate $6,000 to both the Salesian Sisters Vocational School for Girls (located in the rural mountain village of Venilale) and the Protestant Church in East Timor, Igreja Protestante iha Timor Lorosae, or IPTL (headquartered in Dili).    Your tax-deductible ...

United Methodist News reporter Jim Patterson is following the story as California prepares for another wildfire season. He talked with Great Northern District Superintendent Blake Busick and Rev. Lindsey Bell-Kerr of the California-Nevada Conference for his report.  By Jim Patterson  June 5, 2019 | UM News   Calm prevails as fire season approaches California, probably because it’s been unseasonably rainy this year, said a United Methodist clergyman who lost his house to fire in 2017.   “I don’t...

By Mark Wharff   Conference secretary   Eleven laypersons and three clergy members have been nominated to represent the California-Nevada Annual Conference as delegates to the 2020 General and Jurisdictional Conferences.     The online nomination process for lay delegates was open from March 14 through May 10. During that period, six women and five men, ranging in age from 20 to 72, were nominated.     Nominating ballots were sent to eligible clergy members May 1, and the nominating period for ...

The second compilation of Recommendations, Resolutions, and Petitions for the 2019 Annual Conference Session, the second compilation of Reports, and the 2018 Statistical Tables are now available to download from the conference website. The second compilation of "Reports" includes the Conference Statistician's Report and the Treasurer's Report.    Compilation 2 of “Recommendations …" includes all the proposed legislation that was included in the first version, but it has been updated to include ...

By JB Brayfindley Contributor to Instant Connection “We are coming together to let people know we are inclusive and loving congregations,” says Doug Treadwell, chair of the Welcoming Team at First United Methodist Church in Sacramento, who spearheaded the coordination of 11 area UMCs to march together in this Sunday’s Pride parade.    “What drove our interest [to participate] was the support of the Western Jurisdiction, and other UMC churches in the United States and Europe … in clarifying that...

Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño is attending the Consultation on Diaspora Churches in London, England sponsored by the World Methodist Council. More than 50 participants have gathered from all over the world to determine how to accompany and support Methodists and others who are forced to migrate and who seek to continue their journey with Christ and their participation in Christian community. Bishop Carcaño is part of a 12-member delegation representing The United Methodist Church. The delegation ...

Cuando: Jueves, 20 de junio, 12:15-1:45 p.m., Greens on 10the (953 10th, Modesto)  Favor de traer $16 para la comida.  para más información: descargar el póster    You are invited to attend the annual Hispanic Luncheon at Annual Conference Session.  When: Thursday, June 20, 12:15-1:45 p.m. at Greens on 10th (953 10th Street, Modesto)  Please bring $16 to cover the cost of your lunch.  Download flyer for more information      

Noting, "The gospel was powerful enough to change an institution from within and from the outside," Moses Kumar, General Secretary of the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA), has sent an open letter to bishops cautioning careful consideration of the "collateral damage" that would be done by a continued decline in apportionment collections. "Jesus was a protestor," writes Rev. Kumar. However, He "didn't abandon the synagogues and the Temple." Read Open Letter to Bishops in its ...

On Sunday, June 16, St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Sacramento will host UMC missionary Katherine Parker for a 7 p.m. presentation about UM missionary work in Nepal. Her theme will be “Sangsangai: Together on the Journey."    A health and community transformation advisor with the United Mission toNepal, Parker works with adolescent empowerment (including sexual/reproductive health and rights and menstrual hygiene; maternal and child health; and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). She is ...

Annual Conference Session (ACS) attendees will become a voice for children on Thursday, June 20 by taking part in a candlelight prayer vigil calling attention to the plight of children around the world, and by making a commitment to act on behalf of their concerns. The vigil, “Listen to Our Children,” will begin at 9 p.m., immediately after the close of the evening session, in Modesto Centre Plaza, 1000 L Street, just outside the DoubleTree Hotel. It is scheduled to end at 9:45 p.m.  The vigil...

The Mission Handcrafts project again will be selling items at Annual Conference Session (ACS) to fund mission activities around the world. To date, Mission Handcrafts has raised more than $108,000 for missions, many of the recipient projects being United Methodist Advance Specials. During the 2019 Annual Conference Session the sale will be held at First United Methodist Church, located at 850 16th Street, Modesto, CA 95354 (see photo at right).   Sales will open on the first day of ACS, ...

For Immediate Release June 3, 2019   Council of Bishops Unveils New Website (www.unitedmethodistbishops.org)   WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church is pleased to announce the launch of a new website dedicated to the issues and business of the 120-plus leaders, who give oversight to the denomination.   The website: www.unitedmethodistbishops.org contains the biographical information of the active and retired bishops; latest news regards the COB;  information...

"God does not discriminate": That's the basis for the San Francisco Pride March sponsored by the California-Nevada Conference of The United Methodist Church and taking place Sunday, June 30. Join Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, Bay District Superintendent Staci Current, fellow United Methodists, and others in this expression of solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ siblings. The march is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and end at 6 p.m. Parade viewing seating for 25 will be available on a first-come/first-ser...

The California-Nevada Conference of The United Methodist Church is seeking to fill the Director of Leadership Development position and will be accepting resumes through June 14, 2019. The salary for this position ranges from $75,000 to $95,000 with an excellent benefits package included.   Applicants should forward the following items to hr@calnevumc.org with a reference to the job title, “Director of Leadership Development” in the subject line. A cover letter indicating your match to the ...

The Commission on the Annual Conference Session held its final meeting in preparation for the 2019 ACS, this week in Modesto. The planning session took place on Tuesday at the DoubleTree Hotel, site of the June 19-22 event. The session span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:107%; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-...

By JB Brayfindley  Contributor to Instant Connection    “Where’s all the money go?” asked Bob Fairbrook, a financial planner at Ernst & Young, LLP at a pre-retirement seminar for members of the California-Nevada Conference. “It is not a rhetorical question – you have to know,” he told his audience, explaining that for retirement planning it is important that an individual know their net worth and cash flow.     Ernst & Young is a CPA firm contracted by Wespath Benefits & Investments (formerly ...

There are new resources available on the 2019 ACS Offering page. We have posted a link enabling online giving, along with a new bulletin insert to promote the Annual Conference Offering (designed to be printed as a two-sided 5 ½ x 8 ½ insert). Download bulletin insert (new version) Give to Annual Conference Offering The online giving form includes the option of adding 3% to your donation to offset the nominal fee that PayPal charges non-profit organizations. It is calculated automatically ...

In April and May, the California-Nevada Conference’s Healthy Church Initiative sponsored several workshops on “Guest Readiness,” led by Jason Moore of Midnight Oil Productions, at different locations within the conference. If you missed them – or attended and would like to build on what you learned – United Methodist Communications (UMCom) is offering a series of online screencasts (podcasts with visuals) on the topic.    “I’ve wondered where I’ll end up,” Dr. Kim Pope-Seiberling said, relating ...

The California-Nevada Conference will have the privilege of commissioning a new United Methodist missionary at Annual Conference Session this year.   Hesed Soriano Lim is one of eight new missionaries who were celebrated at a May 15 service of blessing as they completed their orientation and training through the General Board of Global Ministries. She and another missionary being commissioned this summer will join the teaching staff of Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary in Pietermaritzburg, ...

Tired of settling for fundraising instead of promoting biblical stewardship and multifaceted generous-hearted living? Growing Generous Souls, Betsy Schwarzentraub’s new book, helps people connect deeper faith issues with daily rhythms, including:   How to put God first in their relationships and hectic schedules; How to live and teach a balance of work and rest; and How to deal with money limits and the pressure to constantly consume.  The book makes an excellent tool for pastors and lay ...

Registration for the “Youth and Child” Program at 2019 Annual Conference Session (ACS) is now open. Access the registration form here. You’ll also find a link to the registration when you visit the Annual Conference Session 2019 site (featured on the cnumc.org home page).  The deadline to register your child/children is June 17.  ACS will take place June 19-22, 2019 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Modesto, CA. (Register to attend ACS by June 1.)  

In 2018 the California-Nevada Annual Conference overwhelmingly passed a resolution endorsing H.R.4391, a bill that addressed the human rights of Palestinian children held in Israeli military detention.        Reintroduced on April 30, 2019 as the Promoting Human Rights for Palestinian Children Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act (H.R.2407), the new bill prohibits U.S. funding for the military detention and ill treatment of children in any country, including Israel. The bill is strongly ...

You have one more week to register to attend the 2019 California-Nevada Annual Conference Session (ACS). The deadline is Saturday, June 1. Online registration is an easy process, so please take time to sign up today.    2019 ACS will take place June 19-22 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Modesto, CA.You will receive hotel booking information in your ACS registration confirmation.   Visit the Annual Conference Session 2019 site (it’s a featured link on the cnumc.org home page) for updated information ...

By JB Brayfindley Contributor to Instant Connection   “I love it!” exclaimed Shari Sandoval, the California-Nevada Conference’s project coordinator for Volunteers In Mission (VIM). “I can’t wait to see what else I will get to do this week!”   Sandoval is volunteering alongside members of San Jose’s Wesley United Methodist Church (at left) at the United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR) West Depot in Salt Lake City, Utah.   “It is a huge warehouse – floor to ceiling of buckets and other ...

“This was the best Pre-Conference event I’ve ever attended!” was one of a dozen positive responses Rev. Gere Reist, California-Nevada Conference executive director of Leadership Development, received after the District Conference/Pre-ACS Orientation in the El Camino Real District this past Saturday (May 18).    The event took place at Almaden Hills United Methodist Church in San Jose.    Reist credits the new format of PowerPoint and video combined, interspersed with Question and Answer times, ...

PRESS RELEASE (Leawood, Kansas) -- More than 600 United Methodists gathered in Kansas this week for UMCNext, a conversation in response to the adoption of The Traditional Plan by the 2019 Special General Conference. The participants depart today from an event that has been remarkable for many reasons.   "Every movement has a tipping point, a game changer, a watershed moment; this is one of them," said convening team member Rev. Junius Dotson. "In a moment none of us have experienced before and ...

A first compilation of Recommendations, Resolutions, and Petitions for the 2019 Annual Conference Session has been added to the website. "Volume 1" includes the proposed legislation received and perfected as of May 15, 2019. The designation "Pending" in the table of contents denotes material still being refined. Download Recommendations, Resolutions, and Petitions: Compilation 1 here (PDF). Or visit the California-Nevada Annual Conference Session 2019 page and look under "Quick Links." A ...

Four District Conferences and Pre-Annual Conference Session Orientations are taking place this weekend. The schedule is as follows: Great Northern District  Date and Time: Saturday, May 18, 2019 – from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Location: Loomis UMC, 6414 Brace Road, Loomis, CA 95650  Event Page    Los Rios District  Date and Time: Saturday, May 18 – from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.    Location: Pinole UMC, 2000 San Pablo Avenue, Pinole, CA 94564  Event Page    El Camino Real District Date and Time: ...

The California Endowment's Board of Directors this week elected new leadership, naming Shawn Ginwright, PhD, as board chair for the private, statewide health foundation and Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño as vice-chair. “Both Shawn and Bishop Minerva are attuned to the challenges and opportunities to improve the health and well-being of diverse, underserved communities” Robert K. Ross, M.D., president and CEO of The California Endowment said, in making the announcement. “We are very fortunate to ...

The General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA), in collaboration with United Methodist Communications, has created a video "thank you" for conferences that reached their 2018 apportionment goals. That's us! the California-Nevada Annual Conference was able to pay 100% of its general and jurisdictional apportionments for last year, thanks to the faithful tithing of our churches. Consider this video a virtual pat on the back or "Arigato!" and download and share it with your congregation ...

Wondering what your church's gifts to the Annual Conference Offering can provide? Download a new resource posted to the 2019 ACS Offering page, to explore the possibilities. The two-page PDF details numerous urgent and long-term needs for development of facilities at Davuilevu Theological College in Fiji, the recipient of this year's Annual Conference Offering. Download it here or visit the California-Nevada Annual Conference Session 2019 site and look for "2019 Annual Conference Offering" ...

From the Council of Bishops At the World Methodist Council [WMC] meeting in Seoul, Korea in 2018 a decision was made to host a global consultation on migrant and diaspora Methodist churches. The goals of the consultation will be both to celebrate the evangelical role United Methodist migrants are making around the world, and to discern ways we can be more ecumenically engaged as we plant new churches. Bishop Rosemarie Wenner is taking the lead on the organization and execution of the ...

Come hear the joyous sound that is handbells! On Sunday afternoon, May 19, 2019 at 4 p.m., Campbell United Methodist Church will hold its seventh annual All-Handbell Concert. Campbell UMC is blessed to have four handbell choirs participating in this year's concert: The Carillon Choir, the New A'Peal Ringers, the Discovery Ringers, and the Diamond Ringers (the last consisting of youth from 3rd to 8th grade). They will perform a repertoire that includes a variety of styles: pop, classical, ...

By Nancy Price   Under cloud-dappled skies on a brisk October morning, a handful of volunteers from Memorial United Methodist Church in Clovis gathered with members of the North Fork Mono Tribe and student volunteers from Berkeley, Vermont (by way of Monterey Bay) and Oregon in a Sierra mountain meadow near Bass Lake in Madera County.   Their task: To assist with the Crane Valley Meadow restoration, an ongoing project that began in 2003 and is a joint venture of the North Fork Mono and the ...

A much sought-after affiliation agreement between Claremont School of Theology and Willamette University finally has been signed. Read press release here. The Rev. Dr. Kah-Jin Jeffrey Kuan (at right), a member of the California-Nevada Annual Conference and one of Cal-Nevada's delegates to the 2016 and 2019 General Conferences, serves as president and professor of Old Testament/Biblical Studies at Claremont. (Also see: Claremont School of Theology Receives Favorable Legal Judgment, Jan. 25, ...

By Laura Ginyard  Beulah Grant Ministries Coordinator, Patterson Federated Church  Laurence Kolding (at left), one of the eldest members of our church – and our gifted church Poet Laureate – turned 100 years old on April 7. Laurence began attending Patterson Federated Church at the age of 17, when his high school principal instructed him sternly to “come to church and sing in the choir.”  That was in 1936. Ever since, Laurence has contributed greatly to our church in so many ways, from his ...

My name is Marsha Bryan and I have recently joined the staff as the Legacy Advisor for The Endowment Board. Each year, The Endowment Board grants the Board of Pensions (BOP) funds to help retirees cover the financial gap that emerges when Medicare falls short. With the increasing cost of healthcare, this gap is widening. The support our clergy get from The Endowment Board is more crucial than ever to their health, comfort, and security.   As a first-time attendee and clergy spouse, I want to ...