Annual Conference 2022 Recap

 

Let Us Live LOVE
Annual Conference 2022 was June 9-11 with 448 clergy and 467 laity meeting inside the John S. Knight Center.

Read the full Annual Conference 2022 Recap Article.

Services and Celebrations
The first day of Annual Conference began with 66 clergy, clergy spouses, and laity who passed away since last year’s Annual Conference were remembered during the Service of Commemoration and Holy Communion. Bishop Tracy S. Malone was the preacher for this service. The day concluded with the bishop sharing reflections during the Celebration of Retirement recognizing 28 retiring clergy. This year’s class of retirees served a combined 791 years ministering in local churches and extension ministry positions.

Pastor Sheena Cameron of Mt. Pleasant UMC and St. Paul UMC was the preacher for the Friday morning worship service and Rev. Ed Fashbaugh, executive director of Connectional Ministries, was the preacher for the Saturday morning service. Annual Conference concluded with Bishop Laura Barbins of the Northeastern Ohio Synod of the ELCA preaching the sermon in the Service of Commissioning and Ordination. During the service, one person was commissioned a provisional Deacon, one person was commissioned a provisional Elder, and 10 were ordained as full Elders in The United Methodist Church.

View and download videos of each service and celebration.

Business Sessions
During the business sessions of Annual Conference 2022:

  • Bishop Malone celebrated the success of the $1.5 million Teach • Reach • Bless campaign.
  • Members approved a 12% increase in 2023 health care premiums.
  • Members approved a 10% increase in 2023 minimum salaries for clergy.
  • Members approved the 2023 Conference budget of $9,764,559, a budget that is 5.3% lower than the 2022 budget.
  • Members approved: Resolution 2022-01: “Reclaiming Peace” and Resolution 2022-03: “End the Death Penalty in Ohio”. Motions were approved to table two other resolutions and two additional resolutions were not acted upon before the conclusion of Annual Conference 2022.
  • Members approved the disaffiliation of 11 churches and the closing of five churches.
  • Members endorsed two episcopal candidates, listed in the order in which motions were made from the floor and approved by the body: Rev. Cara Stultz Costello and Rev. Jonathan Priebe.

Living Into Our Shared Vision Teaching Sessions
At the invitation of Bishop Tracy S. Malone, the Rev. Dr. Michael Beck, director of Fresh Expressions for the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church led three teaching sessions that encouraged East Ohio Conference clergy and laity to live into our shared vision in new ways.

View and download videos and PowerPoints of each teaching session.

Live LOVE Ministry Moments
Throughout the three days of Annual Conference, the East Ohio Conference Connectional Ministries team led by Executive Director of Connectional Ministries the Rev. Ed Fashbaugh highlighted the many ways that pastors, congregations, and faith communities are living love in their mission fields. The four segments were:

Missions and Ministry Opportunities

  • Ministry Opportunities tables displayed materials highlighting EOC and UMC ministries.
  • Dignity kits were assembled for use by Midwest Mission Distribution Center in assisting others.
  • Relief kits filled a Midwest Mission Distribution Center collection truck.
  • Money was also raised for missions with a 5K Run/1-Mile Walk.

Annual Conference Offering
You can still support the Annual Conference 2022 offering (Fund 9214) that will benefit:

  • EOC Fund 1301 which supports United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).
  • The Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland, an EOC Health & Well-Being organization.
  • The Bishop’s Discretionary Fund used by Bishop Tracy S. Malone in supporting ministry needs.

Donate to the Annual Conference 2022 offering online or via mail.

Walk for Our Lives Against Gun Violence
On the day before Annual Conference 2022, Bishop Tracy S. Malone led nearly 150 clergy and laity in a 1.4-mile Walk for Our Lives against gun violence. The walk began with a rally outside the John S. Knight Center, wove through the streets of Akron, Ohio and concluded with a vigil outside Family of Faith United Methodist Church.

“We are putting our faith and our prayers and our feet to action to say, ‘no more’ to violence,” said Bishop Tracy S. Malone, resident bishop of the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church.

View and download the Walk for Our Lives video.

Courtesies and Announcements
Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, executive director of the Ohio Council of Churches and Rev. Nick Bates, director of the Hunger Network in Ohio addressed the body and Executive Director Rev. Ed Fashbaugh presented the One Matters: Discipleship Ministries award to Pastor Georgette Gaston and Cambridge Faith UMC.

View and download the courtesy video from The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women.

View and download the courtesy video from North Central Jurisdiction United Methodist Volunteers in Mission.

View and download the courtesy video from Global Ministries.

Annual Conference 2023
The 54th session of East Ohio Annual Conference is scheduled for June 8-10, 2023, at the John S. Knight Center in Akron.