South Georgia Annual Conference
Highlights from Monday, June 4

Opening Worship Service  
The morning opened with lay and clergy joining together for the Opening Worship Service,* a celebration of the 300 th birthday of Charles Wesley. Charles Wesley was one of the founders of Methodism and one of the most prolific hymn writers.

Bishop B. Michael Watson, resident Bishop of the South Georgia Area, was the preacher for this service. In his message, “By All Means: Make Disciples of Jesus Christ,” Bishop Watson asked the questions: “Are we willing to be the means God can use in our day? Are we willing to use all of the means at our disposal to do all the means we can to make disciples for Jesus Christ to save souls and transform the world?”  

During the service, an offering was collected for the East Africa Initiative. Each church in the South Georgia Conference was asked to take a Special Offering for the Initiative prior to conference. All of these individual congregational gifts were brought together in a single offering this morning, and together members now have the privilege of making a significant difference in the East Africa Initiative.

The East Africa Initiative is a partnership between the South Georgia Annual Conference and the East Africa Annual Conference. This offering will specifically be used for the East Africa Ministry of Transportation, the Humble Place Operating Capital and the East Africa General Partnership.

Business Session
The Business Session of the 2007 Annual Conference opened with the historic hymn, And Are We Yet Alive . Bishop Watson then called the session to order. This is Bishop Watson's seventh Annual Conference to preside over since becoming the resident bishop of the South Georgia Area.

In the Business Session Monday morning, the conference:

•  suspended the rules in order to approve a resolution calling for inclusiveness in the selection of General and Jurisdictional Delegates: “We call upon the members of the South Georgia Annual Conference to be intentional concerning the selection of a racially diverse delegation of clergy and laity for the 2008 General and Jurisdictional Conferences.”

•  approved a motion that all speeches regarding inclusivity be made before the first ballot.

•  began the balloting process to elect delegates to the 2008 General and Jurisdictional Conferences. The South Georgia Conference will elect 6 clergy and 6 laity to General Conference and an additional 6 clergy and 6 laity to Jurisdictional Conference. Three lay and three clergy persons will be elected to serve as alternates. The first ballot was taken.

•  heard the Lay Leader's Address by Mr. Roy Blackwood and were encouraged to “By All Means” win some to Jesus Christ.

•  heard the Board of Ordained Ministry report given by Rev. Tommy Mason, chair. Rev. Craig Hutto, registrar, then presented those elected into Conference membership, those whose orders are being recognized, and those approved for Commissioning. Bishop Watson examined those being received into Probationary Membership and the 2006 Elder class. The Conference showed their support and received these persons into their new clergy relationships.

•  recognized those clergy who faithfully serve beyond the local church in an extension ministry appointment. There are 72 extension ministers in the South Georgia Conference.

•  heard the results of the first ballot: Dr. Charlene Black was elected to lead the lay delegation. The second ballot was then taken.  

Commissioning of Probationary Clergy and Recognition of Retiring Clergy
At 2:00 p.m. this afternoon, the Conference participated in a worship service to commission Probationary Clergy Members and to recognize Retiring Clergy.

Probationary Members Commissioned for Ordination as Elders
Dorsia A. Atkinson, Jr.
G. Allen Cason
Thad Gregory Harvey
Matthew J. Hearn
Billy L. Kimbrel, Jr.
David Luke
Precious S. Hawkins Lundy
Jonathan Daniel Smith
Stephanie M. Smith
David Ray Wood

Retiring Clergy
Jack G. Atkinson
David L. Carter
James E. Duke
Ray L. Garren
William M. Jackson-Adams
Thomas J. Lewis
Samuel P. Lamback
James R. Osborn
Robert L. Rathbun
Donald A. Woeltjen
Joseph F. Romigh
Wayne Rogers
Joe Dunagan
Richard E. Lanning
Gary Starrett
Donald Fogal

Business Session
In the Business Session Monday afternoon, the conference:  

•  heard the results of the second ballot: Mr. Bill Hatcher was elected. The third ballot was then taken.

•  recognized Dr. Sandi Hortman who was recently consecrated as a Deaconess. Dr. Hortman is the first Deaconess consecrated from the South Georgia Conference within the last forty-four years.

•  celebrated with those pastors who have served fifty years in the ministry:

Charles E. Cox
V.L. Daughtry, Jr.
Frank H. Harris
Bernard K. Henry
Tom Hall Ivey, Jr.
James Snell
Donald Sparks

•  tabled the Safe Sanctuaries proposed policy until two items could be clarified further within the policy.

•  received the Nominations report. The leaders were elected as nominated.

•  made nominations from the floor for several at-large positions to the Nominations Committee for the next quadrennium.  A ballot will be taken on Tuesday to elect these at-large members.

•  received the consent calendar, with several corrections made in the St. Joseph 's/Candler Hospital Relationship Agreement (Report 9.23.a).  No items were removed from the Consent Calendar. 

•  approved two amendments to the Standing Rules, one regarding the Annual Conference per diem for clergy on incapacity leave and the second regarding the Commission on Pastoral Counseling Services.

•  heard the results of the third ballot: Mr. Roy Blackwood and Mrs. Sunshine Bird were elected to the lay delegation; Dr. Hal Brady and Rev. Joseph Roberson were elected to the clergy delegation. The fourth ballot was taken.

Ordination Service
To close the day, the Conference gathered at the Savannah Civic Center for the service of The Order of Ordination.  Bishop Lindsey Davis, North Georgia area Episcopal leader, was the preacher for this service.

Bishop Davis challenged each ordinand to be an example to their flock by: 1) be persons of prayer; 2) learn to eat with sinners; 3) proclaim the word; and 4) learn to love each other deeply.

Bishop B. Michael Watson presided over the ordinal rites and was assisted by Bishop Davis and Bishop Marion Edwards.  Mr. Roy Blackwood, Conference Lay Leader, represented the laity, and the Rev. F. Thomas Mason, Chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry, observed the ordinal rites. 

The following individuals were ordained as Full Conference Members/Elders:

Nancylee Warren Rast Cater
Geraldine Lois Harn Caster
Bryan H. Gerstel
Robert W. Greene, Jr.
Glenn David Hibberts
R. Christopher Ramsey
John H. Stephens, III
James V. Towson

*About the Opening Worship Service (as printed in the bulletin)
We begin Annual Conference with this “Opening Service of Worship” that is full of pageantry and grandeur. The formal processional is an indication that something of magnificent proportions is beginning. Participants in the service, Conference Leaders, and the Bishop enter following the cross, the fire and banners. In this act of worship, we are reminded that the cross always goes before us lifted high; that Christ is in this place as expressed in the symbolism of the fire – the light of Christ – that enters; and the banners remind us of our theme, “By All Means.” With this procession, Annual Conference has begun.

There is no exiting processional or recessional for this service because that which is begun with this service does not conclude with this service. All we do for the next four days is a part of our time of conferencing. To make this unity of our time together tangible, the cross and the banners will stay in place and the candles will remain lit during all parts of the conference. At the Service of Sending Forth, there will be no entrance processional. Instead, that service will serve as the ending of what has begun with this service. The cross, the fire, and the banners will then lead the Conference Leaders, the Bishop and all of us back to our distinct places of worship where we will serve Christ by serving others until we meet again. Wherever we go, may we follow the cross, know the presence of Christ is with us, and remember our purpose and reasons to celebrate.