3/17/2023

By Julianna Leverette, Grice Connect newspaper Easily recognized, Pittman Park United Methodist Church is frequently involved with the Statesboro community by serving as volunteers at many events, such as local soup kitchens, and even hosting a few of their own, namely their Trunk or Treat. Recently, however, the church has been striving to serve its congregation and the local community in a whole new way: through prioritizing inclusivity and evaluating the accessibility and comfort of their ...

3/6/2023

By Allison Lindsey, Advocate contributor    In 2017, Rev. Leigh Ann Raynor retired after 36 years faithfully serving churches in the South Georgia Annual Conference. Enjoying retirement life between Thomasville, GA and Waynesville, NC, Raynor was content to take things one day at a time, preaching occasionally, caring for her pets, and traveling. Little did she know that God was not finished with her ministry and vow to The United Methodist Church.    This January, Raynor and other United ...

3/5/2023

By Hollie Lewis, reporter from WSAV   Tens of millions of Christians from multiple denominations across the globe began observing Lent with the start of Ash Wednesday.   Each year, Ash Wednesday falls 46 days before Easter Sunday. Lent is a 40-day season (not counting Sundays) associated with repentance, fasting, reflection and ultimately celebration.   However, a local Garden City church is adding something new this year in observance.   “We wanted to open up Ash Wednesday to the neighborhood ...

3/4/2023

Andrew College has named Dr. William “Rusty” Kennedy, currently the Vice President of Admissions and Athletics at Midway University, as its next president. The announcement comes after a national search that began after Dr. Linda R. Buchanan, who has served as president for the last eight years, announced her retirement in September. “We are really excited about Rusty Kennedy becoming our next president. He brings an array of skills, experience, and character attributes that will serve Andrew ...

3/4/2023

The South Georgia Annual Conference is now accepting nominations for The Harry Denman Evangelism Award for Clergy, Lay, and Youth. The Harry Denman Evangelism Award program recognizes United Methodists in each annual conference whose exceptional ministry of evangelism – expressed in Word (what), Sign (why), and Deed (how) – brings people into a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. Evangelism happens in many contexts and many settings; impacts and engages all generations; and ...

2/21/2023

Tents, heaters, blankets, warm clothes, ready-to-eat meals and first-aid kits soon will be headed to earthquake survivors in Turkey and northwest Syria through a grant from the United Methodist Committee on Relief. The $10,000 solidarity grant will be handled by International Blue Crescent, a longstanding humanitarian partner of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. According to The Associated Press, the quake death toll soared above 7,200 and still was expected to rise. Donate Now   ...

2/20/2023

The South Georgia Conference is centering itself around prayer in 2023. March’s prayer guide, written by Revs. Josh Gale, Jon Brown, Sara Pugh Montgomery, and Teresa Edwards, is now available at www.sgaumc.org/year-of-prayer. A bulletin insert is also available for local churches to use. In addition to the prayer guides, four book studies centered on prayer and hosted by Connectional Ministries, will expand our minds, challenge our hearts and encourage our prayer walks. Click here for a ...

2/20/2023

The South Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church will be undergoing budget reductions to appropriately plan for financial implications as a result of local church disaffiliations. Based upon recent trends and detailed predictions, the annual conference is seeking to decrease its 2024 operating budget in order to maximize its sustainability and viability as an annual conference.    In the Fall, the South Georgia Conference’s Council on Finance and Administration (CFA) asked Bishop ...

2/20/2023

By Kelly Roberson, Director of Conference Ministries/Communications   Volunteers from the South Georgia Annual Conference have a history of ministry in the 4 Corners area of the Navajo reservation. Rev. John Stephens, III, pastor serving Evelyn UMC and Pavo UMC, is now doing his part to ensure the ministry continues. For the last five years Stephens has traveled to the 4 Corners area with other volunteers from Cairo First UMC and Climax UMC as well as volunteers from other denominations as part...

2/19/2023

College students wanting to learn about the audio-video world are encouraged to apply for a summer internship with GNTV, a United Methodist-related ministry. Applicants should have a background in audio production, sound reinforcement, video image magnification, video capture, video editing or presentation graphics. Summer interns should expect a significant amount of travel. Deadline to apply is March 13. Learn more and apply  

2/18/2023

The United Methodist Federal Credit Union is offering four college scholarship - $1,000 each – to its four conferences: Florida, North Georgia, South Georgia and Alabama-West Florida. If you are or you know is a member of the credit age 17-35 who is attending or planning to attend college and attend church in in one of the four conferences, let them know about this college scholarship program.    Applicants will need to meet the following requirements: Be a credit union member in good standing:...

2/10/2023

A Word from Bishop Graves Colleagues and friends,  Currently the Cabinet, pastors, staff-parish relations committees, and churches are working on the upcoming appointment year which runs July 2023 to June 2024. I have found that Cabinet transparency is vital in building trust. To inform you of our process, but most importantly to ask for your prayers, I want to share the following. The Cabinet, consisting of the six district superintendents, Dr. Jay Harris, and myself, will be working to make...

2/3/2023

By Denise Rooks This past Christmas and many Christmases previously, Christians all around the world have celebrated the birth of Christ. This isn’t practiced because the Bible teaches us to celebrate Christmas, but because we want to take the time to celebrate and be thankful for the gift of Christ that God gave us. Christmas, like many celebrations, is an opportunity to share our faith and help others to understand it. When the Covid pandemic occurred, we had to change the way we celebrated ...

2/3/2023

By Kirsten VanBeverhoudt, Grice Connect newspaper   If you want to know what genuine love looks like, meet David Keene. Keene is a man who believes in giving with his whole heart, and in most cases, no matter the ask, he always says “yes.”    Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Keene moved to Statesboro, Georgia, in 1983. The year after he moved to Statesboro, his oldest brother passed away, and when his parents became immobile, he and his wife, Mary, decided to remodel their house and ...

2/3/2023

Dear Friends of the South Georgia Conference,   This is the third in a series of four articles I am releasing related to church disaffiliations. At the beginning of January, I shared some updates for the new year. In this first article, I reminded you about the process in place in our Annual Conference that extends the terms of South Georgia’s current disaffiliation policy through December 31, 2024, based on ¶2549. The term we will use after December 31, 2023, is “departure.” I also announced my...

2/2/2023

Georgia Pastors School is set for July 17-20, 2023, at Epworth by the Sea on St. Simons Island. This spiritual formation event for pastors will feature Rev. Juanita Rasmus, co-pastor of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Houston, TX, and Johnny Sears from The Upper Room as this year’s teachers.    Rasmus is a preacher, transformational coach, author, and speaker with a passion for coaching people to live their most expansive lives. She travels speaking on spirituality and the transformational...

2/1/2023

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) delegates some of its responsibility to central organizations to streamline the process for organizations to be recognized as tax-exempt organizations under the 501(c)(3) tax code. In order to help local churches with tax-exempt status, the General Council and Finance (GCFA) recently launched a new Group Ruling website. Although the functionality of the site remains, it now has more features and coordinates with GCFA’s Chronicles. You can now request to be on ...

1/26/2023

When Bishop David Graves arrived in South Georgia he established three priorities for the South Georgia Conference: disrupting and dismantling racism, clergy mental health, and resourcing the local church for ministry. This year he is adding an additional priority: church planting and revitalization.  “God has opened up some new windows of opportunity to plant and revitalize churches,” said Bishop Graves. “With a renewed sense of commitment, I believe God is calling the South Georgia ...

1/21/2023

In a focused effort, the South Georgia Conference is centering itself around prayer in 2023. Each month a prayer guide will be developed that contains a specific focus, including a weekly scripture, a breath prayer, and a prayer prompt.  February’s prayer guide, written by the Revs. Michael Culbreth, Michelle Dailey, Cedric Jackson, and Precious Hawkins, is now available at www.sgaumc.org/year-of-prayer. Bulletin inserts are also available for local churches to use. Throughout the year, four ...

1/20/2023

On Thursday, January 12, 2023, severe storms and multiple tornadoes stretched across the Alabama-West Florida and North Georgia Conferences. The South Georgia Conference stands in solidarity with our neighboring conferences, offering prayer and support.    At the request of the North Georgia Conference, the South Georgia Conference has been asked to assist and coordinate the UMC response in Meriwether County. Rev. Glenn Martin, Northwest District Disaster Response coordinator, is taking the lead...

1/20/2023

By Kelly Roberson In one of the the oldest Methodist churches in Georgia, on Sunday, January 8, 2023, Bishop David Graves and his wife, Nancy, were officially welcomed to the South Georgia Conference as the conference celebrated and gave thanks for his assignment to South Georgia. Bishop Graves was assigned as interim episcopal leader in September 2021 following the retirement of Bishop Lawson Bryan. During the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference in November 2022 it was announced that ...

1/20/2023

By Ashtyn Ray, Student, Valdosta State University   “Choose Hope. Take Action. Change Lives.” That’s the motto the Valdosta State University Wesley Foundation recently chose to embody through its partnership with Sole Hope, an organization that works in Ugandan villages.   Students from the VSU Wesley Foundation recently worked with Sole Hope to transform one of their worship services into a night of shoe-making. Altogether, they were able to make 50 pairs of shoes for the vulnerable populations...

1/19/2023

By Shannon Baxter   John Jones went on his first mission experience this past summer. He loved it so much he wondered what it would be like to do this for longer than a week or two. He didn’t feel called to do this full-time but did feel like he could give a couple months to serving others. He started asking around, but no one knew how to go about doing that. He just knew there had to be a way.  If it did exist, it’s got to be the best kept secret out there! He was ready to graduate from a trip ...

1/18/2023

By Tara Jones, South Georgia Conference UWF President   The gracious hostesses at Baxley First United Methodist Church in Baxley welcomed United Women in Faith members from across South Georgia October 15, 2022, for quite the celebration. After two years of virtual annual meetings, the women enjoyed a “family reunion” greeting sisters in person.    After beautiful opening music by Sandra Smith and an offering of prayer by Laurie Jo Upchurch, attendees were inspired by Dee Dee Salgado’s lovely ...

1/12/2023

Dear Friends of the South Georgia Conference, Earlier this week, I wrote an article reminding you about our process and timeline around disaffiliation and departures. The decisions and policies our Conference leadership and Trustees have made are meant to help those who wish to wait and see what happens at General Conference 2024. If you have not reviewed that information, please do so here. In that spirit, I would like to elaborate on some personal reflections about why churches in the South ...

1/9/2023

Dear Friends of the South Georgia Conference,  Happy New Year! As we begin a new year, I pray God will reveal to you a sense of peace and clarity in 2023.  In early November, the Commission on the General Conference announced that the 2024 United Methodist General Conference will be held April 23 - May 3, 2024, at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. This much-anticipated gathering will be an important time for the future of The United Methodist Church. I would ask ...

1/8/2023

By Kelly Roberson, Director of Conference Ministries/Communications   Chris, Jesse, Nathan, and Brian got a big surprise for Christmas, but not one they put on their Christmas list.   Just two days after Christmas, the Macon house these four Wesley Glen residents call home - Vineville Home - found itself with major damage.   Following a cold snap in the middle Georgia area, the Vineville Home suffered a pipe break during the sub-freezing temperatures. To complicate matters, the pipe was part of ...

1/7/2023

United Methodist News recently honored 40 notable church leaders and members who died over the past 12 months in an article, “2022: Noteworthy United Methodists remembered.” Among those remembered are Dr. Brad Brady, a clergy member of the South Georgia Annual Conference, and Mrs. Rose King, wife of Bishop James King, former episcopal leader in South Georgia. Read the full article here.  

1/7/2023

By Raime Cohen, staff reporter for 13WMAZ in Macon, Ga.   Heritage United Methodist Church in Macon, Ga. celebrated their 11th annual Half Deep Dish Christmas on Sunday, December 25, 2022.   At least 40 different churches came together to make this event possible.   ‘Tis the season for unity.   "Love, fellowship, for the lonely lost and broken,” Director Ray Rover said.   "I know I could be doing other things but this is right where I want to be,” church member Diana Coady said.   Rover started ...

1/7/2023

After the news stories subside it's easy to forget about the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole this fall. But South Georgia United Methodists haven't forgotten and keep showing up. Glenn Martin, the Northwest District disaster relief coordinator led a team to Ft. Myers November 28-December 1 to help with the relief efforts. Team members were Glenn Martin and Bob Gilstrap from Wynnton UMC in Columbus; Mike Tovey from Midland UMC; and Larry Thompson from Gray UMC.    The ...

1/7/2023

You have been living out the mission of the church this year! Take a look at some of our top stories of  South Georgia United Methodists in 2022!    Quilters make more than 150 stockings for children at The Methodist Home 'Tin can miracle': Perry church builds mobile medical clinic ‘Hands on Homerville’ brightens up a community Pastor steps out in faith and discovers the promise of Ephesians 3:20 Wesley Glen is in the business of spreading joy Cooks Union UMC offers meals to nourish and bring ...

1/5/2023

Every three years, according to the South Georgia Conference Sexual Ethics policy, persons serving under appointment by the bishop (clergy, local pastors, extension ministers, appointed lay speakers) are required to attend a Sexual Ethics Workshop. Under the guidance of the Office of Ministerial Services, the South Georgia Conference will offer Clergy Ethics trainings in March and April 2023.    Trainings were postponed in 2022 while conference leadership worked on a new training model. The new ...

12/18/2022

 By Kara Witherow, Advocate contributor    This Christmas, 172 children will smile a little brighter because of a group of South Georgia quilters.   For 15 years, the Stars and Stripes Quilting Guild has made stockings for children and youth at The Methodist Home. Since 2007, the group of about 25 women has made and given away more than 2,000.   While all the women love to quilt and sew, the stockings are more than just a craft project or hobby. The colorful socks, crafted from festive fabric, ...

12/17/2022

When people pray, God listens.   In a focused effort, the South Georgia Conference is centering itself around prayer in the coming year.   “While it seems so obvious that prayer is the center of our work, sometimes we need to make intentional efforts,” said Bishop David Graves, episcopal leader of the South Georgia Conference. “It is easy to get sidetracked by the business and agenda items of our meetings. We add more to our plates, we find ourselves in a cycle of busy-ness, and we stay in ...

12/15/2022

The Rev. Dr. Derek McAleer has been awarded the United Methodist Church’s highest evangelism honor, the Harry Denman Evangelism Award.  The Harry Denman Evangelism Award program honors United Methodists in each annual conference whose exceptional ministry of evangelism – expressed in Word (what), Sign (why), and Deed (how) – brings people into a life transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. Each year Annual Conferences and the Foundation for Evangelism recognize persons in each conference....

12/15/2022

The South Georgia Conference Council on Finance & Administration is pleased to announce the new Director of Administration and Treasurer for the South Georgia Annual Conference. Mrs. Suzanne Jones will begin her service to the conference on January 1, 2023.  Jones is currently the Director of Administration and Treasurer for the Alabama-West Florida Conference. She will continue working for Alabama-West Florida while also giving financial leadership to the South Georgia Conference as part of a ...

12/12/2022

Now hiring college students for summer staff at Camp Connect! Do you know of a college student who loves Jesus and desires a summer of ministry in a beautiful location? As a camp counselor, college students will be able to minister to hundreds of youth and children throughout the summer, while making Christian friendships with other staff that last a lifetime.  As a paid position, the Leadership Team will commit to nine weeks of service which will include serving at high school, middle school, ...

12/12/2022

Registration is now open for the Called Conference, sponsored by the South Georgia Conference's Youth Ministry Network. Set for February 2-3, 2023 at Epworth By The Sea, this retreat is a time for youth workers to remember their calling and reignite their passion for ministry. Youth ministry has changed significantly and youth workers need the tools, the relationships and reliance on God (and God alone) to continue. This one-day retreat will give youth workers time together to worship, to reset,...

12/10/2022

On Sunday, January 8, 2023, the South Georgia Conference will host a celebration service and reception for South Georgia’s returning episcopal leader, Bishop David Graves. It will be held at 4 p.m. at Mulberry Street United Methodist Church in Macon. The special service is a time for our Annual Conference to gather for worship and to welcome back Bishop Graves and Mrs. Nancy Graves and to give thanks for his assignment to the South Georgia Conference. Bishop Graves will preach, the Mulberry ...

12/9/2022

Registration for the 22nd annual South Georgia Conference Confirmation Retreat opened December 1st for South Georgia churches and January 1st for all other churches. The 2023 retreat will take place March 3-5 at Epworth By The Sea. Designed for students in the fifth grade and above, the “Join the Journey” Confirmation Retreat will provide churches of ALL sizes an opportunity to connect with others through worship, study, and fellowship. Bishop Graves will be joining us to kick off the event! For...