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...

12/7/2022

Registration opens up January 1st for Camp Connect - the South Georgia Conference Camping Ministry at Epworth By The Sea. These week long residential camps are offered for elementary, middle and high school students in June and July. For more information, click here.

12/5/2022

Scott's Chapel United Methodist Church is the 2022 South Georgia recipient of the Renfro Trust Grant.  The Renfro Trust awards grants for the purpose of establishing and supporting United Methodist churches in rural areas of the United States within the Southeastern Jurisdiction. Grant applications are considered for projects involving new or existing church buildings. Located in Blackshear, Ga., Scott's Chapel UMC recently held their 160th celebration of ministry in November of 2022. The church...

12/4/2022

Rev. Bobby Gale was asked to build 10 OBGYN clinics for them to send to Ghana. He says the clinics help the indigenous, marginalized, and disenfranchised.  By Jessica Cha, WMAZ, Macon It can be easy to take our everyday access to health care for granted.  However, Unto the Least of His, a ministry in Savannah, is working to expand healthcare access in places that need it most, like a number of African countries.  So far, the ministry has formed 10 mobile OBGYN clinics. They've been working on ...

12/4/2022

Encounter Youth Retreat: Returning back to Epworth after a couple of years away, we had our largest Encounter Youth Retreat in 9 years! We dug deep into Psalm 46 and worshiped together with 21 different churches attending.  Confirmation Retreat: 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 ...

12/4/2022

By Kelly Roberson Prayer changes us. That’s what the Rev. Dr. Ted Goshorn, senior pastor of Mulberry Street United Methodist Church in Macon, Ga., writes about in his new book. Goshorn grew up in Rome, Ga. and never expected to become a pastor. Having first pursued a career in higher education, he found a calling for helping individuals grow in their faith and churches to transform their communities. As a result of that call, Goshorn joined the ministry as an ordained United Methodist elder ...

12/4/2022

Bishop David Graves announces that the 2023 Annual Conference session will be held Sunday, June 4, 2023, through Tuesday, June 6, 2023. The conference theme will be: When They Prayed, based on Act 4:31. “While it seems so obvious that prayer is the center of our work, sometimes we need to make intentional efforts,” said Bishop Graves. “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...

12/3/2022

The 2022 Journal of the South Georgia Annual Conference is now available for purchase. Those wishing to purchase a Conference Journal will order their copy(ies) online directly from the printer. The cost of the Journal is $26 each plus tax and shipping. (Promo code WELCOME15 will give you a 15% discount at this time).  “I am appreciative of the time and effort that our new Journal Editor, Rev. Dr. Ted Goshorn, put into this year’s publication,” said Meredyth Earnest, Conference Secretary. “The ...

11/14/2022

By Alison Evans   If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.  ~ 1 John 3:17-18 (NIV)    As I reflect on 15 decades of healing and hope at The Methodist Home for Children and Youth, I am amazed by the many, many instances where you have loved our children with actions and in truth.      Over the years, your giving ...

11/14/2022

By the staff of The Methodist Home as published in the Gateway magazine Founded in 1872, The Methodist Home provides care for children and families in need across South Georgia including a continuum of residential care (Children’s Homes), community foster homes, specialized treatment programs and counseling services to better serve our community. The Methodist Home is a faith-based organization working to better equip at-risk youth and families for the future. Their mission is to be a model ...

11/13/2022

By Laura Buchanan, United Methodist Communications Remember God’s past provisions, let go of expectations, and find new ways God is working today     Neighboring has changed. Technology has transformed our daily living. Relationship building must overcome screen time. As societal norms shift, each generation has a moment of realization: “Things just aren’t what they used to be.” “It’s funny how we glorify things in the past and we tend to dread things in the future, the unknown,” says Anne ...

11/13/2022

The Commission on the General Conference announced that the 2024 United Methodist General Conference will be held April 23 – May 3, 2024, at Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.  “The Commission selected Charlotte as the site that best met our varied needs. We believe that delegates and attendees will be pleased with all the city has to offer,” said Kim Simpson, Chair of the Commission on the General Conference. “Charlotte is a part of the Western North Carolina Annual ...

11/4/2022

Bishop David Graves has been assigned to the South Georgia Annual Conference and will serve as the Episcopal leader for the next two years. He will also continue giving oversight to the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference. This announcement came on the final day of the 2022 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference held Nov. 2-4 at Lake Junaluska, NC.  Bishop Graves was elected bishop in July 2016 by the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference. He was assigned to the Alabama-West Florida ...

11/1/2022

All updates: www.sgaumc.org/sej Meeting under the theme “This I Know,” the 2022 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference began November 1 with a session offered by the Committee on Episcopacy for delegates to get better acquainted with persons who have been nominated for the episcopacy.   The Conference officially opened with worship at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, November 2.  The five jurisdictional conferences of The United Methodist Church typically meet once every four years. However, the ...

10/31/2022

By Allison Lindsey, Advocate contributor   A drive through rural South Georgia where US Highways 441 and 84 intersect brings you to the heart of Homerville, Ga. in Clinch County. With a population of 2500, this town boasts of its hospitality, quality of living, and spirit of community expressed in their slogan, “There’s No Place Like Homerville.”    The residents take great pride in their town. This pride and the generosity of the people are now showcased through an event called “Hands on ...

10/28/2022

Bishop David Graves, episcopal leader of the South Georgia Annual Conference, in accordance with ¶603.5 of the 2016 United Methodist Book of Discipline, calls for a special session of the annual conference on Sunday, May 21, 2023. The meeting will begin at 4 pm using the Zoom Webinar platform in conjunction with an online voting system. The sole purpose of the special called session of the Annual Conference* is to complete the process of ratifying the current requests for disaffiliation of ...

10/18/2022

The Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference will be held November 2-4, 2022, at Lake Junaluska Conference Center in North Carolina.  The primary business of the session will be the election and assignment of bishops. There are nine nominees for bishop. Originally set for July 15-17, 2020, the SEJ Conference was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council of Bishops has called for Jurisdictional Conferences across the U.S. to meet November 2-4, 2022.  The South Georgia Conference ...

10/16/2022

By Allison Lindsey, Advocate contributor   Early each morning you will find Nick Pumfrey live on social media sharing God’s word, offering a word of encouragement, and issuing a challenge for the day. Until recently, as soon as he stopped the live feed he would hop in his car for his morning commute to his full-time job at Gulfstream in Savannah, Georgia.   As a bi-vocational pastor, Pumfrey enjoyed a solid career path in which, professionally, he worked his entire life to fulfill and had ...

10/16/2022

A Word from Cameron Bishop, CEO, Wesley Glen Ministries   I have had the privilege of traveling to various churches and community groups over the past month to share about “what’s happening” at Wesley Glen Ministries. Aside from meeting some incredible people during my travels, I have been amazed to learn just how many individuals have a personal connection to someone with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD). Although the stories vary in terms of the who, what, when, and where, one...

10/15/2022

Churches, nonprofits, individuals, and families have an opportunity to elevate and advance the mission and ministry of the Methodist Church across Georgia through investments in the Georgia United Methodist Foundation’s Certificate Program. Loan demand is growing as churches renovate and expand existing facilities and as Methodist churches work with the Foundation to refinance with favorable terms. When you purchase 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year fixed-rate certificates, you earn higher returns than ...

10/10/2022

Hurricane Ian, whose maximum sustained winds of 150 mph tied it as the fifth-strongest hurricane on record to strike the United States, made landfall in Florida on Sept. 28, 2022. Prior to the hurricane’s arrival, UMCOR and its local partners used a preemptive approach to storm response and recovery. Staff were in close contact with conference disaster response coordinators in states where an impact was expected and helped them plan their response.  As Ian struck Florida, the magnitude of the ...

10/5/2022

Dear Friends of the South Georgia Conference,   What a joy it has been to visit with over 2,000 laity and clergy across the South Georgia Conference during the month of September. The attendance at these regional gatherings surpassed my expectations, and it was good to be in connection and conversation with the people of South Georgia. Thank you to those who attended as we sought to bring clarity to the issues facing our denomination and annual conference.    A Time to Pause During Advent It ...

10/3/2022

On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast. Storm surges and Category 4 winds caused significant flooding and damage, devastating the southwest area of the state and beyond. Immediately, UMCOR sent supplies to Florida and initial solidarity grants were issued to both the Florida and South Carolina Annual Conferences to address immediate needs. UMCOR and its local partners have been hard at work preparing the storm response and recovery. How to Help Give ...

10/3/2022

By Taylor Cooper, The Brunswick News   Two new ministries of Wesley United Methodist Church on St. Simons Island aim to help different people with different issues.   Wesley Arbor gives people with dementia a chance to have some fun while giving their caretakers a break, with the Norma Lucas Academy of Fine Arts at Wesley offering a chance for people with special learning needs and tuition assistance to learn to play a wide array of instruments.   Beth King, the director of Wesley Arbor, started...

10/2/2022

By Kara Witherow, Advocate Contributor   Food sustains, nourishes, gives life.    It can also connect, bring hope, and convey love.    Since last September, that’s what Cooks Union United Methodist Church, through its Meals of Love ministry, has delivered to about 20 people each week.    Every Wednesday, Rev. Jean Watson, pastor of Cooks Union UMC in Colquitt, Ga., and church member Kaye B. Cook dedicate their entire day to cooking, baking, packing, and delivering meals. Both women enjoy cooking...

9/26/2022

Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida Wednesday, September 28 as a Category 4 storm. The South Georgia Conference is in contact with the Florida and South Carolina Conferences as the storm tracks north. We are also still monitoring any effects to our coastline on the eastern part of our conference. Our best response today is to wait, pray, and give.  If you have storm-related damage in your community that requires church response, please contact Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, Luis ...

9/18/2022

By Kelly Roberson, Director of Conference Ministries/Communications  When disaster strikes, United Methodists have a long legacy of being present to help their neighbors and communities from day one until the very last nail is put in place. At the core of this legacy is the connectional nature of The United Methodist Church.   In December 2021, after a massive high-end EF4 tornado tore directly through the center of Mayfield, Kentucky, members of Mayfield First United Methodist Church reached ...

9/18/2022

By Kelly Roberson, Director of Conference Ministries/Communications  Overseeing the finances of an entire United Methodist Annual Conference is a high calling.   The Rev. Dr. Derek McAleer has faithfully lived out this calling as the Director of Administrative Services/Treasurer for the South Georgia Conference, where the amount of information and responsibility is constantly growing and the load of financial, legal, and administrative decision making is a large task.    This week, after 8 ...

9/18/2022

By Allison Lindsey, Nurture Team Chair   During the 2022 Annual Conference Session, conference members approved the following two items related to Safe Sanctuaries:  1.     Every local church will revisit and update (as necessary) their Safe Sanctuaries policy by Dec. 31, 2023 2.     Changes to the conference Safe Sanctuaries Policy were made to reflect updated practices   As you know, Safe Sanctuaries is the name commonly given by local United Methodist Annual Conferences and local churches to...

9/18/2022

By Dr. Derek McAleer, Conference Director of Administrative Services/Conference Treasurer   One of the questions I heard as a pastor and often get in my role as Conference Treasurer is: “Where does the money I give to my local church go?”   People are interested in how much stays in the local church and how much goes beyond the local church.  People also want to know what the funds sent beyond the local church go towards.  If you gave a dollar to your local United Methodist Church in South ...

9/5/2022

By Allison Lindsey, Advocate Contributor   When Rev. Isaac and Mrs. Paty Salgado boarded the plane for the Dominican Republic early one morning in late July 2022, they carried extra baggage. Not baggage in the form of luggage but baggage in the form of worry, busyness of work, church activities, family, and the growing uncertainty of The United Methodist Church. All of this weighed heavily upon them. Leading right up to the time of departure, they even questioned whether now was the appropriate ...

9/4/2022

During three weeks in September, Bishop David Graves will travel across the South Georgia Conference to meet with clergy and laity in various settings. The purpose of these gatherings is to provide necessary and accurate information around current denominational matters. While the three Sunday district gatherings are geared toward laity, all are welcome to attend. The Sunday gathering dates are as follows: Sept. 11: District Gathering for the North Central & Northwest Districts at Perry UMC ...

9/4/2022

Committed to the shared values of educational opportunities and excellence, Wesleyan College and Duke Divinity School have joined together to offer a program that provides a unique combination of liberal and professional education well suited for those desiring entry to the fields of ordained and lay ministry.  This pathway is designed for highly qualified Wesleyan College students to accelerate their course of study by completing both their bachelor’s degree while taking graduate level courses...

9/3/2022

A Word from the Bishop   It has been one full year since I was assigned as the bishop of the South Georgia Annual Conference. As I began my tenure here in South Georgia, I watched the trial for those convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery unfold. The video, the story surrounding Ahmaud’s murder, and the trial captured not just my attention but the nation’s attention.    As eyes were focused on Brunswick, Georgia one thing I am certain of amidst all of the heartache: the nation saw a faith community ...

9/1/2022

The United Methodist Student Day Special Sunday Offering helps provide funds for scholarships and loans for United Methodist students. Student Day gifts make a real difference for those who hope to attend college. Ninety percent (90%) of the offering goes toward funding the many scholarships and loans administered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (www.gbhem.org) and ten percent (10%) stays within our state and goes to Georgia UM-related schools for merit scholarships.  ...

8/29/2022

In a recent video, Bishop Graves shares his commitment to churches committed to remaining at the table and navigating this next season together. He also invites clergy and laity to join him at one of the September gatherings.  Watch the video

8/22/2022

By Kelly Roberson, Director of Conference Ministries/Communications During a special called South Georgia Annual Conference session on August 20, 2022, clergy and lay members voted on matters related to disaffiliation, including ratifying the disaffiliation of 62 congregations and approving an adjusted budget for the 2023 calendar year.  Bishop David Graves, episcopal leader of the South Georgia Conference, opened the 157th session of the South Georgia Annual Conference with a centering moment...

8/22/2022

At the called session of Annual Conference on August 20, 2022, a revised 2023 Conference budget was approved. This budget is $223,000 lower than the budget approved at the June Annual Conference session for the 2023 year.   “We did not want those churches which have faithfully remained to bear an extra financial burden,” Rev. Robert Beckum, budget committee chair for the conference’s Council on Finance and Administration (CFA), said in his presentation during the online session. “We lowered the ...