Conference news - day 2

2015 Yellowstone Annual Conference Highlights: Day 2

Go to www.yacumc.org/annualconference2015 to view an updated Nominations Report, Daily Proceedings, read about the Shared Futures Committee and its work, and download worship orders. Note: Full worship orders with sources will be posted online following Annual Conference.

See photos from the second day of 2015 Yellowstone Annual Conference on Facebook.

Watch the Yellowstone Annual Conference live! Click here.

General and Jurisdictional delegates elected After several ballots, clergy and laity delegates were elected to the 2016 General and Jurisdictional Conferences on Friday, June 19. For the laity, Don McCammon will serve as delegate to General Conference and Peg Plimpton will serve as alternate delegate as well as head to the Jurisdictional Conference. The three laity alternates to Jurisdictional are Diane Martin, Alice Swett and Steve Martin. For the clergy, Tyler Amundson will serve as delegate to General Conference and Jeremy Scott will serve as alternate delegate as well as head to Jurisdictional Conference. The three clergy alternates to Jurisdictional are David Anderson, Mark Calhoun and Kama Hamilton Morton.

Legislation The conference voted to adopt the following legislation: Petition 101 on the status of the Montana Association of Christians; Petition 202R on equitable salaries; Petition 203R on clergy and laity equalization; Petition 204R on the elimination of the Communications Team; Petition 301 regarding the Yellowstone Conference budget; and Petition 501 on the discontinuance of Mountain View and Trinity United Methodist Churches. A petition regarding camping was withdrawn. The Conference Board and Pensions report was also adopted following an amendment. Additionally, the Conference Officiary was adopted.

Ordination & Commissioning On Friday evening, Bishop Elaine Stanovsky ordained the Rev. Jim Barth as an elder in full connection and commissioned Sami Pack and William Novak to service. During the ordination and commissioning, the Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker delivered the keynote address and a Holy Communion was held. An offering also was taken for Parker's niece, Katherine Parker, who is currently serving as a United Methodist missionary to Nepal.

Awards & recognitions Lauren Ward, of Discipleship Ministries presented the One Matters award to Mission Valley United Methodist Church. The Rev. Derf Bergman and Marilynn Tanner accepted the award along with $1,000. The Harry Denman Evangelism Award was presented to Alice Swett, of Buffalo UMC, and Karen McCrae, of Cody UMC. Alfiado Zunguza, of the General Board of Global Ministries, presented the Yellowstone Conference with an award for the most designated support of United Methodist ministries in East Angola in 2014.

Shared Futures Committee Members of the Shared Futures Committee presented their report on the merger recommendation and vital ministry in the Yellowstone Conference. The Rev. Dave McConnell, of Bozeman UMC, led the presentation, which included a video. The Shared Futures Committee is recommending the Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain Conferences move forward to become one, new annual conference. The committee's statement and a Q&A are available online.