Dare to Share Jesus 2001 Florida Annual
Conference Event Highlights  John Dowell, president of the conference’s United Methodist Men,
presented awards to two Florida Conference youth who won a national essay contest
sponsored by the Independent Committee on Alcohol and Drugs for the United Methodists
Church and UMR Communications, publishers of the Florida United Methodist Review.
Margaret Matthews from First United Methodist Church, Winter Park,
won first place in the junior high school category, and Kathryn Hilderbrandt from First
United Methodist Church, Tarpon Springs, won second place in the senior high school
category. Both girls received a plaque and $500 check.
Fifteen
local pastors were licensed, 10 people were commissioned as probationary members, five
people were ordained deacons in full connection, 14 people were ordained elders, two
people had their orders recognized, one person was ordained a probationary member deacons
orders and one person was ordained an associate member deacons orders.
Twelve
people retired from the conference, representing a total of 322 years of service to the
United Methodist Church.
Five new
churches were chartered and five churches were closed.
Bishop
Timothy W. Whitaker declared September “Open House Month” in cooperation with
the denomination-wide Igniting Ministry media campaign.
Delegates
decided to hold next year’s annual conference event in Lakeland, instead of at
Bethune-Cookman College (B-CC) as was planned. Facilities there will not be ready by June
2002. The Rev. Dr. Keith Ewing, the bishop’s administrative assistant, reported that
the 2003 event can be held at the Daytona Beach college in accordance with the resolution
passed at the 2000 event calling for the conference design committee to find alternate
locations for the annual event. |
