News

3/16/2024

The North Georgia Conference is pleased to announce that we are continuing in partnership with Amplify Media to provide United Methodist churches in our Conference with access to the streaming service at a deeply discounted rate. The discount can be activated through the end of 2024.  In alignment with our Area of Focus, "Scriptural Literacy and Imagination," Amplify is an online resource for church‐wide, group, or individual study, worship, and devotional material. Access anytime, anywhere, on...

3/15/2024

Adapted for NGUMC from an article by Laura Buchanen, "General Conference: How to talk to your church before, during and after" on ResourceUMC.org.  United Methodists’ understanding of General Conference can range from unaware to deep appreciation, from captivated to concerned. Help your congregation better grasp what General Conference is, its purpose, and its impact with the help of the tips and resources provided by the North Georgia Conference and the denomination.  "General Conference is ...

3/14/2024

By Amelia Simmons  At the corner of Metropolitan and Moreland Avenue near East Atlanta Village, Eastside United Methodist Church catches the eye with its vibrant doors and the reassuring message, "You Are Loved," boldly adorning its entrance.   And the essence of Eastside transcends its exterior—it’s found in how it engages with and serves its community.   I visited Eastside and pastor Rev. Elaine Puckett showed me how this congregation is committed to listening and learning from the various ...

3/6/2024

This weekend, members of the North Georgia Annual Conference youth delegation attended a Youth Summit at Glisson Camp & Retreat Center. This leadership event, offered by the Center for Congregational Excellence, was designed for youth who have attended Annual Conference, will attend Annual Conference, or are aspiring to lead in the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church.  The youth got to know one another and adult leaders, got an insider's preview of the 2024 Annual ...

3/4/2024

“We see our neighbors and we are working together to help!"   Sunday, March 10, is UMCOR Sunday across our denomination! Gifts given on UMCOR Sunday underwrite UMCOR’s administrative costs, allowing 100% of gifts to go toward their designated programs like U.S. disaster response, international disaster response, and humanitarian aid. This year we are especially grateful for our United Methodist Committee on Relief! Thanks to our partnership with UMCOR, the North Georgia Conference is able to ...

2/28/2024

Bishop Robin Dease shares a message with North Georgia United Methodist clergy and laity about the appointment process in 2024. Watch below:      Message from Bishop: 2024 Appointment Making Process from North Georgia Conference on Vimeo. Read the Transcript My friends in the North Georgia Conference, it’s Appointment Making Season. Appointment making is some of the most important work we do in service to the United Methodist church across the North Georgia conference. It’s work churches, ...

2/28/2024

By Mary Helen Setser As a Lighthouse Church, we at St Paul UMC in Marietta shine the light of God’s love throughout the community.  This winter, we noticed more and more homeless people gathered along nearby Bells Ferry Road toward Cobb Parkway. Some in wheelchairs. Our hearts hurt as we thought of the cold months ahead. Our loving nature wants to do something to help. So we adopted a January mission project to help the homeless, and St. Paul congregation responded with love! We collected more...

2/26/2024

Cumming First UMC is one of only six national Interfaith Power & Light Cool Congregations awarded a $1,000 prize in 2024. This annual contest accepts applications from religious communities across the United States working to address climate change.  The award is in addition to a Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL) Power-Wise Matching Grant of $3,500 the congregation received in 2023. Together, these funds will be used to install a new building automation system, saving the church an ...

2/24/2024

PHOTO ALBUM By Sybil Davidson North Georgia's Delegation to the 2024 General Conference gathered at Columbia Drive UMC on Saturday, February 23, to listen and pray, to discuss and learn more about key legislation, and to elect a new head of the lay delegation. Rachel Fullerton was nominated and elected to lead North Georgia’s lay members of the delegation. She will coordinate and work together with Rev. Dr. Byron Thomas, head of the delegation. Rev. Dr. Alice Rogers offered the day's ...

2/22/2024

The North Georgia Conference bid farewell to four staff members in recent months, and has now welcomed three staff to new roles or new positions in the Conference Office.  This month Renee Farrar steps into the role of Administrative Assistant to Bishop Robin Dease. Renee has served as District Administrator in the Central South District since 2014 and will cover both positions until May 31. Renee is a Certified Professional Administrator of the United Methodist Connectional Structure and has ...

2/22/2024

Nashville, Tennessee – On February 20, 2024, the Boards of Directors of the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) and The Connectional Table (CT) met and finalized a budget recommendation to the General Conference of The United Methodist Church. The final recommended budget has a 2.595% base rate, which represents approximately $346 million in apportionments over the coming four years, a 42.6% reduction from the previous quadrennium representing a more than $257 million ...

2/21/2024

By Heather Hahn UM News The United Methodist Church has no pope. But it does have a General Conference — the only body that can set official policy and speak for the international denomination. General Conference brings together lay and clergy delegates from four continents whose decisions will affect how millions of United Methodists do church for years to come. Think of the two-week gathering as a combination of a United Nations General Assembly, a U.S. congressional session and a time of ...

2/21/2024

PHOTO ALBUM With great joy, East Cobb United Methodist Church and Family Promise of Cobb County dedicated a house on East Cobb UMC's campus February 4 to serve as temporary housing for families transitioning out of homelessness. “Throughout East Cobb UMC’s history, this house has been used for a variety of purposes, from the junior parsonage to office space, including the former site as the Family Promise Day Center," said Rev. Kristin Lee, senior pastor. "We are excited about this newest ...

2/21/2024

Share Your Story Welcome to Murphy-Harpst 100th year! Over the past century, countless lives have been touched and transformed by Murphy-Harpst Children's Centers, a related agency of the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church. From residents to staff to volunteers to donors, the extent of the positive impact can sometimes be hard to measure. That’s why, to mark its 100th year, Murphy-Harpst would like to collect stories that will paint a picture of just how Murphy-Harpst has ...

2/20/2024

The United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) is excited to announce that with your support they were able to award 2,100 students $3.9 million in financial assistance for 2023! These future leaders range from first-year freshmen to doctorate-level students across the denomination.  In our Annual Conference, 81 United Methodist students were awarded a total of $227,030.00!  They include: Ray Allen of Cliftondale UMC  Taylor Arnold of Union Grove UMC Covington  ...

2/16/2024

Originally published February 1, 2024 As the Georgia Legislature meets for its 2024 session, North Georgia United Methodists are participating in advocacy opportunities.  Gun Violence Prevention Members of the 2023 North Georgia Annual Conference session adopted a Resolution Regarding Gun Violence Prevention (read it here). That Resolution called upon the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, and the State and Federal legislators representing the parts of Georgia included in the North ...

2/10/2024

More than 30 laity and clergy from the North Georgia Conference joined hundreds of innovative and inspiring United Methodists from across the country at the first Fresh Expressions UM National Gathering this week. The event, held in North Carolina and sponsored by our UMC General Board of Discipleship, was organized to bring United Methodist leaders together to fellowship, learn together, be energized by fresh imagination and hope, and to curate the best practices from the field.  PHOTO ALBUM "...

2/9/2024

Designed to help delegates prepare for the upcoming General Conference, the February 29-March 1 General Conference Delegate Orientation will be a livestream featuring sessions on the legislative process, major proposals affecting the church, and tips for success. The free livestream event is being produced by United Methodist Communications and its UM News team in partnership with the Secretary of the General Conference. Each day’s session will cover a four-hour block of time, creating an ...

2/5/2024

A new church is launching in Forsyth!   Grace United Methodist Church Forsyth held its inaugural worship service in November 2023 and has continued worship, Bible study, fellowship, and service since. Rev. Carol Cook is pastor of this South West District church.  "We are building a caring, Spirit-filled community that welcomes and supports all people," said Rev. Cook.    Grace UMC has been warmly welcomed at Forsyth Presbyterian Church (63 N Jackson St.) where the congregation meets.  Bible ...

2/5/2024

Which most embodies your church? Honoring the congregations who fulfill the Church of Excellence in Outreach criteria each year is a highlight of the North Georgia Annual Conference.  In the spirit of that award, and in celebration of our areas of focus, three additional Church of Excellence honors will be awarded this June.  Each new award has three levels of recognition: churches just beginning to engage this focus, those who have practical experience in this area and seek to deepen their ...