News

12/14/2023

North Georgia Conference e-newsletters are a key to staying inspired and connected to The United Methodist Church! You are invited to subscribe to the e-newsletters you find most valuable.  "Prayers & Celebrations" highlights prayer needs of North Georgia Conference clergy. The itinerant nature of our church means many clergy often have deep connections in a number of communities—and our whole Conference benefits from regular prayer for clergy. The prayer requests lifted in the Prayers & ...

12/13/2023

During its December 6, 2023 meeting, the Georgia United Methodist Foundation Board of Trustees unanimously approved the Search Committee’s recommendation to elect Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Coppedge-Henley as the Foundation’s next President and CEO, effective January 9, 2024. Coppedge-Henley succeeds Rev. Keith E. Lawder, who returned to his prior role as President and CEO on an interim basis following the departure of Mathew A. Pinson. She is also the first female to serve in this role in the ...

12/12/2023

  The General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) continues its commitment to empower members and delegates of The United Methodist Church with pertinent financial information in preparation for the upcoming General Conference with the release of its latest video, "UMC: Journey of a Dollar." This video, part of the ongoing "Data-Driven Discernment: Charting Hope at General Conference" campaign, sheds light on the path a dollar takes once it enters the offering plate, illustrating how it...

12/10/2023

Please join us in praying for the communities in the path of devastating storms in Tennessee last night.  Conference leaders are in contact with our counterparts in the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference and with UMCOR. The Conference is aware of significant damage to two United Methodist churches.    Our North Georgia Conference Early Response Teams stand ready to assist. HOW TO HELP The best way to offer our support is through prayer, preparation, and giving. Pray for local ...

12/7/2023

From one side of the state to the other, there was joyful worship on December 3! Sunday marked milestones for faithful United Methodist ministry in two communities. Both are a testament to the gift of our United Methodist connection.   Community First United Methodist Church is “Where Community is First!”   It was standing room only as United Methodists in Carrollton gathered for the inaugural worship service of Community First United Methodist Church. Led by Rev. Dr. Robert Brown, Community ...

12/3/2023

Bishop Robin Dease has announced January full-time appointment changes. These appointments are effective January 1, 2024, except where noted. Full-Time January 2024 Appointment Announcements Central East District Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Oconee, and Walton Counties  Mountain Park UMC AnnaKate Rawles, Associate Pastor The Fountain at Sugarloaf UMC Scott Pickering, Pastor in Charge – Effective December 1 Winder First UMC / Corinth UMC Winder Geoffrey Murphy, Pastor in Charge Jennifer Carey, ...

11/30/2023

PHOTO GALLERY Nearly 250 United Methodist leaders in mission from across 53 U.S. annual conferences gathered this week at Peachtree Road UMC in Atlanta for Global Ministries’ U.S. Mission Partners Consultation. The North Georgia Conference was well represented (including Rev. Scott Parrish, Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles, and Bishop Robin Dease who are pictured in the Photo Gallery). Bishop Robin Dease preached on the Wednesday morning of the three-day gathering. Over the three days, leaders ...

11/30/2023

The North Georgia Conference Housing and Homeless Council recently announced its Fall Grant recipients. These grants represent hot meals, transitional housing, shelter, and care. The Housing and Homeless Council is an administrative agency of the North Georgia Conference created to partner with and support United Methodist churches and connected organizations that are ministering to those experiencing homelessness and poverty. The Council awards grants to churches and non-profits that provide ...

11/30/2023

We are sharing a dynamic moment in the life of The United Methodist Church—a time of remembering, reaffirming, and renewing. The United Methodist Publishing House (Abingdon Press & Cokesbury) is offering a new collection of relevant resources to inform and encourage clergy and laity as we draw from the deep well of our tradition and step forward with confidence and hope. "I commend these authentic, relevant, and educational resources for United Methodist study, prayer, and faithful living," ...

11/29/2023

By Sybil Davidson Glenn Memorial UMC on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta had the great honor of serving as the location of the service of tribute to former First Lady of the United States Rosalynn Carter on November 28, 2023.  Mrs. Carter died on November 19 in Plains, Georgia.  "Our continued prayers surround the Carter family as they grieve and celebrate the remarkable life of Mrs. Rosalynn Carter," shared Glenn Memorial in a communication to members today. "We were honored to ...

11/28/2023

Giving Tuesday has become one of the largest fundraising efforts of the year! As you plan your end-of-year giving and Giving Tuesday, consider supporting our impactful, transformational United Methodist-related agencies and ministries. Here are 8 great opportunities to give: UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission) Loving & Serving God Means Loving & Serving Others UMVIM (our United Methodist Volunteers in Mission) helps train and send mission teams from across the southeast -- and much ...

11/24/2023

The Council of Bishops plans to call a special session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church in 2026 for the delegates to strategize and work toward bringing about the next vital expression of United Methodism.   The bishops made the decision during their recent meeting at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. The specific call for the special session, including details about the agenda, date, and other logistics will be unveiled early in the new year.   Under Paragraph 14 of The ...

11/19/2023

North Georgia Conference staff are laity and clergy with a wide range of gifts, talents, and expertise — but one thing they have in common is a call to serve God and others through The United Methodist Church.  No two years see the same staff at the United Methodist Center. In this season, the North Georgia Conference bids a warm farewell to a few Conference staff. Amy King has served on North Georgia Conference staff since November 2018, beginning as Benefits and Treasury Specialist and then ...

11/18/2023

By Sybil Davidson In what was a solemn day, members of the 2023 North Georgia Annual Conference ratified the disaffiliation agreements of 262 churches* at a Special Called Session.  Rev. Carolyn Stephens, vice chair of the Conference Board of Trustees, presented the motion to the Conference on behalf of the Board of Trustees, and the names of the churches requesting disaffiliation were read by their district superintendent. Each district lay leader offered a prayer.  The requests of three ...

11/17/2023

The United Methodist Church is a source of light and hope here in North Georgia and around the world. Our connection serves those in need and shares God’s love every single day. A renewed sense of purpose is leading us forward. If you are displaced from your church home due to disaffiliation, or if you need pastoral support during this difficult time, remember that there is a place for you in The United Methodist Church. Thanks to our connectional system, others across our Conference stand ...

11/17/2023

Members of the North Georgia Annual Conference are preparing to serve on Saturday, November 18, 2023, as the Annual Conference gathers for a Special Called Session. The sole purpose of the special session is to vote on the ratification of local church disaffiliation requests.  Bishop Dease has reminded us from the time she called this Special Session that the North Georgia Conference intends to move through this process with a gracious spirit.  Important information for members of the Special ...

11/15/2023

The upcoming session of the UMC's General Conference is set for April 23-May 3, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Previously the UMC Judicial Council ruled that another regular session of General Conference would need to be planned between 2025 and 2028. However, on Nov. 2, the church court modified its determination. The United Methodist Church’s constitution in the Book of Discipline’s Paragraph 14 says the legislative assembly — whose decisions affect the entire denomination — “shall meet ...

11/14/2023

The Eight-Year Clergy Assessment program is underway in North Georgia, offering clergy an opportunity to focus on their well-being and renewal this year. During the Clergy Session of Annual Conference 2023, the Center for Clergy Excellence extended Invitations to participate to pastors serving in years 8, 16, 24, 32, or 40 of ministry. Deacons, elders, and licensed local pastors who have completed all coursework were eligible.  Those clergy were invited to a one-day renewal retreat at Columbia ...

11/11/2023

Bishop Robin Dease offers a message of gratitude this Veterans Day. Watch it at https://vimeo.com/883546809 or below.   

11/9/2023

Recently UMCOM (United Methodist Communications) shared an article highlighting the importance of a Plan-Your-Visit page on your church website. Read it here!  A great addition to that page is a Welcome Video.  Here's a sample script your pastor or another church leader might record.     Sample Video Script Template for Church Websites and Social Media "Are you thinking of visiting [NAME UMC] and wondering what to expect? I’m [NAME] and I’m [MY ROLE]. Let me show you around!  When you arrive ...