North Georgia Lends Many Hands to the Work of General Conference 2024

As the General Conference of The United Methodist Church begins in Charlotte, North Carolina, several North Georgia United Methodists have already been volunteering their time to make the global gathering a success. 

In addition to our delegation of 10 lay and 11 clergy members (see the Delegation here), others from North Georgia are serving as marshals, pages, IT support, recorders, worship participants, and more. Many from our Conference will also attend to observe and participate in The United Methodist Church’s top legislative assembly, which will meet at the Charlotte Convention Center from April 23-May 3, 2024.

Michael Murphy-McCarthy, North Georgia's Director of Information Technology, will spend more than three weeks in Charlotte working with the General Conference Tech Team, a huge responsibility primarily filled by volunteers from UMITA (the United Methodist association of information technology professionals). 

Rev. Catherine Booth Olson is serving as assistant to the petitions secretary, Rev. Dr. Jessica Terrell is serving as a recorder and transcriber, Rev. Dave Allen Grady is serving as a recorder, and Rev. Dr. Yvettee Massey is serving on the legislative team. 

Leading up to the start of General Conference the four of them have been printing petition cover sheets, tracking ineligible petitions, researching petitions, and grouping petitions for Committee meetings. 

Rev. Cassie Rapko is serving during General Conference as a page. Pages assist delegates, bishops, and key participants, distribute materials, and convey information throughout the event. She arrived on site in Charlotte for training this week. 

Rev. Janet Balasko is volunteering with the host committee. She is part of the team, wearing easy-to-spot red aprons, who are welcoming and guiding delegates and guests around the convention center. 

Rev. James Hannah is serving through the United Methodist Rural Advocates, who awarded him a scholarship through the General Board of Global Ministries. His work with them this week involves tracking legislation relevant to rural churches. 

Sally Curtis AsKew is working alongside the Judicial Council as a liaison to the General Conference secretarial team. 

Countless others have been and will be praying for the General Conference. For more on General Conference, visit www.ngumc.org/GC2024