The Western North Carolina Annual Conference Meeting Thus Far (June 19, 2026)

So this week I offered reflections on Monday and Tuesday mornings. I will be immersed early Saturday morning in preparation for presiding at annual conference. I am writing late on Friday evening, in the hopes that you won’t see it until tomorrow, and that you will be enjoying an excellent cup of coffee as you read it. This will be a simple check in of some (not all) of the more important developments of the Western North Carolina Annual Conference meeting.

1. We affirmed a covenant relationship between the Ukraine Moldova Provisional Annual Conference and the Western North Carolina Conference.

2. We approved the nomination of Rev. Meredith Martin as our Treasurer and Director of Administrative Services.

3. We heard an anointed sermon on the Holy Spirit from Bishop Latrelle Easterling, and a profound Bible Study from Bishop Christian Alsted on Loving our Enemies. My friend Christian shared this insight:

4. I attended the Local Pastor’s Dinner, the Clergywomen’s Breakfast and the Black Methodists for Church Renewal Lunch. A part of the connection is in ways where smaller groups can go more deeply into their shared experiences. Amazing people, like Shirley.

With my friend, the Rev. Shirley Canty.

5. We acknowledged the 100th Anniversary of Duke Divinity School and gifts and pledges of more than $17 million to Lake Junaluska. Two friends, Wanda Musgrave and Edgardo Colon-Emeric, shared this reports. These two institutions are very important to our annual conference.

6. We approved the restoration of elder’s orders and full connection in the annual conference to Lauren Scruggs, with apology and lament.

Rev. Lauren Scruggs bearing witness to us after the WNC annual conference had restored her to full clergy orders and connection.

7. We recessed on this Juneteenth to “Lift Every Voice and Sing!”

8. I will preach tonight at 7:30 and tomorrow morning at 10:00, both eastern time, and both can be live-streamed at the wnccumc (dot) org website. The sermons draw upon our vision as United Methodists: to love boldly, to serve joyfully, and to lead courageously.

Keep grinding the beans and pray as our work concludes tomorrow with the appointments of clergy to churches and ministries across Western North Carolina and beyond.