'Old Rehoboth' Celebrates 225 Years
On July 5-6, 1788, Francis Asbury ordained John Smith as a deacon in Rehoboth Church; it was the first Methodist ordination west of the Alleghenies. Smith was the first circuit rider assigned to the territory, and Rehoboth was the heart of his circuit.
The West Virginia Conference honored this historic place last Sunday with worship and communion. Rev. Joe Kenaston portrayed Francis Asbury, and the communion elements were served from a table used by Asbury in the 18th century.
Read more about Rehoboth on the General Commission on Archives and History website; check out photos from the celebration; and listen to one woman's memories of Rehoboth here.
Special fund #931 has also been established through the Conference for contributions to the upkeep and enhancement of this historic Methodist site. Click here for instructions for church treasurers on submitting contributions.
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Congregational Development Opportunity
Remember this story about a church in Huntington that was "ready to change?"
 | | Community of Grace: Ready for Change |
Is your church ready?
The Lay Mobilization Institute is "not just a conference - it's a congregational transformation process". Sponsored by Asbury Theological Seminary, the Institute represents a two-year commitment that includes church coaching and spiritual formation. There is space for 20 teams; contact Asbury directly for more information or call/email Rev. Amy Shanholtzer for more information: 800-788-3746, ext. 26.
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Multi-media Use, SYC, UMC news
Head on over to the Quad (that's the Conference blog) for links to photo slideshows from SYC; audio and photos from Rehoboth; and an infographic on how digital content was accessed during Annual Conference. We've also posted information and stories related to last week's church trial of the Rev. Amy DeLong.
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Call for work teams in Vermont
There is an immediate need for mud-out/cleanup work teams to come to Vermont andassist with flood damaged homes.To respond with your team please call the Shelburne UMC at 802-985-3981.
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New mileage rate effective July 1, 2011
Reimbursement for mileage on church and/or conference related activity goes up to 55.5 cents July 1, 2011.
The IRS made this special mid-year adjustment due to recent increases in gasoline prices. Read more about the increase here.
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Greenbrier District youth event
Join the Greenbrier District youth for the Mercy Me and Rebecca St. James concert, August 13 at 8PM at the West Virginia State Fair. For more information and a chance to win free tickets, download this flier.
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Appointment list available online
You can download the list of appointments and other Annual Conference resources from the Conference website at http://wvumc.org/Conference.
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Conference Center Announcements
The Conference Center will be closed Monday, July 5 in observance of Independence Day.
The next edition of the e-news will be e-mailed the week of July 12.
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