Dear Clergy and Congregational Leaders,
The following are the essential actions and information for this week:
1. Prayers for Bishop Yambasu – All
Bishop Schol calls United Methodists to prayer with news of an automobile accident that caused the death of Bishop John Yambasu and involved other leaders of the Sierra Leone Conference. Please include prayers for the bishop’s family – his wife, Millicent and their five children, Rebecca, Adima, John, Emmanuel and Elizabeth. Read story.
2. Shared Ministry – Clergy, Finance Chairpersons and Treasurers
As you begin to prepare your 2021 budget, the projected 2021 Shared Ministry calculation for your church may now be accessed on the GNJ website. Click here. This will be the 2021 shared ministry if the proposed budget is passed at the 2020 Annual Conference on October 5-6. The calculation is based on the formula, which sets the Shared Ministry percentage at 15.2% of a congregation’s Shared Ministry base. More information will be shared once a budget is passed at Annual Conference.
3. Remote Annual Conference Session October 5 and 6 – All Laity and Clergy Members to the Annual Conference
The conference session has been scheduled for the mornings of October 5 and 6. We will work with clergy and laity members that may have difficulty with remote access to do all we can to ensure those who want to participate can and that it will be a fruitful and engaging annual conference session. A pre-conference journal is being printed and mailed to all members to be received by September 20. The pre-conference journal is online and available here. Registration will also open on August 20. For details.
4. Reopening the MRC and Local Church Buildings – All Clergy, Trustee Chairpersons and Church Council Chairpersons
The Mission and Resource Center will remain closed to all but essential employees through November 1. GNJ staff will continue to work remotely. In addition, no outside meetings will be held at the MRC through December 1, 2020. We will revisit reopening plans based on state guidelines and the rate of spread of COVID-19. Our goal is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and ensure zero transmission through United Methodist activity. All congregations in GNJ are to continue to follow the guidelines established by their governors and create a plan according to GNJ guidelines that can be found below.
New Jersey New York Pennsylvania GNJ Guidelines
Thank you for your ministry and leadership.
In Christ,
GNJ Leadership
Quick links to items in this email:
Bishop Yambasu
Shared Ministry
Annual Conference
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
GNJ Guidelines