The North Georgia Annual Conference met in Athens GA at the Classic Center June 12-14; the Conference Theme was “Come, Follow Me” (based on Matthew chapter 4 verses 19-20). 

As the St. John Lay Delegate to the North Georgia Annual Conference, I had the opportunity to attend the Laity Luncheon with my husband, Dan Griggs, who represented our Southeast District as an at-large lay delegate.  Our youth representatives Evelyn and Robby Thomas and Emmy Dixon also participated. Sawyer Branham, also a Southeast District Lay Delegate, and Reverend Anderson also attended the Conference.

The 159th Session of the North Georgia Conference was called to Order at 2:45 on Thursday June 12th. 

The designated recipient of the 2025 Conference offering was Camp Glisson, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. This collection has raised more than $25,000, which will be used to fund scholarships for campers to attend Camp Glisson events.

Throughout the weekend Higher Education was celebrated. United Methodist Colleges and Universities, and Wesley Foundations were highlighted and celebrated. I was able to attend the United Women of Faith Breakfast, for which the new president of Paine College was the featured speaker. 

In the aftermath of disaffiliation, there are now 416 churches in the North Georgia Conference. The average attendance of persons who worship online is up by almost 7000 viewers over the past year and professions of faith have also gone up.

The Conference agenda included many presentations, issues for voting, and spiritual activities. This included:

• Awards, Grants and Scholarships given out and celebrated, including several Church Excellence Awards. 
• Reports from the Council on Finance and Administration, Pension and Health Benefits, Commission on Equitable Compensation, Trustees.
• Votes were taken to approve ministry area reports, ratify 4 Constitutional Amendments, and to adopt two resolutions: “Joint Resolution on Immigration” and “Resolution on Full Inclusion and Justice for People with Disabilities”. 

• A special vote was taken to bless the planned efforts to investigate combining the North and South Georgia conferences into a single Conference.

• Each of the 5 sessions began with a worship service or time of devotion and Bible study.

Worship services were an important element of the 2025 Conference, especially these 3 major services:

 Service of Licensure, Commissioning, and Ordination, during which the conference ordained 1 full connection deacon, and 6 full connection elders, licensed 7 new local pastors, and commissioned 5 provisional members. Beautiful handmade stoles, stitched with prayers, were given to this year’s Ordinands.

Service of Remembrance where North Georgia clergy, clergy spouses, and key laity who passed away in the since the 2024 Annual Conference were recognized and celebrated. Rev. Greg Porterfield of Wesley UMC offered a moving reflection on the hope and promise of resurrection, drawing from 1 Corinthians 15:50-54.

The Conference closed on Saturday with a Service of Word and Table. Glisson Camp and Retreat Center staff and alumni led the worship music, singing camp songs and hymns. Russell Davis, director of North Georgia Camp and Retreat Ministries, was the preacher.

The service concluded with a blessing sung every week of camp at Glisson for more than 50 years, “My Friend.”
 
And I’ll be praying for you every morning,
            As I start off the day with the Lord.
            And I’ll be praying that you’re walking with Jesus,
            And abiding in his word.

The 2025 North Georgia Annual Conference Report can be found online: https://www.ngumc.org/newsdetail/19123459

Respectfully Submitted by Tonya Currier, SPR Chair