Online Archives

By Melissa Lauber
UMConnection Staff

Intense preparations are now underway as members begin praying for and working to produce the 229th session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, which will be held May 29-31 at the Waterfront Marriott Hotel in Baltimore. 

Online registration is now open at www.bwcumc.org/events/annual conference. This year, the $99 registration cost has gone up $10. After March 1, the cost rises to $109 and after April 10, members will pay $159 to register. (Those who register late may experience a delay when picking up their registration packets when they check-in at the session.) 

Meal plan options are available for those wishing to eat at the hotel. Breakfasts are $19, lunches will be $27 and dinners are $42. A special lunch on Friday, May 31, is included for all who register.

While online, members will also register for the preconference session to be held Saturday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Martin’s West in Woodlawn. This mandatory session, will include worship and information sharing in the morning and an executive clergy session and laity session in the afternoon. 

In addition to providing more opportunities for dialogue and the sharing of information, this session responds to members requests to allow for more time for fellowship and to consider the work schedules of laity. Holding the Saturday session allows the May 29 session to begin at 6 p.m.

At the session May 29, members will participate in Bible study led by the Rev. Albert Mosley, the president of Gammon Theological Seminary. Ordination will be held Friday, May 31, at 1:30 p.m. Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball of the West Virginia Area, will preach.

During the session, members will also consider a proposed 2014 budget of $16,966,440, vote on a recommendation about the feasibility of a capital funds campaign, and consider 12 resolutions being brought to the floor on such diverse topics as the structuring of the conference’s Discipleship Council and Connectional Table, evolutionary scientific thinking, bullying, earned sick time, preventing gun violence and a United Methodist response to the situation between Israel and Palestine.

In addition, they’ll vote on four constitutional amendments sent from the General Conference to be considered by each annual conference for adoption.

Copies of this legislation and reports from each of the conference committees, boards and agencies are online and will be sent out in a printed preconference booklet in early April.

To ensure that members receive everything they need, pastors are strongly encouraged to make sure their contact information and the information of their lay members is updated in the conference’s Gateway database.

As part of this year’s worship experience, a non-monetary offering will be collected at opening worship at 7:30 p.m. May 29. Each member of the Baltimore-Washington Conference has been asked by Bishop Marcus Matthews to bring one person to Christ before May 29. The names of these people will be recorded on cards and brought forth to the altar. Pastors and lay members are encouraged to bring cards from their congregations as well.

Other highlights of the annual conference session include a presentation on Clergy Pension Changes by the General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits on May 28 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and a memorial service for the saints of the church from 7 to 9 p.m. on May 30.

Preconference briefings, for laity and clergy, will be held in the districts during the month of March. A schedule of the briefings can be found at www.bwcumc.org/resources/districtmeetingdays2013.