Pausing for effect, Rev. Dr. Cedrick Bridgeforth, North District Superintendent, searched around for a response from those gathered.
“God can do anything,” he stated a second time, quoting from Ephesians 3:20 (The Message).
From those seated came, “Amen! That’s right!”
It was a fitting start to the 2015 Budget Hearings held at Glendale First United Methodist Church on Saturday, March 15, 2014 and hosted by Archana Carey, Executive Director of Finance and Facilities and Conference Treasurer, the Treasurer’s Office, and the Cal-Pac Council on Financial Resources.
The day, which also included singing hymns led by Rev. Dr. Stephen C. Hundley, Executive Director of Connectional Ministries, was an opportunity for representatives of Essential Ministry Teams and specific ministries from across the Conference to share with one another inspirational plans to answer the call to ministry in this region.
Near the end of the hearings, Rev. Ken McMillan, Chair of the Cal-Pac Board of Pensions, raised his hand and shared from his heart that, “I have been coming to these budget hearings for a long time and this is the first time in a long time that we are not talking about cutting from camping, cutting from this or cutting from that. We are not competing with each other today and I think that is really remarkable.”
The atmosphere in the room, which was truly one of positivity and togetherness, was enlivened by a fact shared by Archana Carey: apportionment giving in the California-Pacific Annual Conference in 2013 was higher than in 2012 ($9.79 million, 81.5% of assigned apportionments, compared to $9.72 million, 80.6% of assigned apportionments).
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Not mentioned, but also important to note, is the fact that the California-Pacific Conference gave almost $250,000 towards Typhoon Haiyan Relief to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).
As well, extraordinary Imagine No Malaria efforts continue to be undertaken throughout the Conference. Wayne Aller, a retired professor and former missionary from Northridge United Methodist Church finished the Los Angeles Marathon in 7.5 hours, despite requiring medical attention, in order to raise funds for the death-preventing initiative. He said, “I would have quit at mile 19 if I were not running for Imagine No Malaria.”
Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, Resident Bishop, shares that, “Connectional giving is core to who we are as United Methodists. It enables us to touch the world, from the local to the global, in transformative ways. I know that for some of our churches meeting even their fair share of the apportionments was difficult. I also know that others have met their fair share and stretched even more out of a grateful heart to God and a connectional spirit. I am thankful for each of our churches that gave their best effort.”
Now, as Journey to Wholeness: Annual Conference 2014 approaches, the California-Pacific Annual Conference is poised to continue to be the healing and encouraging presence of God in this region and beyond.
