Food, Faith, Fellowship — and Fun!
Ask anyone who attended the 2024 Annual Meeting at Lakeview, and they’ll tell you that a great time was had by all.
Officers met on Friday morning to approve a budget to present to the membership, discuss the coming year’s events, and to get an update on all the work being done in the Conference.
In the evening attendees gathered at Bagley Hall and got to know each other by playing several fun games centered around food and the recipes that women brought from home. With bingo cards in hand and wearing our aprons, we tried to find someone who brought a soup recipe, someone with a salad recipe, and someone who cooks Sunday dinner on Saturday among other descriptions. Finding that person in the crowd was most of the fun. Prizes were awarded to the winners of the food word search and word scramble. (Most of us are still trying to figure out how they got the answers so quickly!)
All the fun was followed by an emboldened word from Rev Ellen Thornburg, Associate Pastor at Love UMC in Baytown. She encouraged us to remember that we can rely on Lady Wisdom from Proverbs as we move throughout our important work.
We ended the evening by watching the 25-minute film, Food Access Revolution in South L.A. Roy Choi’s Inspiring Journey, a look at food deserts in the Los Angeles area and how different people are trying to solve the problem.
Saturday’s session began with a blessing the hygiene kits that units assembled this year. At final count we donated 610 kits, $550 in miscellaneous supplies, and $1347 in cash donations to be used by the UMC Mission Center in Conroe for women in schools and shelters.
Greetings were brought by Stacie Hawkins, South Central Jurisdiction President, and Stephanie Pounds, National Board of Directors. The Prayer Calendar and devotion was given by Gwen Mason in English and by Ashley Mayho in Spanish. Treasurer Kathy Aubin lit the Mission Candle for 1 hour and 40 minutes representing the $1650.88 raised.
President Theresa Graham presented General Secretary Sally Vonner with a certificate for a Special Mission Recognition pin which was warmly received. After that Stacie Hawkins reported that the Legacy Fund has raised $40,806,698.00 so far and that the Texas Conference had contributed $205,783.06 of that.
Sally Vonner brought the keynote speech. She challenged us to help the organization reach 500,000 people in membership, generate $10+ million/year in revenue, and meet or exceed $60 million Legacy Endowment Fund 2014 goal.
After a short break, the business meeting began where we elected and installed new officers, adopted a 2025 budget, completed the pledge service, and took an offering.
Pledges for 2025 totaled $82,000:
- Metro District – $12,000
- Northeast District – $10,000
- Northwest District – $10,000
- Southeast District – $25,000
- Southwest District – $25,000
Lunch followed, and then we split into two workshops on Food and Faith led by Rev. Eleanor Colvin, Senior Pastor at Westbury UMC, and Rev. Jennifer Hodson, Pastor at Bryan Community Church.
Gathering one last time in Bagley Hall, Rev Colvin led us in Communion and the sending forth. We believe love in action can change the world–now it’s up to us to go home and do just that.
Living the Charter for Racial Justice
The Charter for Racial Justice is a crucial document adopted by the United Women in Faith (UWFaith) of the United Methodist Church. It was created to address and combat racism within the church and society. The charter emphasizes the belief that all people are God’s children and that racism is a rejection of Jesus Christ’s teachings.
The Texas Conference United Women in Faith actively supports and promotes this charter. We are committed to eliminating institutional racism, creating opportunities for honest discussions about racism, and working together to create a world where every person has a voice, rights and opportunity for an abundant life.
Please register to join us on October 12, 2024, 9:00 – noon, at Ebenezer United Methodist Church, 7302 N. Main St, Houston, as we highlight examples of Living the Charter for Racial Justice.
Download this flyer and invite your friends.
Dorothy Ringer Sumner
Social Action
Food, Faith, and Fellowship Aprons
This year in concert with our Annual Meeting theme of Food, Faith, and Fellowship, we’ll be offering aprons for sale with the UWFaith logo embroidered on them.
The aprons are khaki in a 65/35 Cotton/polyester blend (so not much ironing needed). The cost is $25. Pre-order now, and you can pick yours up at Lakeview.
Important
- Orders must be placed by Sunday, September 15th, 2024.
- When paying, the site will ask you for a shipping address, so that we have a way to contact you. There WILL NOT be a shipping option. All aprons must be picked up by someone attending Fall Annual Meeting Lakeview.
- There will be no guarantee that any will be available at Fall Meeting if you have not pre-ordered.
Need to send a check? Order here.
General Secretary Sally Vonner to Keynote 2024 Fall Meeting
Registration is now open for the Texas Conference Fall Annual Meeting to take place at Lakeview Methodist Conference Center outside Palestine, TX on September 27-28. We are excited to announce that the General Secretary and CEO of United Women in Faith, Sally Vonner, will join us as our keynote speaker.
To show our appreciation for all that Sally has done during her first year as General Secretary, the Texas Conference will present her with a Special Mission Recognition Award. During the registration process, individuals are invited to contribute to purchasing the pin Sally will receive. Units can also contribute by contacting treasurer, Kathy Aubin.
Our theme this year is Food, Faith, and Fellowship. You are all invited to wear your best apron and bring a recipe to share during our Friday night fellowship time. Don’t have an apron? We’ll have some for sale with the UWFaith logo! Stay tuned for more details.
Rev. Ellen Thornburg, Associate Pastor at Love UMC, Rev. Eleanor Colvin, Senior Pastor at Westbury UMC, and Rev. Jennifer Hodson, Pastor at Bryan Community Church, round out our list of dynamic speakers and workshop leaders.
Schedule
Friday
- 3-5 pm Registration, Bagley Hall
- 5:30 pm Dinner, Sparling Cafeteria
- 7:00 pm Gather in Song, Bagley Hall
- Speaker – Rev. Ellen Thornburg
- Fellowship – Bring your recipes and aprons!
Saturday
- 7:30 am – Greet the Day
- 8:00 am – Breakfast, Sparling Cafeteria
- 8:15 am – Registration, Bagley Hall
- 8:45 am – Gather in Song, Bagley Hall
- Hands-on Mission Project Dedication
- Candle Burning Ceremony
- Presentation of Special Mission Recognition Pin – Sally Vonner
- Legacy Fund Report
- Keynote Speaker – Sally Vonner
- Business Meeting
- Election of Officers
- Recognition of Retiring Officers
- Adoption of 2025 Budget
- Pledge Service
- Offering
- 12 noon – Lunch, Sparling Cafeteria
- 1:15 pm – Workshops (choose one) – Rev. Jennifer Hodson and Rev. Eleanor Colvin, Bagley Hall
- 2:15 pm – Closing Plenary/Communion, Bagley Hall
- 2:30 pm – Depart
South Central Jurisdiction meets for 2024 Quadrennial
St. Louis was the place to be for the 2024 South Central Jurisdiction Quadrennial of United Women in Faith which took place on Jun 20-23. Over 300 women participated in the three-day event that spanned eleven conferences : Texas, North Texas, Central Texas, Northwest Texas, Rio Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Indian Missionary, Great Plains, Missouri, and Arkansas.
The scripture that guided the gathering was John 13:34, and the event opened with the scripture spoken and prayed in several of the languages spoken in the jurisdiction.
After a welcome message from Jurisdiction President, Ellen Lipsay, and a rousing chorus of We are Family, the group was addressed by United Women in Faith CEO and President, Sally Vonner, who reminded us that our ancestors lived through everything we have, but they kept the movement and mission moving forward, building hospitals and churches as they went–and they did it all with fewer communication avenues than we do.
Sally challenged us with the 2024-2029 Vision for Growth which aims to:
- Grow our membership beyond 500,000 members
- Generate $10+ million/year in revenue
- Meet and/or exceed the $60 million Legacy Endowment Fund goal from 2014
After attending workshops during the day, on Friday evening delegates were addressed by 18-year-old member Kaylen Svitak-Coleman, from the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. She spoke to us about her work with the Missing & Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) organization. Over 85% of Native Americans experience some sort of violence in their lives, and a majority of violent deaths of Native Americans are not logged in federal databases.
Kaylen was followed by Colette Pichon Battle of Taproot Earth in New Orleans who spoke on the 6 Pillars of Climate Justice
- Water
- Energy
- Land
- Labor
- Economy
- Democracy
Colette, a lawyer, reminded us that disaster laws are in place to protect property, and if you don’t have property (65% of African-Americans in New Orleans during Katrina rented their homes), there isn’t much help. She also warned of the increasing privatization of water resources, which often starts as a temporary solution after a disaster that ends up turning permanent.
On the second day of the event, members were treated to a live Voices from the Field with reports from Regional Missionaries from around the world, including Frieda Mwebe Mofya of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Grace Musuka of Zimbabwe. Elections were also held for members of the National Board of Directors. Women elected were:
- Kelly G Loeb, Missouri Conference
- Lynne Grandstaff, Central Texas Conference
- Patricia Dye, Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference
- Cynthia Harry, North Texas Conference
Cheryl Felder, New Mexico Conference, and Yolanda Faye Perry, Oklahoma Conference, were elected as alternatives.
Members also got to hear from four of the bishops from the Jurisdiction during Bishops Corner where they fielded a series of questions from former National United Women in Faith President, Dr. Yvette Richards.
Saturday night everyone, including Texas Conference delegates, attended a Sparkle Celebration, where new officers were feted, retiring officers were honored, and everybody got to dance the night away.
On Sunday morning, the final day of the event, a worship service was held led by the bishops. Bishop Delores Williamston gave the message followed by a Communion service for all.
Texas Conference Participates in Day of Ubuntu
The South Central Jurisdiction Quadrennial kicked off with a Day of Ubuntu across the St Louis area. One of the projects was at Epworth Residential, a United Women in Faith National Mission Institute. Epworth was founded in 1864 and continues to provides services, counseling, and housing to youth ages 11 through 18 who find themselves in the foster care today.
On arrival Epworth took members on a tour of their beautiful tree-shaded campus which includes dining and learning facilities, along with a a dorm and a pool.
The pool was the focus of the task for United Women in Faith that day. Two days later Epworth was hosting a rubber duck race as a fundraising effort, and UWFaith members attached numbered stickers to over 600 ducks! A good time was had by members from across the jurisdiction as we joined in fun and fellowship (there might have been a few verses of “Rubber Ducky” sung), and a few may have even joined in to adopt a duck with a chance to win!
Texas Conference President Theresa Graham’s group went to the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House. The community center is a multi-purpose, faith based community center in relationship with the United Methodist Church. Their mission is to empower individuals and families to move out of poverty and achieve self-sufficiency.
Day of Ubuntu participants helped clean tables and chairs in five classrooms–and found enough time to sneak in a few snuggles, too!
2024 Annual Luncheon Brings Sisters Together from Across the Conference
On June 10, 2024, women from across the Texas Conference met to break bread–cheese bread to be exact–and fellowship with their sisters during the Texas Annual Conference. The Annual Luncheon was held in the Rose Garden Room of the Westchase Marriott, and more than 60 women attended.
President Theresa Graham welcomed all to the table, and Deb Wroblewski, Program Resource Officer, delivered the devotional.
Carla Cardoza, President of the Lydia Patterson Institute (LPI) in El Paso, stepped to the podium next to share the story of their school. LPI has a rich history of nurturing academic excellence and spiritual growth, and they are looking to partner with women from the Texas Conference. You can learn more about the great work being done by the Institute in this video. If you would like to contact Ms. Cardoza to discuss ways to collaborate, her email is c.cardoza@lpi-elpaso.org.
Following that Theresa introduced the very-deserving recipient of the 2024 Hazel Decker Award, Stacie Hawkins. Stacie currently serves as the Vice-President of the Texas Conference and she recently served as a delegate to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church. In addition, she has been nominated as President of the South Central Jurisdiction of United Women in Faith, with the election coming up at the end of June.
In her acceptance speech, Stacie spoke of her long association with United Women in Faith and how she was nurtured by the women at Windsor Village UMC.
Keynote speaker, Rev. Romonica Malone-Wardley, who currently serves as Assistant to the Bishop, based her talk on Acts 10. She asked us to consider how Peter and Cornelius might have wanted to “other” each other, but instead, by working with people with whom they might not normally work, they became witnesses to the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit.
Theresa closed the meeting by presenting Romonica with a Special Recognition Pin, and Romonica closed us all in prayer.
Mission u 2024
Make plans now to attend Mission u 2024 on July 12-13 via Zoom. Register today!
What is Mission u? Each year, United Women in Faith develops three justice-focused Biblical curricula for adults, youth, and children, all on a common theme. In 2024, our theme is The Kin-dom Is Among You: Drawing Closer to God and One Another, and the adult curriculum is entitled Welcome Home. The eight-part series was written by Neomi Fletcher who will be our Texas Conference Mission u leader this year.
Mission u will take place over two days, Friday, July 12 and Saturday, July 13. Each day will last from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and will include worship and study time. The event will be broadcast via Zoom. You can watch the Zoom at home, or you can make plans to watch it together with your unit! The registration fee is $20 per person whether you watch by yourself or with a group.
Register at https://na.eventscloud.com/801099. The cut-off date for registering is July 5, so make sure to register soon!
The Mission u book is not required to attend, but if you would like to purchase one, you can find it at https://uwfaithresources.org/prodlist.cfm?catID=2176.
You can download a flyer to post at your church.
Questions? Contact us.
Memorial Drive United Women in Faith Featured in response Magazine
You may remember when Memorial Drive United Women in Faith were featured on this website last year for their sewing prowess. For two hours each Monday afternoon, 25 to 30 Circle members meet to stuff and sew closed heart-shaped pillows and animals that have been cut out, washed and ironed, and sewn by other volunteers working from home. Others crochet and knit lap blankets, hats and scarves. The ladies turn out approximately 75 pieces a week.
The story was picked up by the national office, and now appears in the May/June 2024 issue of response magazine. Well done, Memorial Drive!
Do you have a subscription to response? If not, you can order a print subscription or a digital version on the national website. Would you like to submit an article to response? Send a message to the Conference Communication Coordinators, and we’ll be in touch.
Texas Conference 