txconfumw Annual Conference, Events, Guest Speaker, Uncategorized

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.

Rev. Thornburg
Rev. Colvin
Rev. Hodson
Register

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
Register
stephaniepounds Annual Luncheon, Events, Guest Speaker, hazel decker

Annual Luncheon Returns in Force

Vice President Stacie Hawkins welcomes attendees to the annual luncheon

Hugs and handshakes filled the ballroom at the 2023 Annual Luncheon in Houston on May 29. After several years of not being able to meet in person, nearly 80 UWF members from across the Texas Conference greeted each other warmly as they met to share a meal during the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

UWF members and their guests were treated to an address by Rev Hannah Terry, Community Pastor of Westbury UMC and Founding Executive Director of FAM Houston – a 501c3 nonprofit organization with the mission to work for justice by building empowered community with resettled refugees, immigrants, and local Houstonians.

Rev Terry encouraged us to explore the goodness of mutuality–being with someone and listening to them without trying to “fix them.” True mutuality with another person, she said, is something that can “spring you from the prison of myself.”

During her talk Rev Terry showed videos from FAM Houston, including one that highlighted the Pamoja initiative, a program that pairs refugee and immigrant families to Houstonian families to learn from each other and create mutual aid groups. Interested volunteers are encouraged to check out Pamoja.

Rev Hannah Terry addresses the crowd
Lue Wenzel, Spiritual Growth Officer, leads the group from the Prayer Guide
President Theresa Graham surprises Wilodyne Hooper with the Hazel Decker Award.

A highlight of the luncheon was when President Theresa Graham presented the 2023 Hazel Decker Award to Wilodyne Hooper. Hooper, a long-time member who has served in several levels of UWF, expressed surprise at honor. “I never believed I did anything special enough to deserve this. Thank you so much,” she told the group.

UWF members catch up with friends

When the luncheon was over, the room was filled with hugs again as everyone expressed the hope that they would see each other again at the next Annual Conference Luncheon.