Minnesota Annual Conference: Day 1

Bishop Lanette Plambeck gave a compelling Episcopal Address on June 16 as she looked back to our past Conference theme of “Loving Boldly,” and how this has truly been a year of bold love. She also examined the word “Ecclesia”, which means a summons onto us from God. This summons calls us into reorienting our hearts to God’s service. This forming and action by God calls us into the 2026 Annual Conference theme of “Serving Joyfully,” as Bishop Lanette noted that when God calls people together, God does it so that big things can happen in our world.  Read article

Day 2 Schedule: Wednesday, June 17 9-10 a.m. Worship: Sermon by Bishop Bridgeforth & Baptism 10 a.m.-noon Plenary: Historic Questions, Women’s Ordination Anniversary, Missional Report Noon-1:30 p.m. Lunch (will not be live streamed) 1:30-3 p.m. Plenary: Teaching Session by Bishop Bridgeforth, UMVIM Anniversary 3-5 p.m. Workshops (will not be live streamed) 7 p.m. Celebration of Life in Ministry Worship Service (reception to follow) If you’re not in St. Cloud, watch the live stream on the Minnesota Conference Facebook page (a Facebook account is not required). You can also access English closed captioning when the sessions are live (note: you must refresh the captioning link each day). Spanish translation is being provided to attendees on-site.

Wednesday with the Wesleys

By admitting the impropriety of women’s preaching, etc., we condemn that most useful body of people called Methodists; both that part of them which allows women may be endowed with authority from on high to preach, as well as that part of them which totally denies as all such authority, seeing the whole body of them allow and approve of women’s speaking to edification and comfort. Witness their love feasts, class and band meetings; they are all religious services; and I cannot see how we can allow the one, and reject the other.

Lastly, let all those daughters and handmaidens of the Lord, who think it their duty to pray, prophesy, or preach in his name, occupy the talent God has given them, to his glory. As long as you are sensible that your hearts are sincere, your intentions pure, your lives holy, that you have no other end in view than gaining proselytes to Jesus Christ; continue to follow the openings of Providence, and the immediate teachings of his Spirit. If devils are cast out; souls saved; and the people willing to hear you; let no man stop you, without producing his authority from the King of heaven; and giving you good and sufficient security that he will answer for your neglect of service in the church of Christ, at the divine tribunal, in the day of awful and righteous retribution...

From what has been advanced, I think it appears, (at least to me) that female preaching, in some extraordinary cases, (and this is all I contend for) is both reasonable and lawful, consonant to Scripture, and the practice of primitive times; and I certainly think if any person could so far divest himself of any preconceived opinion on the subject, so as to weigh impartially in the balance of the sanctuary the Scriptures cited in this pamphlet, will be led to decide in the same way; ...

I trust I am endeavoring to follow scriptural truth wherever it may lead me. I know the conversion of sinners is the work of God — it is his to begin, carry on, and establish it. It is his to choose the instruments, and means of doing it. And all the glory must be ascribed to him....

- Zachariah Taft (The Scripture Doctrine of Women’s Preaching)

He was married to the well respected and well-known preacher, Mary Barritt Taft.

They Eventually Come for Everyone

Special to United Methodist Insight | June 10, 2026

Immigrants. Transgender people. Black and brown communities. Women who refuse to submit. Professors. Journalists. Judges. Protesters. Federal workers. Human rights lawyers. Churches that shelter migrants. Clergy who preach mercy too loudly.

Now the Pentagon has given us another warning.

Under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Department of Defense has reduced its list of recognized religious affiliations for service members from more than 200 to just 31. Unitarian Universalists are gone. Humanists are gone. Atheists, pagans, Wiccans and many others are gone or collapsed into broader categories. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) — a deeply rooted American religious tradition with many conservative members, many veterans and many reliable Republican voters — was not listed as its own Christian denomination in the way many LDS leaders and Utah Republicans expected.

That should stop us cold.

Because this is how it works. First, they come for the people the public has been trained to ignore or fear. Then they come for the people who thought they were safe.

Read more at this link: They Eventually Come for Everyone - United Methodist Insight

Scripture lessons for June 21

We continue this week and the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost with a unique summer sermon series. Pastor Charles will be preaching this summer on the favorite hymns of the congregation each Sunday!

This week's hymn, chosen by Gloria S., is “I Need Thee Every Hour,” #397.

Our scripture lessons will come from Matthew 10:24-39 and Romans 6:1-11.

Today at Glenville UMC

Kraig S. is today's reader

Renea H. offers music each week

It's Sid T.'s birthday week!

Joys

+ We thank God for the gift of laughter in church. (Thanks, Sid T., for sharing a joke with us!)

+ We celebrate Sid T.’s birthday this week.

+ Praise God for the Tim and Dawn K.'s grandson Max being in worship with us today.

+ Praise God for happy reunions with family and friends.

+ Praise God for traveling mercies last week.

+ Praise God for a successful women’s retreat in Bloomington last week.

+ Praise God for the local Disabled American Veterans’ (DAV) ongoing recycling program to transfer @ 32,000 pounds/month of usable equipment/things to folks in need.

+ Praise God for last week’s wonderful musical tribute to Viet Nam veterans.

+ Praise God for the joyful opportunity to attend the Vienna Boys Choir concert at the Paramount Theater in Austin on Thursday, November 19^th.

+Praise God for the faithful service of our beloved pianist, Renae H. and for Kraig S. who served as usher today.

Concerns

+ Praying for Dawn K.’s successful surgery this week.

+ Praying for all who are dealing with medical challenges: Craig R., Judy C., Karnella S., and Nancy H.

+ Praying for the family and friends of all who have recently died.

+ Praying for all who are impacted directly and indirectly by conflict in the world.

+ Praying for peace.

Bulletin for June 14

“I love the Lord because God hears my requests for mercy.” – Psalm 116:1 (CEB)

Prelude Music

Welcome & Announcements

*Call to Worship (Joanna Harader and posted on Spacious Faith)

Holy One, dwell within us. Whisper in our ears; Glimmer in our vision; Write upon our hearts. We wait with open ears, open eyes, open hearts. Amen

*Hymn: “In the Cross of Christ I Glory," #295

*Call to Confession: Beloved, God responds quickly to the choices we make. Our actions have consequences in our relationships with one another and God: Whether we want it to or not, our choices and deeds influence God’s responses and actions. Repent, turn away from evil, believe in the Good News, and do what is pleasing in the sight of the Lord.

Prayer of Confession: We thank You, Lord, for making us in Your divine image. We are also deeply grateful that You are like a potter, shaping and molding us like clay on a spinning wheel. Hear our confession of sin and wrongdoing. Transform us with Your grace. Like the psalmist who sought cleansing and pardon, we ask You to “create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” Amen.

- Posted on the website of the First Christian Church of Decatur, Georgia.

*Gloria Patri: #70  

*Passing the Peace of Christ

Joys and Concerns

Pastoral Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer

*Doxology:  #95 

*Offering Prayer

First Lesson: Psalm 116:1-2, 2-19

Hymn: “Just as I Am, Without One Plea,"#357   - Chosen by Shelley Gulbrandson

Epistle Lesson: Romans 5:1-8

Sermon: “Showing love at the right time”

*Hymn: “Open My Eyes That I May See," #454

*Benediction

*Choral Amen

Postlude Music

“The worship is ended; let the service begin.”

*Please rise in body or in spirit.

What is the annual conference? What does it do?

The annual conference is not “those people out there” who make decisions that affect "us people here.” 

The constitution of The United Methodist Church calls the annual conference “the basic body in the church” (Paragraph 34, Article II).

Note that definition. It is the basic body in the church. A “body” is an assembly of people. It’s not an assembly only of “those people out there.” It’s at least some people, lay and clergy, from your own local church gathering with laypeople and clergy from every other local church within the bounds of your conference, along with additional officers and laity from the local churches to equal the total clergy membership of the conference. United Methodists make decisions by bringing people together to confer and decide together, that is, "to conference." These decisions do not get made by people who do not know us. They are made by people we know and have sent, all working together as one body.

Read more at this link.