It's official: Upper New York Annual Conference

By Maidstone Mulenga
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6/20/2010

 At 10:59 a.m. on June 19, 2010, the Rev. Dr. Marcus Matthews, Resident Bishop of the Upper New York Area of the United Methodist Church, called to order the first session of the Upper New York Uniting Conference at the OnCenter in Syracuse.

Several motions later, the nearly 2,000 United Methodists in attendance voted to approve the creation of the new conference and to officially name it, Upper New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
940 churches. 12 districts. 48,000 square miles. 185,599 members. That is the new Upper New York Annual Conference.
The journey took more than six years to bring to fruition. After discussions between six annual conferences in Northeastern Jurisdiction, the first major step was taken on Oct. 6, 2007. Clergy and lay members of the North Central New York, Western New York, Troy and Wyoming Annual Conferences voted in simultaneous Special Sessions--later in separate annual conference sessions--to approve the unification and realignment to create one Annual Conference across Upstate New York.
 
On July 16, 2008, the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference adopted a resolution reconfiguring the boundaries of the Annual Conferences and Episcopal Areas in and around Upstate New York.
 
Following that decision, the four Conferences created a joint New Area/Conference Team (New ACT) to lead the unification process with the purpose of developing the new Conference; not by combination, but through unification.
 
The process was under the supervision of Bishops Peter Weaver (New England Conference), Jane Middleton (Central Pennsylvania Conference), Susan Hassinger (Albany Episcopal Area) and Marcus Matthews (New York West Episcopal Area), who agreed to the transfer of memberships and relationships as agreed in the unification and realignment.
 
 
The process had been started earlier by Bishops Violet Fisher  and Susan Morrison, now both retired. 
 
With most of the pieces in place, the four conferences in the Upper New York Area considered and approved a Plan of Union presented by New ACT at their closing sessions in May and June 2009.
 
The Plan of Union presented by New ACT includes provisions for:
  • the transfer of 30 percent of Troy Conference’s assets to the New England Annual Conference and 70 percent to the Upper New York Conference;
  • the consolidation of the North Central New York, Western New York and Troy Annual conferences into the Upper New York Annual Conference;
  • the transfer of all assets from the Wyoming Conference to the Upper New York and Susquehanna Annual Conferences; and
  •  the discontinuance of the Wyoming Annual Conference.
 
At the June 19 Uniting Conference, members from the four conferences --among other decisions--approved the election of Conference Secretary Rev. Jeffrey Hodge and Trustees. Members also approved the designation of Scott DelConte as Chancellor to the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church.
 
Those elected trustees are Rev. Thomas Clemow; Rev. Stephen Butler; Ms. Deborah Byers; Rev. Wendy Deichmann-Edwards; Rev. Thomas Wolfe; Lee Mount; Rev. Teressa Sivers; Ms. Essie Harding; Rev. Dean Flemming; Mr. John Jackson; Ms Brooke Conklin; and Mr. Robert Rood.
 
Mrs. Sherri Mackey was nominated and elected as Treasurer/ Director of Administrative Services and Statistician for the Upper New York Conference for the remainder of the Quadrennium.
 
Other items approved include:
  • the transfer of voting rights and privileges for clergy members whose appointments have been announced effective beginning July 1,
  • the transfer of voting rights for the lay members and equalization members of the North Central New York, Western New York, Troy and Wyoming Annual Conferences to the Upper New York Annual Conference.
  • the proposed name, The Upper new York Annual Conference; and
  • the repeal of all standing resolutions of the North Central New York, Troy, Western New York and Wyoming Annual Conferences.
The Uniting Conference also approved a resolution assuring that the minimum salary for each clergy member in the former North Central New York, Western New York, Troy and Wyoming conferences will continue at that individual’s current level until July 1, 2011.