news article
Together in Diversity: Empowering laity for culturally aware ministry
May 13, 2025 / By Jessica White, Conference Lay Leader / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
On behalf of the Board of Laity, I want to express how excited we are to see you all at this year’s Laity Session. We are especially pleased to announce that our teaching session will feature a special guest speaker and focus on intercultural competency training for the laity.
This session promises to be an invaluable opportunity for attendees, equipping lay leaders to engage in more inclusive and culturally sensitive ministry. For those unable to attend in person, the session will also be livestreamed in the UNY UMC app and on the conference website here.
As a diverse faith community, the Upper New York Annual Conference is deeply committed to fostering deeper understanding and building stronger relationships across cultural lines. The growing diversity within our congregations and neighborhoods makes it all the more vital that we offer intentional, thoughtful training to prepare laity to lead effectively in an interconnected world. Through this session, we hope to create a space for reflection on how each of us can promote justice, inclusivity, and compassion in our communities.
We are honored to welcome the Rev. April Casperson as our guest speaker. Rev. Casperson is an expert in intercultural communication, with years of experience in both local and global church settings. Her insights will be pivotal in strengthening our conference’s lay leadership—helping us appreciate the richness of diversity and navigate the complexities that come with it.
We look forward to gathering with you at this year’s Laity Session!