news article
UNY to launch new Charge Conference Forms Platform on September 3
August 28, 2024 / By Bill Gottschalk-Fielding / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Though the annual charge conference is required by The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline, it is more than an administrative requirement. It allows a church to share and celebrate its story, align its work with God’s vision, and remain accountable to commitments members have made to each other and to God.
Starting September 3, United Methodist clergy and congregational leaders of Upper New York will have a new tool to help them prepare for this important event: the Charge Conference Forms Platform.
Pastors, SPRC chairs, and Treasurers/Church Leaders will receive log in credentials and instructions to begin using this resource on September 3. An introductory training video is now available to preview the resource. Click here to view.
In addition to the forms required for a charge conference, the platform also hosts the Clergy Profile and Church Profile - modules pastors and SPRC chairs have completed in the past - as well as the Local Church Leadership module, where congregations can update their leadership roster for the coming year if needed.
The Charge Conference Forms Platform consolidates and simplifies the way charge conference information is collected, allowing leaders to enter all required charge conference information on one platform. This approach reduces the time and effort pastors, congregational leaders, and conference staff invest to complete and organize forms while enhancing the usefulness of the collected data.
Last spring the Superintendency Support Team, consisting of administrative assistants Tammy McAdam, Carrie Boyer, Rosemary DiIorio, Patti Gridley, Lyn Moon, and Betsy O’Flynn, along with Mary Bradley and Bill Gottschalk-Fielding in the Episcopal Office, began working with Mission Connect, the conference’s database vendor. The team has been “beta-testing” the resulting platform this past month and believe it is a reliable and helpful tool. As with any new tool, it will take time to become familiar and skilled in its use. The superintendency support team is ready to help users address any questions or challenges. Please email them at info@unyumc.org.
The Charge Conference Forms Platform will open Tuesday, September 3. Many forms will need to be completed no later than October 1, so pastors and church leaders are urged to begin accessing the platform as soon as possible.