Rev. Carl Rohlfs
District Superintendent
From Bishop James E. Dorff
On behalf of Bishop Raul Garcia de Ochoa re: flooding in Eastern Conference Methodist Church of Mexico including the Rio Grande Valley. This is an emergency request for assistance. Items are needed immediately. The last collection date will be Tuesday, July 27.
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The San Antonio District is one of seven Districts
in the Southwest Texas Conference. It includes 61 churches and
90 clergy appointed in the District. The offices are located at
the Conference Center. Geographically, is one of the smallest
Districts in our Conference. It counts with 36,645 Professing
Members. It is a diverse District where the congregations strive
to offer Christ to all people and welcome all people.
“Networking Charge Conferences”
The congregations of the San Antonio District will convene the annual Charge Conferences in a different manner for 2010. 60 District congregations will network Charge Conferences in groups of 5-7 congregations. Though initially assigned, these networks are not rigid and each congregation is free to join an alternative network for convenience of date or affinity of mission. The only thing “rigid” is the Disciplinary requirement that all congregations meet annually for a Charge Conference.
In each network a pastor will be designated as the coordinator. In conversation with the Lay Leaders/pastors of each congregation, the coordinator will arrange a mutually agreed sight and facilitate the planning of a schedule for each Charge Conference to be held at one location at the same general time. The Charge Conferences for each network are currently scheduled on Sundays. If the network prefers another day of the week, that can be arranged. Elders appointed to, or affiliated with, the Charge Conferences in each network (assisted by additional Elders if needed) will convene the various Charge Conferences.
Networking our Charge Conferences places an appropriate emphasis on the unique connectional nature of United Methodism. Too often we see “the connection” as the franchising agency that exacts funds or the personnel department that deploys employees. There is much more to connect us as United Methodists and I believe that will become evident in each of these moments of networking. We will celebrate mutual ministries and we will honor each other’s faithful work in the Kingdom we share. We will process the administrative details required by the Discipline and we will feed our souls on the blessings bestowed as we serve the One Lord.
An imagined schedule might look like this: one hour of Charge Conferencing as congregations gather in separate spaces; 20 minutes of fellowship and varying bits of food and beverage; 30 minutes of shared joy; and 20 minutes of inspiration. How each of these venues manifests is the business of the leaders from each congregation in the network.
One of the side benefits of networking is the provision of more available time for the District Superintendent to visit congregations (or local ministry teams) on specific strategic topics (for instance, with SPRC regarding pastoral Sabbaticals or staff compensations; meeting with Stewardship Teams regarding stewardship; or meeting with Church Councils regarding Apportionments; etc.) As I can and am able, I desire to be a strategic assistant to the indigenous ministries of each congregation.
There is an old adage that the “liturgical” season for District Superintendents consists of only two “seasons”: the “Appointment Season” that runs from January to May, culminating in the “High Celebration of Appointment Confirmation at Annual Conference”; and the “Charge Conference Season” that runs from September through December, culminating with the “High Celebration of Pay Out Day” in January. These two seasons are separated by a varying amount of “Ordinary Time” in the month of July. I am convinced that networking our Charge Conferences will add joy, enthusiasm and spiritual refreshment to the 2010 Charge Conference Season. I anticipate an extensive blessing of creativity and celebration. In the meantime, I may be the only District Superintendent in the entire United Methodist Connection that is looking forward to the Season of Charge Conferences!
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