Conference Corner - Financial Change

The only constant is change. This centuries-old statement is so true. The truth is this:  it is impossible to stay in the same place. You are either moving forward or moving backward but you can never stay where you are.

For 100 years, the Northwest Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church has been changing. We have changed from circuit riders serving congregations meeting wherever they could to most congregations meeting in church buildings with all the amenities.

Along the way we have changed from 35,000 members in 1910, to 108,000 members in 1964, to a little over 64,000 members today. That may seem like moving backwards. Yet, I believe God calls us to move forward as we continue to change the lives of people in Northwest Texas and around the world by sharing God’s abundance.

You have changed lives by providing Christian camping to tens of thousands of young people, by helping thousands of clergy pursue an education so they could serve hundreds of churches. For 100 years we have been changing, moving forward in response to God’s grace.

During 2009, the Treasurer’s office has tried to move forward in response to God’s grace. We have implemented a new accounting software system. During Roundup, we offered several stewardship classes, and in the Fall we conducted four Stewardship Lifters workshops which were attended by almost 25% of the churches in the conference.

In 2009, we adopted standard financial reporting and we are receiving and managing your gifts for Shared Ministries and the Build, Renew, Rejoice! campaign. As we move forward into 2010, we can look forward to the Rev. Clif Christopher, a United Methodist motivational speaker, providing us with wonderful, humorous insights into stewardship at Annual Conference next June.

As you can tell, things are changing. But, thank God, we have a constant – Jesus Christ – who “is the same yesterday and forever" (Hebrews 13:8 (NRSV)). For that let us give “thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NRSV)). Let us be thankful that God has provided us “with every blessing in abundance” (2 Corinthians 9:18).

As the calendar changes from November to December, as we enter the season of Advent, we again have the opportunity to continue to change our lives, our churches and, in the process, the world. As we again celebrate the first coming of the Messiah and anticipate his second-coming, we have the opportunity to continue to move forward, to reject the message of fear and selfishness so prevalent in a fallen world and accept the message of hope that is in Jesus Christ.

As the seasons change from Fall to Winter, as the clock winds down on 2009 and we move forward to 2010, the 100th anniversary of our Conference, I thank you for your faithfulness in sharing abundantly through the Shared Ministries and I thank you for the privilege of serving God’s kingdom with, through and for you.

May the anticipation of Advent and the joy of Christmas continue to bless you throughout the New Year.