Name of conference: Kentucky Annual Conference

Location of conference gathering: Owensboro, Kentucky

Dates of conference gathering: June 4-7, 2023

Did the gathering have a theme or slogan, and if so, what was it? Our theme was “Show the Love of God”

Officiating bishop: Bishop Leonard E. Fairley officiated.

Guest speakers and memorable points or quotes by speakers: 

Bishop Leonard Fairley during the opening worship service sermon, titled “This I Believe.” He adapted the title from the book, “This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women.”

“The word ‘love’ has gotten a bad rap these days. I pray we reclaim not only its true meaning, but its practice. I pray that love will lead us as a people called United Methodists into acts of both piety and social holiness, and that’s not an option, either. I pray we reclaim the trust of our calling to live out the love of Christ in both word and deed.”

A second quote from Opening Worship, Bishop Leonard Fairley:

“There is no doubt in my mind, heart, or soul that Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life. This I believe is rooted in the love of God,” Fairley said. “I believe that love is the answer. I believe that love will find a way. I believe that the flowing waters of love can transform the hardest heart. Love is where true confession, repentance and forgiveness begin. If we have not learned to love and live like Jesus, then all our theology, all of our doctrine, and all of our dogma is suspect.”

Bishop James Swanson during the Commissioning and Ordination Service:

“The God I serve works in the midst of darkness, and even in the darkness of despair and hopelessness, God is not through with you yet! … There is hope even in darkness!” 

Main actions enacted by the conference:

Two new staff members were formally introduced Monday during the opening plenary session — the Rev. Dr. Kimberly Pope-Seiberling, director of New Church Development, and the Rev. Dr. Tina Patterson, director of Connectional and African American Ministries.

The Rev. Jack Brewer received the Bishop’s Ecumenism Award. He has been president of the Franklin County Ministerial Association and is stepping down from that role after 20 years.

The Rev. Tami Coleman, chair of the Episcopal Committee, formally let the annual conference know that Fairley was reappointed last fall at jurisdictional conference to serve in Kentucky. He and his wife, Dawn, were recognized and honored.

Resolutions or actions related to the postponed 2020 General Conference, now set for 2024: None

Did any churches disaffiliate or leave the conference (and if so, please list each church)?

Members of the 2023 Kentucky Annual Conference voted Sunday, June 4, to allow 286 churches to disaffiliate under Paragraph 2553 of The Book of Discipline.

See attachment.

Number of churches that closed because no longer sustainable (please list each church): 

There were five churches that closed:
Springfield Bluegrass District 

Strawberry Northern KY District 

Rockholds Southeast District

Corazones Cristianos IMU South Central District

Mt Pleasant, Ohio County Owensboro District 

Any special annual conference set: No

What budget did the conference pass and how did it change from last year?

The $4.5 million 2024 budget and conference apportionment rate of 10% were approved overwhelmingly by show of hands. 

Other resolutions adopted by the conference:

• The conference approved a resolution to establish a task force to focus on evangelism.
• A resolution reaffirming the doctrinal standard of The United Methodist Church was approved.

Did your clergy session approve any openly gay candidates for ministry?  No

Did the conference have to elect replacement delegates due to the delay? If so, which delegates are replacements and why? 

The Kentucky Conference did elect delegates to replace those delegates who have left The United Methodist Church. The delegates elected will serve as jurisdictional conference delegates. There were enough previously elected delegates to fill out our allotment of General Conference delegates. The elected delegates are considered provisional delegates until more information is available from the Judicial Council.

Names of delegates for both General Conference and jurisdictional or central conference and designation of lay or clergy:

General Conference Laity

General Conference Clergy 

Mark Stallons

The Rev, Tami Coleman

Michael Watts

The Rev. Iosmar Alvarez

Elaine Daugherty

The Rev. David Grout

John Denham

The Rev. Tom Grieb

Linda Underwood King

The Rev. Andrew Singh

Jurisdictional Conference Laity

Jurisdictional Conference Clergy 

Jan Brown Thompson

The Rev. Rebecca Heid

Tess Welch

The Rev. Esther Jadhav

Sarah McGinnis

The Rev. John Hatton

Lesley Williams

The Rev. David Garvin

Larry Miller

The Rev. Jay Smith

Was there a push at your conference to elect younger delegates? If so, how many delegates under 35 were elected and what are their names and ages?

There was not a formal push to elect younger delegates, but many in our conference want to have younger people serving in leadership roles. We are grateful that many of those who put their names forward to be considered were younger. Those who were elected were younger than previous delegates. Tess Welch is 23 years old and the only delegate who is under 35. However, we have three newly elected delegates between 35 and 40.  

Number of people ordained, commissioned or received into associate membership, and average age:

This year we had Three ordained two commissioned. Their average age is 46.

Number of clergy retired:

During Tuesday’s morning session, 32 clergy were recognized and honored as retiring from the Kentucky Annual Conference. 

— Cathy Bruce, Kentucky Conference director of communications