Districts plan March meetings on 4 initiatives

Leaders in all seven districts are planning concurrent meetings next month to outline four initiatives coming to the June 7-10 annual conference session.
The meetings, scheduled around a 30-minute webcast, are set for March 18.
The webcast is to present basic information about the four proposals:
> Bishop’s Initiative on New Church Development—a concerted effort, proposed by the Commission on New Church Development, to form partnerships to establish new congregations and ministries.
> Clergy effectiveness task force—a measure from the Board of Ordained Ministries to authorize a task force to implement a clergy effectiveness plan. That plan is to be presented to the 2007 annual conference session.
> Voluntary clergy wellness program—a plan from the Board of Ordained Ministries to establish a voluntary comprehensive health and wellness program for clergy members.
> Clergy Retirement Security Plan funding—a method from the Board of Pensions to pay for a new clergy retirement benefit system established by the 2004 General Conference. The new system goes into effect Jan. 1.
Representatives of each agency are to answer questions in each district after the webcast.
The Communications and Public Witness Office is producing the webcast and developing Web-based information about all four proposals. The Web site is to allow people to submit questions about points in each initiative.
“All these initiatives will strengthen and empower the Southwest Texas Conference in Offering Christ to All,” Bishop Joel N. Martinez said in a Feb. 4 letter to leaders organizing the March 18 gatherings.
The Rev. David A. Seilheimer, who coordinates work of the annual conference agenda committee, said more major actions are coming to the 2006 meeting than to recent sessions.
“We have four key initiatives but one objective: Offering Christ to all,” Seilheimer said. “All of these initiatives are different ways to enable the annual conference to empower ministries.”