UMs to gather at 11 sites
to see webcast on plans

Southwest Texas United Methodists are to gather at 11 sites at 1 p.m. March 18 to learn about four initiatives coming to the June 7-10 annual conference session.
A 30-minute webcast is to provide a basic overview of the four proposals.
After the webcast, representatives from the New Church Development Commission, Board of Ordained Ministries and Board of Pensions in each district are to be available to respond to questions.
In addition, leaders from each agency are to be available in San Antonio from 1 to 3 p.m. to answer questions from the United Methodist Center by phone.
District organizers are planning to have speaker phones available so people at each meeting site can hear questions called in from that location and the responses.
The webcast lineup includes:
n An introduction by Jay Brim, Southwest Texas Conference lay leader.
n A discussion by Stan Ledbetter, chair of the Board of Pensions, of funding for the Clergy Retirement Security Plan. The 2004 General Conference established that plan. It goes into effect Jan. 1.
n An explanation by the Rev. Donna Streib, head, Order of Deacons, of a call for a clergy effectiveness task force. The Board of Ordained Ministry is asking for the task force to develop methods for implementing a clergy effectiveness plan. That plan is to be presented to the 2007 annual conference session.
n Information from the Rev. Barbara Galloway-Edgar, senior pastor, First UMC, Boerne, on a clergy wellness program. The Board of Ordained Ministry is proposing to establish a voluntary comprehensive health and wellness program for clerics serving full-time appointments.
n A presentation by Bishop Joel N. Martinez on his Bishop’s Initiative on New Church Development. That’s a concerted effort, proposed by the Commission on New Church Development, to form partnerships to establish new congregations and ministries.
n Closing comments by the bishop.
The webcast, which can be seen from any computer with Internet access and a high-speed broadband connection, will be available through mid-April at www.umcswtx.org.
Information about the four initiatives is now available at www. umcswtx.org/06acinitiative. The conference Web site includes:
n Brief summaries of each proposal.
n Responses to frequently asked questions.
n Supporting documents.
n Links that people can use to submit questions, comments or other feedback.
The Communications and Public Witness Office is to update the online material as agencies sponsoring each initiative refine their proposals and prepare their reports for the Corpus Christi meeting in June.
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.”