South Georgia Provisional Annual Conference Announces North Georgia District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
South Georgia Provisional Annual Conference Announces North Georgia District
The South Georgia (SGA) Provisional Conference is excited to announce that the Transitional Leadership Council of the GMC has recently approved the addition of the North Georgia (NGA) District.
The churches, laity and clergy of the SGA Provisional Annual Conference, being aware of the disaffiliation struggles many in the NGA Annual Conference of the UMC have endured, are blessed to connect with the like-minded Methodists to the north. It is an honor to provide structure and support with nearly one-hundred South Georgia churches currently active or already in the application process.
With shared values and commitment to serving the spiritual needs of the people of Georgia and beyond, this joining will strengthen the church’s ability to make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.
“Longtime friendships have existed among clergy and laity in North and South Georgia. Being able to officially be more closely connected with them is exciting. Our desire is for our connectional system to be more relationally connected then just institutionally connected. We want life looking for structure not structure looking for life.” writes Jay Hanson, President Pro-temp of the SGA Provisional Conference and member of the Transitional Leadership Council. “We feel inviting the NGA district to be a part of this provisional annual conference will give them just enough structure to support all the life God is generating across the state until North Georgia is able to become its own Provisional Annual Conference. These are exciting times to be a Methodist and we are looking forward to what God is going to do through our relationship.”
Richard Chewning, Interim Presiding Elder of the GMC in North Georgia and former North Georgia UMC District Superintendent noted: “We are so grateful for the graciousness of the South Georgia Provisional Conference to accept us from North Georgia and look forward to being a part of a Christ centered working relationship. It is with great anticipation, excitement, and joy that we look forward to experiencing all God is going to do through the combined efforts of the clergy and laity of South and North Georgia!”
The addition of NGA as a District adds further excitement to the first official Annual Conference meeting of the SGA GMC at Epworth by the Sea on July 27-29, where clergy and laity from North and South Georgia will join hands for the first time in several decades with great anticipation for a powerful move of God!
For more information on the merger and the combined organization's programs and resources, please visit the SGAGMC website at https://www.sgagmc.org or contact Rich Wardwell at rich@sgagmc.org.