A Letter from the Conference Superintendent

God is on the Move!

Wow, the excitement and encouragement of the Holy Spirit was amazing as we all gathered June 8-11 for the 2025 Annual Conference in Maryville, TN, at Fairview Church. I have no doubt; GOD is on the move! Are you feeling it? Since the formation of the Global Methodist Church, there have been many expressions of how GOD has shown his presence through the Holy Spirit. We have seen it over our denomination, over our general and annual conference, over our local churches, and over our lay leadership and clergy. Thank you, God, for continuing to bless the Global Methodist Church. I want to thank the folks at Fairview for hosting our annual conference and for helping us all feel welcomed and at home. We are happy to announce that Bishop Kenneth Levingston has set the dates of June 7-10 for our 2026 Annual Conference, and we will return to Fairview Church in Maryville, TN. Block these dates on your calendar, and more information will follow as plans for the conference develop.

We will forever be indebted to Rev. Dr. Mike Powers for his dedication in service as we formed and began to function as the MidSouth Annual Conference of the Global Methodist Church. We give God thanks for Mike’s leadership and pray for him and his family as they continue to be a beacon of light for God’s Kingdom. Mike has retired as the Conference Superintendent effective June 30, 2025. God speed, Mike! We all love you and thank God for your friendship and leadership.

It is very humbling and an honor to accept the appointment as the new Conference Superintendent of the MidSouth. I pledge to you all the following:

• To be open and make room for GOD to direct and lead this conference through the power of his Holy Spirit. To blanket all our mission, ministry, and administration in prayer as we seek guidance from the Holy Spirit in all aspects of what God is calling us to do as we move forward.
• To honor God’s Holy Word and recognize the Bible as God’s word for his children. The Global Methodist Church and the MidSouth Annual Conference are committed to honoring the Holy Bible as we teach, preach, and seek to live out God’s plan for humanity as shared in the entire Bible. Scriptural authority is a must if we are going to achieve God’s calling for our annual conference. All means all. We will read, discern, preach, teach, and live out the entire Bible, Genesis through Revelation! We will live this out in orthodox, traditional Wesleyan theology.
• To leave the financial resources at the local church. We do not need a hierarchical bureaucracy at the annual conference level. Our goal is to organize and support the local church, laity, and clergy with minimal financial impact. We encourage local churches to reach out with their resources and determine where God is calling them to serve in their local area, in their region, and across the world. Currently we are in a covenant that every local church transmits monthly 3.5% of their operating budget to the annual conference for connectional funding (as deemed at the end of 2024). Connectional funding to the general conference is 1% of a church’s operating budget for 2025. Per the Book of Doctrines and Discipline, these funds need to be sent monthly.
• To encourage every local church to have active ministries for children and youth. To have an active discipleship program for all ages and to have a prayer ministry. We also encourage mission work with evangelism.
• I will follow the rules of the Global Methodist Church as found in the Book of Doctrines and Discipline and will expect all Global Methodist members and clergy to do the same. We will carry out the will of the annual and general conference, not to ignore the votes and agreements of its members.
• I will work with the Presiding Elders of the MidSouth Cabinet and the Staff Parish Relations Committees of each local church to ensure the best possible transitions when pastoral appointments are considered. I will follow the direction and guidance of the Bishop as he makes appointments.
• I will encourage people to grow people, congregations to grow congregations, and promote multiplication as we grow the annual conference to welcome new clergy and new congregations. I will work closely with the Board of Ministry to ensure our clergy are well equipped to lead us, following the clergy standards as listed in the Book of Doctrines and Discipline.
• I will work with and coordinate all the mission, ministry, and administration along with the conference staff to be the best we can be.

This is a short list of priorities we will share as we move forward. They are all important, but we must also focus on winning souls for Jesus Christ for the sake of his mission to save the world from sin and death. All that we do is futile unless it leads to welcoming new sisters and brothers in Christ in our efforts to reach the least, lost, and marginal in our world.

We are in the process of hiring a Conference Connectional Officer who will work with the other annual conference staff to support the connectional mission, ministry, and administrative needs of local churches, laity, and clergy as we partner together in a covenant relationship. More information will follow as this position is filled.

Liz (my dear wife for the past 43 years) and I are blessed by all your kindness, and we continue to pray for each of you. We ask that you always remember us in your prayers. I am no longer assigned to pastor a local church and, as such, we can visit your congregation. We plan to visit a MidSouth congregation most every Sunday. If you would like us to visit, please send us an invitation, and we will be happy to share the blessings God has given us with any of you as our schedule allows.

Peace and Joy,