2004 JOURNAL
and OFFICIAL MINUTES
Rocky Mountain Conference, The United Methodist Church
Reports (Part II, Section 7)
Board Lay Ministry
1988 - 2004
History
Prior to 1988 the Conference Lay Leader and the Chairperson
of the Council on Ministries of the Rocky Mountain Conference were
the same people. Persons who
served in this dual role of responsibility were R. J. Walters, E. C. Harrah,
R. B. Spencer, R. S. Doenges, E. Ned Naylor, Paula Johnson, and Max Hatfield.
The Board of Lay Ministry was created in 1988. Rodney
Anderson was the Conference Lay Leader and served for the eight-year
period of 1988 - 1996. Tommy Gleaton
has served as the Conference Lay Leader for the eight-year period of 1996
- 2004.
The brief history of the Board of Lay Ministry, sixteen
years, has been an exciting period of time.
Leadership
In the period of sixteen years more than one hundred persons have
served as members of the Board of Lay Ministry. Laity have served
in leadership roles
on boards, committees, and agencies related to the Board of Lay Ministry.
The Rod Anderson Scholarship Fund was established in 1989. The
scholarship is funded by offerings received at the Laity Session
of the Annual Conference
Session. The purpose of the fund is to provide financial assistance to
laity to enhance leadership skills in ministries. One hundred and
sixty lay persons
have received scholarship grants for a total of approximately fifteen thousand
dollars for the period of 1989 - 2003.
The Lay Speaking Ministries became a leadership training for laity
in the late 1980's. There are at the present time more than six hundred
lay speakers
in
the Rocky Mountain Conference. The Outstanding Lay Speaker Award was established
in 1997 and to date, fifty-one persons have received recognition for outstanding
ministries.
The Quiet Disciple Award, to recognize the lay leadership who serve the
needs of others was established in 1989. One hundred and eighty-one persons
have
received this award representing various units of lay ministries of the
Rocky Mountain Conference. The Board of Lay Ministry was the pioneer and
creator
of this award. Other conferences have adopted this award as a recognition
of leadership within their conference.
The first Lay Ministry Convocation was held in 2002. More than
one hundred twenty-five lay persons braved a snow storm to attend
from the three states
of the Conference.
We are proud of the more than one thousand five hundred persons
who have given valuable lay leadership at the conference level. We
also honor all
the laity
who serve in the districts, subdistricts, and as selected leaders in the
local church.
Laity in Action
We celebrate our heritage. We begin by first expressing our appreciation
for those who have served and led us to new heights in lay ministries.
It is
impossible to name all the persons who have been trail blazers, who set
the pace and moved in the direction of being One in Spirit, All in
Ministry.
The Board of Lay Ministry adopted the mission project of Shoes
for Children at the Annual Session in 1998. Thanks to the generosity
of many persons,
we were able to provide more than three hundred pairs of shoes for children
in
Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. Every child in Warren Village, Denver was
provided with a pair of shoes. The monetary value of this mission
project was more
than five thousand dollars.
Bless the Children was the mission interest of the Board of Lay
Ministry in 2001. Key to this presentation were pictures received
from many churches
in
the Conference. The pictures were combined into a musical video, Bless
the Children. More than one thousand eight-hundred back packs filled
with school
supplies were collected in addition to cash offerings. The packs were distributed
in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. The monetary value of this mission project
was more than fifty thousand dollars. Because of the leadership by the
Board of Lay Ministry, other organizations ‘caught the spirit’ and
made contributions in excess of more than ten thousand dollars.
The
Bridge of Love became the mission project of the Board of Lay Ministry
for 2003 and 2004. The concept of collection of loose change netted
a weight
of more than seven hundred pounds at the 2003 Annual Conference Session.
Loose change collected in various settings has added to the collection.
A fund of
more than twelve thousand dollars has been collected by loose change.
A special presentation will be part of the Annual Conference Session
in 2004.
Five videos were produced in the last eight years as a presentation
at the Annual Conference Session to communicate the awareness of
lay ministry across
the Conference and in the local churches.
The Board of Lay Ministry, in the last eight years, has initiated
ministries that have solicited funds of almost one hundred thousand
dollars. These
funds have supported the needs of many people.
Vision
The Vision, One in Spirit All in Ministry, has directed the Board
of Lay Ministry in mission. “We’re conditioned to think our lives revolve around
great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped
in what others may consider a small one. People may not remember exactly
what you did, or what you said, - but they will always remember how you made
them feel.” Thanks be to God for laity of the Rocky Mountain Conference
who have made so many feel valued and loved. To God be the Glory!
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