Lay members and clergy persons will gather for the 178
th Iowa Annual Conference session from June 4-6th, 2021. Similar to 2020, much of the 2021 Iowa Annual Conference will be held virtually through the Zoom Webinar platform.
Clergy Session will be held at 9:00 a.m. Friday, June 4, and Laity Session will be held the same day at 7:00 p.m.
Bishop Laurie Haller will call the annual conference members to order at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 5, to begin the two-day session. The 2021 theme is,
Connected in Christ: Watching Over One Another in Love.
Saturday’s session will include the Treasurer’s report, Iowa United Methodist Foundation report, and general legislation.
Sunday’s session will include a worship service led by Bishop Laurie, Episcopal address, Fixing of Appointments, General Conference 2020 Delegation report, Anti-Racism Task Force report, closed churches, general legislation, nominations final ballot, and reconciling motions.
The Memorial and the Retirement services will be pre-recorded and shown after the end of each day’s business.
Rev. Julie Poulsen of Jefferson First United Methodist Church will preach the Retirement Service. Rev. Dr. Michel Lundula from the United Methodist Church of Le Mars will preach the Memorial Service.
Rev. Dr. Michel O. Lundula: Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rev. Lundula is currently serving at the United Methodist Church of Le Mars in the Northwest District of the Iowa Conference. He is also involved in the French Ministry of Sioux City and Le Mars. Before Le Mars, he served at Nashua United Methodist Church, Nashua, IA, The Republic Community Church, Iowa, IA, and St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Dubuque, IA. He is married to Berth Lundula who also serves as the pastor of Pierson and Meadow Star United Methodist Church. They have four children John, Nancy, Benjamin, and Lucie Lundula. Michel holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Africa University, Mutare/Zimbabwe, a Master of Divinity, and a Doctor of Ministry from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, IL. He is also involved in higher education as an adjunct faculty at Morningside College, Sioux City, IA, and affiliated faculty at Sioux Fall Seminary, Sioux Falls, SD, and the Iowa Conference Licensing School for local pastors. He has a strong passion for cross-cultural/cross-racial ministry and an interest in global leadership.
The Ordering of Ministry Service will be held in person, following state pandemic guidelines, at the Ankeny First United Methodist Church Christian Life Center on Saturday, July 10, 2021.
Three Conference Orientation sessions will be held on May 12 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., May 15 from 9 – 11:00 a.m., and May 20 from 7 – 9:00 p.m. to help acclimate and guide members through using the Zoom Webinar platform and Option Technologies voting system.
The Pre-Conference Manual will be available after April 30, 2021.
The AC2021 Townhall Zoom meeting will be on Sunday, May 23 at 2:00 p.m. Video recorded reports will be available before the Townhall meeting.
For more information about the 2021 Iowa Annual Conference session, visit
www.iaumc.org/ac2021 or email
sessions@iaumc.org.
