Delegates - lay and clergy - will gather for the
173rd Iowa Annual Conference session in June. To be held, once again, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, the yearly meeting will feature powerful preaching, inspiring singing, informative teaching sessions, vital reporting, and the reconnection of fellow United Methodists from across the State.
Bishop Julius C. Trimble will call the members of the annual conference to order on Saturday, June 6, to begin the three-day session. “It’s my privilege to be the presiding Bishop at Annual Conference for the eighth year of service as the Bishop of the Iowa area,” Bishop Trimble said. “We’re looking forward to annual conference as we gather for worship and worshipful work under the banner of ‘Therefore Go, make disciples of Jesus Christ.’” Lay and clergy will gather for their own sessions on Friday evening, June 3, beginning at 7:00 o’clock.
Click here to see Bishop Trimble's invitation
Bishop Bickerton, Spiritual Guide
Bishop Thomas Bickerton will be the spiritual guide and preacher for the service for the ordering of ministry. Bishop Bickerton, who leads the Pittsburg Area, was elected to be Bishop in 2004. He cares for nearly 850 congregations in the
Western Pennsylvania Conference. Bishop Bickerton serves as the chairperson of The United Methodist Church’s
Global Health Initiative which deals with the church’s response to the killer diseases of HIV/Aids, tuberculosis, and malaria. This effort, through the church’s “
Imagine NO Malaria” campaign, has raised over $65 million dollars within the denomination to eliminate malaria-related death across the world.
Rev. David Weesner, the outgoing Conference Superintendent for the Central District and Dean of the Bishop’s Appointive Cabinet, will be the preacher for the Memorial Service. Rev. Deborah Stowers, Pastor of First United Methodist Church, Mt. Pleasant, and Chairperson of the Board of Ordained Ministry, will be the preacher for the Retirement service.
The
Rust College Choir will be the Conference’s musical guests.
Special offerings
Several special offerings will be received, all under the heading of “Change A Child’s Story.” They include offerings to support: Change a Child’s Story; the Iowa-Nigeria Partnership's related Nigerian students at United Methodist Colleges in Iowa; relief from the water crisis in Flint, Michigan; Diakonos leadership development fund; and the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund. An offering will also be received during the Clergy Session on Friday evening.
“Please pray for our annual conference,” Bishop Trimble asked. “We’re praying that God’s vision for our Church will be that we will create grace-filled communities, that we will engage women, men, and children in the 99 counties in the State of Iowa, and, indeed, around the world through our connectional living.”
