May 7, 2019
TO THE HOLSTON ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
We love our church. We love Holston Conference. We love God, and we love God’s children.
We love our young adult children, and we believe, through them, our denomination and Holston Conference has hope and a future. We believe God has plans that will prosper them and prosper our Church.
We are alarmed only 7 percent of total seated delegates during the 2016 and 2019 General Conference sessions were young adults, people under the age of 35. We are concerned that in our most recent Holston Conference delegation, one out of 12 seated delegates (8 percent) was under the age of 35.
Our young adults are not of one mind. They are diverse, and the fact they are still among us indicates they are dedicated and ready to work. We say we want young people in our congregations. We grieve our dwindling numbers. Imagine the message of hope and example Holston Conference will send to all when we let our young people lead!
We are acutely aware no church can survive or thrive without young people and new voices investing in its leadership.
Therefore, we the representatives of ministries and teams that relate to, depend on, and support the young adults of Holston Conference respectfully request our Annual Conference to commit to electing two delegates under the age of 35 to our 2020 General Conference delegation. We believe this is a great first step and modest proposal.
We have faith in God and faith in you. We have faith in the young people of The United Methodist Church.
Laura McLean, Assoc. Director of Connectional Ministries for Youth and Young Adults
Jim Gass, District Youth Coordinator, Smoky Mountain District
Emily Ballard, Divine Rhythm Design Team
Rev. Misti Dawn McCreary, Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry
Jacob Ducote, Young Adult Ministry Team
Rev. Matt Hall, Young Adult Ministry Team
David Schoeni, Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry
Martee Buchanan, Radford Wesley Foundation Director
Nathaniel Roark, CCYM Clinch Mountain
Rev. Asa Majors, Young Adult Ministry Team
Rev. Will Lauderback, Divine Rhythm Design Team
Joe Ratledge, Young Adult Ministry Team
Rev. Ila Schepisi, Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry
Rev. Mary K Briggs, Chaplain, Emory & Henry College
Caitlin King, Youth Minister, Munsey Memorial UMC
Rev. Sharon Wright, Assistant Chaplain, Emory & Henry College
Rev. Mary Thompson, Executive Director, Holston Camping and Retreat Ministries
Rev. Caroline Hawthorne, District Youth Coordinator, Clinch Mountain District
Hannah Yarosh, CCYM Appalachian District
Chloe Yarosh, CCYM Appalachian District
Whitney Winston, Director, Camp in the Community
Rev. Jeff Wadley, Director, Camp Bays Mountain
Rev. Jonathan Jonas, Emory & Henry Board of Trustees
Reagan Kelly, CCYM Three Rivers District
Erin Bowman, CCYM New River District
Emily Skidmore, CCYM Smoky Mountain District
Catelee Crow, CCYM Tennessee Valley District
Chloe Smith, CCYM Smoky Mountain District
Tatum Harvel, CCYM Appalachian District
Molly Haymore, CCYM Smoky Mountain District
Rev. Beth Tipton, UVa Wise Wesley Foundation Director
Amanda Onks, District Youth Coordinator, Three Rivers District
Rev. Pat Tipton, Coordinator of District Coordinators, CCYM
Rev. Sam Ward, Resurrection Design Team
Rev. Sarah Varnell, Resurrection Design Team
Rev. Sharon Bowers, UT Knoxville Wesley Foundation Director
Rev. Leah Burns, UTK Wesley Foundation Board Chair
Sam England, General Board of Church and Society member
LeRae Collins, Director of Communications, Holston Foundation
Kayla Carico, Director of Student Ministries, First UMC Oak Ridge
Rebecca Littleton, Harrison UMC
Rev. Sarah Slack, Associate Minister, First UMC Maryville
Ben Smith, Concord UMC staff member
Cassie Johnson, Youth Assembly leader
Matt Strutner, Young Adult, Church Street UMC
Dan Young, Certified Lay Minister
Marc Gamble. Church Street UMC
Rev. John Ousley, ETSU Wesley Foundation Director
Carrie Hopper, Young Adult, Beaver Ridge UMC
Corinna Sisk-Casson, Deaconess, Three Rivers District
Rev. Eric Doolittle, Chaplain, North Central College
Alicia Smith, Junior High Assembly Leader
Zach Smith, Youth Director, Bookwalter UMC
Paula Sandoval, Youth Director, St. Mark UMC
Rev. Wil Cantrell, Pastor, Concord UMC
Rev. Clair Sauer, Pastor, Wesley Memorial UMC- Chattanooga
Rev. Brandon Berg, Pastor, First UMC, Bristol
Rev. Andrew Lay, Associate Pastor, Keith Memorial UMC
Rev. G. Keith Moore, Director, The Wesley Center at Chattanooga/ The United Methodist Student Center
Rev. Brenda Carroll, District Superintendent, Tennessee Valley District
Abby Mink, Young Adult, Concord UMC
Rev. David Graybeal, Pastor, Keith Memorial UMC
Alex Sprinkle, Young Adult, Pleasant View UMC
Hannah Berkley, Concord UMC staff member
Rev. Jacob Countiss, Pastor, McDonald UMC
Rev. Will Shelton, Pastor, First UMC Pulaski
Lori Hopper, Tennessee Valley District Administrative Assistant
Rev. Randall Wright, Pastor, Emory/ St. Matthew, Kingport
Rev. Chris Brown, Pastor, Colonial Heights UMC
Rev. Amy Aycock Surmrall, Pastor, Central UMC and Noe’s Chapel UMC
Bailey Hueser, Director of Music Ministries, Bookwalter UMC
Dr. Trevor Smith, Director of Traditional Worship, First Broad Street UMC
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Leaders ask for fairer representation of young delegates
5/15/2019 | Annual Conference General ConferenceALCOA, Tenn. (May 15, 2019) -- Leaders of several ministries and teams are uniting to ask the Holston Annual Conference to elect a minimum of two young-adult delegates at its upcoming June 9-12 meeting in Lake Junaluska, N.C. So far, more than 70 ...