Annual Conference season is upon us! Members of the Perkins community have traveled to Annual Conferences convening in Texas and nearby states in May and will continue to do so through the month of June.
In addition to participating in the proceedings, conference season offers Perkins faculty, staff and alumni a chance to reconnect with Perkins alumni and friends, preach and reach out to prospective students.
“Annual Conference” has a dual meaning in the United Methodist Church. Each Annual Conference is a regional organizing body of the church. Once a year, representatives from that region gather for what is also called Annual Conference. It’s a time for fellowship, voting on key issues and ordaining new members of the ministry. Sending Perkins faculty and staff to the gatherings helps nurture Perkins’ ongoing partnership with the Annual Conferences in theological education. In addition, Perkins hosts display tables and alumni events at many of the Annual Conferences.
“Annual Conferences present an opportunity for us to share what’s new at Perkins and tell our story,” said Dean Craig C. Hill. “At the same time, it gives us a chance to hear the story of each annual conference: to hear about their most dynamic and effective ministries and to understand the kind of leadership needed now and in the future.”
Members of the community are planning to attend these conferences in June:
The Rio Texas Annual Conference runs Wednesday through Saturday, June 5-8, at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Attending from Perkins are Craig Hill, John Martin, Margot Perez-Greene and Jon Herrin. An alumni event is planned on Wednesday, June 5.
The Northwest Texas Annual Conference will gather Thursday through Saturday, June 6-8, at Overton Hotel & Conference Center in Lubbock, Texas. Bridget Anderson and Bobby Wilson will attend. An alumni event is planned on Thursday, June 6.
The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Annual Conference meets Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9, in Preston, Okla. Jazmin Cabrera and Beka Miles will attend.
The Missouri Annual Conference runs Friday through Sunday, June 7-9, at Springfield Expo Center in Springfield, Mo. Craig Hill and Peter Norton will attend. An alumni event is scheduled for Sunday, June 9.
The Central Texas Annual Conference runs Sunday through Wednesday, June 9-12, at Arlington Convention Center in Arlington, Texas. Craig Hill, Dallas Gingles and Bridget Anderson will attend. An alumni event takes place Monday, June 10.
The Louisiana Annual Conference will gather Sunday through Wednesday, June 9-12, at Shreveport Convention Center in Shreveport, La. Attending from Perkins are Craig Hill, Dallas Gingles and Bridget Anderson. An alumni event is planned for Tuesday, June 11.
The New Mexico Annual Conference meets Wednesday through Friday, June 12-14, at Crowne Plaza in Albuquerque, N.M. Craig Hill and Margot Perez-Greene will attend, as will Josh Kouri. An alumni event is planned for Friday, June 14.
The Desert Southwest Annual Conference runs Thursday through Sunday, June 13-16, at Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, Ariz. John Lowery, Bridget Anderson and Louie Lyon will attend. An alumni event is scheduled for June 13.
Conferences that have already met in the past month include:
The Texas Annual Conference met May 26-29 in Houston. Participating from Perkins were Craig Hill, John Martin, Jim Lee, Hugo Magallanes and Dallas Gingles. Stephen Bagby represented the Office of Enrollment Management. An alumni event was held May 28.
The Oklahoma Annual Conference met May 28-30 in Oklahoma City. Attending from Perkins were Caleb Palmer and Ted Campbell. An alumni event was held May 29.
The Great Plains Annual Conference ran May 29 – June 1 at the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka, Kan. Bridget Anderson and Philip Clay attended from Perkins.
The Arkansas Annual Conference met May 29 – June 1 at the Hot Springs Convention Center in Hot Springs, Ark. Craig Hill and John Lowery attended, and an alumni event took place on May 30.
The North Texas Annual Conference met Sunday through Tuesday, June 2-4, at Christ UMC in Plano, Texas. Craig Hill, Connie Nelson, John Martin, Jim Lee, Stephen Bagby and Bridget Anderson represented Perkins. A Perkins alumni event took place Tuesday, June 4.