Annual Meeting - September 5, 6 & 7, 2008

Lake Junaluska Housing Reservation Request Form for 2008 Annual Meeting
NEW! [WORD] [PDF]
Postmark date for Housing Requests: Beginning July 2, 2008

Click here to download the 2008 Annual Meeting Logo: [Color] [Grayscale]

Our conference Annual Meeting is a celebration of United Methodist Women and the total program of mission that we are involved in as we seek to fulfill our PURPOSE. Our celebration includes opportunities for:

Come for the whole weekend OR Come for a day...just come!! And, Bring a Friend!!
Invite someone new to join you at Annual Meeting!!
Invite someone who has not been in a while!!

Keynote Speaker - Friday Evening
Vickie Sigmon, Open Arms Community, Winston-Salem

3rd Annual Walk for Mission
Saturday Afternoon - More Information
Walk at the lake, or at home...every local unit is encouraged to join the fun!

Closing Worship Speaker - Sunday Morning
Rev. Dr. Arnetta Beverly, WNC Conference Director of Connectional Ministries

Hostess District
Salisbury District United Methodist Women
Pat Gilbert, District President

Conference Love Offering
A Gift to Undesignated Mission Giving...In Honor of Bishop and Mrs. McCleskey
for Their Support of United Methodist Women in Mission

Join your sisters-in-Christ for a spirit filled, informative weekend at beautiful Lake Junaluska.

	*Lynn Sloan Barnes - Deaconess -* Lynn is a 1975 graduate of Methodist College and a retired Spanish teacher. She was commissioned a Deaconess in The United Methodist Church in April of 2005 and currently serves as Executive Director of Tri-County Health Resource Center (HRC) in Elkin, a ministry she started which helps provide medications, medical care, and dental treatment for persons lacking health insurance. HRC has just recently opened Grace Clinic which is a free clinic for the community. Lynn is an active member of United Methodist Women and is currently the President of the North Wilkesboro District. Lynn has taught at several conference Schools of Christian Mission. She has also made nine trips to Bolivia on medical mission teams. She is married to Wayne Barnes and they reside in Elkin, North Carolina.

	Reverend Dr. Arnetta Elizabeth Beverly - Director of Connectional Ministries, WNC Conference - Arnetta was born in Greensboro and grew up in Lexington. Upon moving to New York City in 1964, she worked as a bank teller, a licensed funeral director/embalmer, and with the NYC Police Dept. Arnetta returned to N.C. in 1976 and was employed as a deputy sheriff by the Davidson County Sheriff’s Dept. In 1984 she received the A. A. Degree from Davidson County Community College and in 1986 she received the Bachelor of Arts Degree from Shaw University in Raleigh. She received her Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School in 1992 and her Doctor of Ministry Degree from Drew University in 1999. Prior to her current appointment as Director of Connectional Ministries, she served appointments in the Lexington & Northeast districts, as conference Director of Nurturing and Ethnic Ministries, and as the Northeast District Superintendent. Arnetta was the first African American female on the conference staff and the cabinet, and also the first African American female Director of Connectional Ministries in our conference and in the Southeastern Jurisdiction. Arnetta’s hobbies include NASCAR racing, football, reading and swimming. She has two sons and eight grandchildren. She and grandson, Matt, make their home in Charlotte.

	Vickie Sigmon - Church and Community Worker - Vickie is a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church who has been serving in our conference since 1985. She has a liberal arts degree from Lenior Rhyne College in NC as well as a degree in criminal justice from Davison Community College in NC. Her ministry has included recruiting and training volunteers for prison ministries, helping educate congregations about restorative justice and promoting principles of restorative justice within the state government. Vickie is currently assigned to Open Arms Community in Winston-Salem. Vickie and her husband, Kevin Hayes, live in the Open Arms neighborhood. “Every day we have the privilege of bearing witness as cultural, racial, and class barriers fall to make way for the building of God’s Kingdom.”

	Charles and Gail Litaker are residents of Wadesboro, North Carolina, and are active in First United Methodist Church there. Gail is a music teacher in the Anson County Schools, where she teaches K-3 music at Wadesboro Primary School, and was selected as the Anson County Teacher of the Year for 2006-2007. She is also the Associate Director of Music at First UMC, where she directs the Handbell Choir, Joyful Noise Youth Choir, and “Thursday’s Child,” a community children’s choir made up of first through sixth graders from all across Anson County. In addition, she is the Children’s Choir director at First Baptist Church, Wadesboro. Charles is the Director of Music and organist at First UMC, Wadesboro. He retired several years ago as music teacher at Anson Senior High School, after 30+ years of teaching. They are the parents of three grown children, and grandparents of three grandchildren in Winston-Salem and California.

2008 Program Committee
Sandy Hieronymus, Chairperson, Amy Johnson, Ann Aldridge, Sharon Smith, Patricia Wiseman, Linda Baity, Linda Young, Sherry Sink, Kim Keyse, Karen Wilkerson, Betty Swarthout, Rev. Dr. Lillie Jones, Pat Gilbert, and Peggy Wilkerson.

Host District
The Salisbury District, under the leadership of President Pat Gilbert, is the host district this year for the School of Christian Mission and Annual Meeting. Thanks to all of you!

Link to Lake Junaluska Directions Web Page
Map of Assembly Grounds (PDF)

As soon as you get to Lake Junaluska, look for the bright yellow UMW Registration signs. Stuart Auditorium & Harrell Center are right next to each other on Lakeshore Drive. Parking surrounds the auditorium.

2007 Annual Meeting Program Book [PDF]
Includes full weekend program, report of the treasurer, officer list, calendar dates, etc.

President's Message - 20/20 Vision [Word] [PDF]
Report of the Treasurer (from Program Book) [Word] [PDF]
Pledge Service - Mission Helping Children [Word] [PDF]
Memorial Service - Next Stop: Zion [Word] [PDF]
Funny Business - Show 'n Tell [PDF]
Sunday School Handout - Music and Mission - Rev. Alec Alvord [Word] [PDF]

Order Form for DVDs and CDs of Annual Meeting Sessions
from Junaluska United Methodist Productions (J.U.M.P) [PDF]

The PURPOSE of United Methodist Women
The organized unit of United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church.