Two Sections, Section A INSIDE


From the Bishop Pages 2A


*Laity School * Special Sunday


Page 3A


Summer Camp Page 4A-5A


C.O.R.E. Contest


Page 6A


* Annual Conference * Change the World


Page 7A


Around the Conference Page 8A


From the Bible Proverbs 17:17


A friend


is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.


Happy Easter


Delegates prepare for episcopacy process


The New Mexico Annual Conference will receive a new episcopal leader Sept. 1. For the past 12 years, Bishop


D. Max Whitfield has served the New Mexico/Northwest Texas area. He will retire as an active Bishop Aug. 31 and begin ser- vice as Bishop in Residence at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. The delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conference have been engaged in the process for electing new episcopal leader- ship for the Jurisdiction. Daniel Ivey-Soto and Jeff Lust serve on the South Central Jurisdictional Episcopacy Com- mittee (SCJEC) through the July 2012 Jurisdictional Conference. However, Ivey-Soto has re- signed from this committee and the delegation has named Don- na TeBrink to finish his term for this quadrennium. TeBrink, Lust and the SCJEC met with current bishops in the jurisdiction Feb. 6-7. The Juris- diction is blessed with outstand- ing leadership from bishops. Four bishops, including Whit- field will retire later this year. Because the jurisdiction will re- duce the number of bishops by one, three new episcopal leaders will be elected at Jurisdictional


Conference in July 2012. Both the New Mexico and Northwest Texas delegations recently met in Lubbock to in- terview nine persons who have been endorsed by annual con- ferences or others for the epis- copacy.


Episcopal candidates are re- quired to submit written answers to questions created by the Ju- risdictional Episcopal Commit- tee prior to the interview. Each Jurisdictional delegate will vote for episcopal candidates. Members of the delegation are in prayer and request your prayers as the process unfolds. Lust, clergy delegate from the New Mexico Conference, had previously been endorsed for the episcopacy. He offered the following statement: “I regret to inform you that I have chosen to with- draw from consideration as a candidate for election for Bishop due to family concerns. This has been a very difficult decision to make, but has been made with much prayer and conversation with very trusted friends and mentors. I am deeply apprecia- tive of the endorsement by the New Mexico and Northwest


(See BISHOPS, Page 8A)


070000


Vol. 158, No. 49


April 6, 2012 Connecting Links By WILL STEINSIEK, Archivist


2012 Living Archive honorees named


Ever since 1986, the Commit-


tee on Archives and History has selected two people each year as “Living Archive” Honor- ees. Each of these persons was nominated by one of their peers, either clergy or lay, and then se- lected by the committee from a long list of people who have given exemplary service to the New Mexico Conference. We cannot hope to so honor everyone who may deserve such recognition, but the result has become a select list of names of people whose work and spirit still provide hope and inspira- tion to us all.


If the list went even further back in time, it might have in- cluded Thomas and Emily Har- wood, who came to New Mex- ico in 1869; Clarence Schlot- terbeck who came to Amistad in 1908 and helped create the North Texas Conference of the United Brethren; Mellie Perkins who answered the call in 1912 to start McCurdy School in the Espanola Valley, and a host of other names.


Our intention, however, is to recognize such people now who, like the heroes of our past, have a story to tell us. We ask the re- cipients to write a brief reminis- cence of their life and service to be placed in the archives for future generations.


In the past the names were first announced at Annual Con- ference, surprising even the recipients. In recent years, we have found it better to let the local church they attend be the


first to know and honor those who have been selected. Accordingly, First United Methodist Church in Odessa re- cently recognized David Wey- ant as the 2012 Clergy Living Archive and presented him a certificate.


As a graduate of McMurry University and the Moravian Theological Seminary in Penn- sylvania, Weyant first served appointments in Central and Eastern Pennsylvania from 1964 to 1976. Then, from 1977 to 2005, he served a number of appointments in New Mexico. He served as the District Su- perintendant for the El Paso District in 1997, before becom- ing the District Superintendant for the Odessa District in 1998. He served on the first general church committee on Equitable Compensation, the Board of Ordained Ministry and numer- ous other committees along the way. Weyant was an alternate del- egate for the Jurisdictional Con- ference in 2004 and the General Conference in 2008. After his retirement he also served on the Board of the New Mexico Con- ference Methodist Foundation. The Committee on Archives and History is pleased to add Weyant’s name to the list of Living Archives and will pres- ent a plaque to him this year at Annual Conference in Albu- querque. We also are pleased to rec-


(See LINKS, Page 8A)


The United Methodist Reporter (USPS 954-500) is published weekly by UMR Communications, 1221 Profit Drive, Dallas Texas 75247-3919. Periodicals postage paid at Dallas Texas and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The United Methodist Reporter. PO Box 660275, Dallas Texas 75266-0275.


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