Comments for North Carolina Annual Conference 2009 Blog

Comment on From Willimon After Their Ann. Conf. – NUMBERS by George Speake

George Speake — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:25:40 +0000

Well, it should be no surprise to everyone that I, as statistician, would love numbers too! The numbers have always reflected our health and vitality.

Comment on Clergy Counseling and Consultation by donald shields

donald shields — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:34:59 +0000

Taylor
Have you noticed the amount of blogging on this issue
versus the other issues?
Is there a way to communicate this reality to the powers
that be?
thanks

Comment on Clergy Counseling and Consultation by donald shields

donald shields — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:30:22 +0000

james
thank you for your comment.
It is just the point that this ministry was offered by the conference….
which made a huge statement that we care enough for our clergy
and recognize the need for such a ministry that we the annual
conference will pay for it…..
I believe we should go exactly the opposite direction of
voting to end this conference ministry….we should expand it.
I do not understand….I am perplexed as to why such a small
part of our conference budget which gives so much back for the
buck has been ended.
thank you

Comment on Conference to Return, be One Day Shorter by William H. Pearsall, Sr.

William H. Pearsall, Sr. — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:05:03 +0000

So, what is going to be cut out? We’ve already cut the retirement celebration to almost nothing. This use to be a time that pastors and laity looked forward to.

We’ve already cut the number of speakers that can speak to a motion, and the time they can speak is allotted.

We’ve made it harder for the common person to make a resolution, and limited them to one resolution per church, thus cutting down on the resolutions (and the time it takes to consider them)

To save time, and money, how about we cut out the ‘featured speakers’, whom I am sure don’t come for free. Besides, we have good speakers in our own conference, don’t we?

Comment on Clergy Counseling and Consultation by James

James — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:01:32 +0000

John,
you may find it hard to believe that the grants are not being used as often as you may think, but that’s the truth. I don’t want to believe it either and want to figure out how we can make those funds more easily accessible or more widely known.

Donald,
I understand what you’re saying about depression. I struggle with it myself and take medication for it everyday. Before being diagnosed, I didn’t want to speak to a professional so I completely understand your concerns but when my wife pushed me to get help and I made the choice to get help, mental health services in my community were completely accessible and quick to help. I understand the comfort many may feel with Jane Clark because I’ve also been her patient and I care for dearly. If someone stills wants to see Jane Clark after January 1, what obstacles to do you see in them continuing to see her as a BCBS provider?

Comment on Clergy Counseling and Consultation by Roger Armistead

Roger Armistead — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:38:22 +0000

Thank you Taylor for your clarity. That was a first for me on this site and it came across that moderation was in order. If the process you describe is a given and it sounds that way from your description it may be that another term could be used that does not imply editing. I think all of us are engaged in semantics from time to time and this is a good example. Thank you again for your precise explanation. Roger Armistead

Comment on Clergy Counseling and Consultation by taylormills

taylormills — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:00:55 +0000

Roger,
RE: Your comment about moderating your statement.

The blogging program we used on this blog automatically tells you that your comment is waiting to be “moderated.” What that means is that the software sent your comment to me and Derek Leek who are “moderators” of the blog. Perhaps moderator is not the best term, because it might imply some kind of editing process. We’re more like administrators. When your comments came to us, we knew that they weren’t abusive, obscene, etc. So we “moderated” them by “approving” them, which means they were posted to the site exactly as you wrote them. It’s in no way a request to you to moderate or modify or retract your statement. Thank you for contributing to the online discussions.
-Taylor Mills

Comment on Clergy Counseling and Consultation by Nita

Nita — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:05:04 +0000

We were very saddened to witness this decision as well. Jane Clark Moorman has not only been a valid and reliable resource for clergy families in our Conference (I know of quite a few), but she has been a great resource for pastors and their spouses as they minister to their congregations. We’ve often solicited her assistance in identifying local counseling resources and referrals for congregants in need.

Comment on Conference to Return, be One Day Shorter by Nita Hill

Nita Hill — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:54:55 +0000

The earlier June dates make it difficult for parents with school-age children,and spouses who are teachers, to attend Conference events, including the Clergy Spouse events, because of end-of-school exams, graduations, teacher workdays.

A few years ago, this was taken into consideration and new dates were scheduled for Annual Conference. I personally know of a couple of dozen people who did not attend the past few years due to the dates being in conjunction with the end of the school year in most locations.

Comment on Conference to Return, be One Day Shorter by Don B Caffee

Don B Caffee — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:11:06 +0000

This is a welcome change. Have arrangements for special rates been made with local motels?
Thanks,
Don