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From Desert Southwest Conference
Selfies with Methodism’s early founders, a history trivia night, legislation and more will be on the agenda when the General Commission on Archives and History (GCAH) attends General Conference 2020, scheduled for April 23-May 3, 2024, at Charlotte, N.C.
GCAH will have a booth presence in the exhibit space, where attendees will find life-sized replicas of Methodism’s earliest founders with original artwork by Charlie Baber of the Wesley Bros. The founders, including the Wesleys, Francis Asbury, Philip Otterbein and Harry Hosier, will be available for selfies. The commission also encourages booth attendees to offer the names of other founders of the denomination, especially those outside the England/U.S. narrative, as it compiles a 'Who’s Who of Methodism.'
GCAH, the United Methodist Church agency charged with promoting and preserving the denomination’s history, will launch a couple of initiatives while at the historic legislative gathering.
GCAH is partnering with ethnic caucuses and others to capture the oral histories of select United Methodists while at General Conference with the new United Methodist Stories app. The application is being beta tested before a full rollout later in 2024, with Dr. Ashley Boggan D., GCAH’s general secretary, interviewing a limited number of General Conference attendees to capture their thoughts about the event.
In partnership with Discipleship Ministries, a new Certified Lay Ministers Ministry of Memory class will launch at General Conferece. This new module is an addition to Discipleship Ministries’ current offering of multiple classes aimed at strengthening the lay minister’s role in the local church.
While at General Conference, Dr. Boggan and Dr. Meredith Hoxie Schol, professor of theology at Drew University, will teach a Methodist history course to a group of Drew theology students who will be attending General Conference. The unique educational opportunity is in partnership with the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
In preparation for General Conference, GCAH has designed a special event shirt. Proceeds from the shirt, which playfully acknowledges the mutliple year delay, benefits the Ministry of Memory. Deadline to order shirts was March 20 for delivery before General Conference. Shirts may be ordered at this link.
GCAH leaders call on all attendees at General Conference with the special themed shirts to wear them in solidarity on Tuesday, April 30. That day concludes with a Methodist History Trivia event, hosted by GCAH, at The Public House. Learn more, as well as register a trivia team, at this link.
In traditional GC business, GCAH has submitted petitions for the legislative body to consider. Details about the petitions can be found here.
For more information about GCAH’s General Conference presence, visit ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory/GCAH-at-General-Conference.