Each year, representatives from every United Methodist Church in the California-Pacific Annual (regional) Conference gather in at the University of Redlands. The California-Pacific (Cal-Pac) Annual Conference is made of roughly 80,000 members in nearly 360 congregations in Southern California, parts of Central California, Hawaii, the Pacific Islands, Guam, and Saipan. The annual gathering is for the celebration of ministries, the commissioning and ordination of candidates and provisional clergy, a celebration of retiring clergy, and for the ordering and administration of our Annual Conference.
Our theme this year will mirror the theme of the recent General Conference in Portland, OR: “Therefore Go… Proclaim, Lead, Nurture, Send.” The Conference will address issues of pension and health benefits for active and retired clergy, minimum salary standards for clergy and Conference lay staff, nominations for the election of a new Bishop in the Western Jurisdiction, and much more. Lay members from PB UMC will be Ndinda Spada and Rick Cook; in addition, representatives from our District will be Scott Caprio and David DeBus. Following the Annual Conference, look for reports from our representatives in our Beach Breeze.
The Cal-Pac Annual Conference takes place from Wednesday, June 16, 2016, through Saturday, June 18, 2016, and will be led by Los Angeles Area Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño. In addition, the Annual Conference will welcome special guest Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda, Resident Bishop of the Eastern Congo Episcopal Area.
Worthy of particular celebration during this Annual Conference will be the Ordination service taking place the evening of June 18 where our own Pastor Bob Rhodes will be ordained as an Elder in Full Connection of the Annual Conference. In addition, Pastor Darin Arntson – who has been a guest at PB UMC a number of times – will also be ordained into the same Order. Let us hold both Bob and Darin in prayer as each celebrate this special achievement.
UPDATE: The Annual Conference including the Ordination Service will be live-streamed. Follow this link for information on the Conference and the live-stream! The Ordination service is scheduled to begin at 7:30pm on Saturday, June 18, 2016.
