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.
Your support of the World Service Fund apportionment supports program-related general agencies, which are especially important to the common vision, mission, and ministry of The United Methodist Church.
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. We also encourage booth attendees to offer the names of other founders of the denomination, especially those outside the England/U.S. narrative, as we compile 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 roll out 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 Conference. 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, 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 multiple year delay, benefits the Ministry of Memory. Deadline to order shirts is March 20 for delivery before General Conference. Shirts may be ordered at this link.
GCAH leaders call on all folks 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.
press release by Crystal Caviness, Media contact, United Methodist Communications
The World Service Fund provides basic financial support to program-related general agencies, which are especially important to the common vision, mission, and ministry of The United Methodist Church. Through World Service funding, agencies support annual conferences and local congregations in living out God’s mission for the worldwide Church. General agencies also provide essential services and ministries beyond the scope of individual local congregations and annual conferences through services and ministries that are highly focused, flexible, and capable of rapid response.
