Six new leaders ordained and commissioned Friday

The six candidates for ordination and commissioning in the Oregon-Idaho Conference did not walk into Friday night’s worship service as individuals.

Instead, this tight-knit group of clergy candidates have been meeting via Zoom calls and in person since February’s Special Called General Conference to discern their path, even as they answered the historic questions of faith and promised to uphold the Book of Discipline.

“Initially, right after General Conference, I was questioning everything,” said Eric Conklin.

Conklin was ordained as a deacon and Anna Cho as an elder in full connection, while Nicole Berry, Taylor Gould, Scott Ostlund and Jorge Rodriguez Vasquez were commissioned as provisional elders.

The group drafted a letter to the Annual Conference, which Gould read part of before prayers were issued and hands were laid on them.

The group said they disapproved of the harmful actions caused by the 2019 Special Called General Conference, specifically to LGBTQ+ individuals who are also children of God.

Gould said the six candidates feel compelled to uphold their baptismal covenant to resist evil, injustice and oppression wherever they may find it.

Read more of this story on the Conference website.

New legislation up on Conference website

New legislation that came out of Thursday and Friday's Table Talk discussions is available for viewing and download on the Conference website.

Visit www.umoi.org/legislation for the latest. 

Woodworth, Nelson elected GC2020 delegates

While voting is still ongoing for reserve clergy and lay delegates to General Conference 2020 and the Western Jurisdiction, the Conference did affirm two unique voices to be there main representatives.

Jan Nelson, Conference lay leader, was once again approved as the lay delegate while Rev Wendy Woodworth was selected as the lead delegate for clergy. 

Both women are openly gay leaders in the Oregon’s-Idaho Conference based out of Morningside UMC Ooen Door Ministries in Salem.