Expect some changes this year at the Oklahoma Methodists' Annual Conference

The Oklahoma United Methodist Conference's annual meeting is set for Monday through May 26 in Oklahoma City.

Here are eight highlights of the annual gathering:

One meeting, two locations

As in previous years, the meeting will be at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 222 NW 15, and Oklahoma City University's Freede Center, NW 27 and Florida Avenue. The conference will open with a worship service at 7 p.m. Monday, with a pre-worship concert set for 6:30 p.m.

No disaffiliation discussion

Over the last few months, much has been said about the formation of the Global Methodist Church but that potential development, as it pertains to Oklahoma Methodists, won't be an official topic at the Oklahoma Methodists' annual meeting.

Unity and the good works of the church will be the focus of the coming gathering, said the Rev. Jimmy Nunn, bishop of the Oklahoma United Methodist Conference and Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference.

"Our annual meeting is going to focus on and celebrate the ministries that we're doing because what we're doing is inspiring," Nunn said. "We're continuing to hold fast to our purpose and encourage people to do that with us."

The disaffiliation pursuits of clergy and congregations will be the focus of a special annual conference gathering set for October. Disaffiliation consideration and voting will be conducted at that time.

Thus far, at least two churches, Asbury United Methodist in Tulsa and Mosaic United Methodist in Oklahoma City, have said they plan to sever ties with the denomination. Nunn said they must go through the disaffiliation process in order for their request to be voted on at the October meeting. Nunn said the Oklahoma Methodist conference has received other disaffiliation inquiries but he did not think any others had begun the disaffiliation process.

Oklahoma United Methodist conference is ever evolving

Nunn said he doesn't see this annual meeting as a last family gathering before some members depart through disaffiliation. He said that's because the makeup of the conference is always changing.

"Every year, we have closed churches, some years, we have new churches. Every year, we have clergy retire or move out of the conference and receive new clergy," Nunn said. "The Conference will be different but it's different every year."

No vote on Oklahoma United Methodist Conference's 2023 budget

Reports on legislative business and ministry will be heard during discussions beginning Tuesday, but delegates will not vote on the Oklahoma United Methodist Conference's 2023 budget until the special conference gathering in October.

Showing love for historic OCU chapel

"Faithful in Every Season," a celebration of the W. Angie Smith Chapel, will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, with a benefit concert at the chapel on OCU's campus, 2501 N Blackwelder. Money raised will help refurbish the chapel's stained glass windows. Tickets are $40. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to https://www.okumc.org/SpecialConcert.

Welcoming diversity

An ordination and commissioning service will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Luke's. Nunn said he's pleased to have a diverse group of individuals, in terms of both men and women and race/ethnicity, who will be ordained, commissioned or received as United Methodist ministers.

"This is one of our most diverse classes and that's intentional," he said.

Oklahoma United Methodist Conference is back in person

The 2022 annual meeting is the Oklahoma United Methodist Conference's first in-person annual conference gathering since 2019.

Conference to be livestreamed

The coming gathering will be livestreamed at https://www.okumc.org/acstreaming.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What you need to know about the Oklahoma United Methodist Conference