The 56th session of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference was held June 20-23, 2024, in a hybrid format. We honored our theme of “Being Well” with participants joining us via Zoom or in person at Tigard United Methodist Church. Greater Northwest Episcopal Area Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth presided over the three-day session, which included a laity session and clergy session.
Over the course of three days, Conference members were led through worship services by a team of volunteers and coordinated by the guest worship arts coordinator, Jorge Lockward. Bridgeforth preached the opening sermon, the Rev. Ryan Scott preached at the memorial service and the Rev. Danna Drum preached at the celebration of ministries worship service.
In his opening sermon, Bridgeforth referenced the story of the Woman at the Well from John 4: 4-17 and how Jesus came for rest and found himself engaged in a conversation with a woman who was a Samaritan – not like the others in Jesus’ midst. He encouraged Conference members to consider what it means to be a “Bad Methodist” and step out in faith to do more than what we know as our tradition and experience to fully embrace the wholeness of Jesus in our midst with a mindset of wellness.
“How different would your life be if you checked on your community and not just your congregation?” Bridgeforth said.
To honor the theme of wellness, during plenary sessions members were reminded of their call to care for physical, mental, spiritual and ecological well-being through a series of videos highlighting local ministries. Reports also came from the Circle of Indigenous Ministries, the Faith Foundation Northwest, Claremont School of Theology and more.
Three separate sessions were held to discuss Greater Northwest ministry priorities in small-group discussions both online and in person. Additionally, Conference members were led through conversations about equity with participants from the Greater Northwest Area Equity Cohort.
Annual Conference members approved several pieces of legislation related to shared values and desires for community engagement. Members approved an action request to divest from fossil fuels, supported an action request to encourage churches to supply opioid reversal agents, additional transition leave for clergy changing appointments and more.
As delegation leads, the Rev. Wendy Woodworth and Jan Nelson celebrated what it means to be fully recognized as LGBTQ+ children of God now in the church after the historic General Conference 2024. While there is room to celebrate, there was also an acknowledgment that healing needs to begin.
After robust conversation about accountability, transparency and questions about intent and outcomes, Conference members approved a motion from the Board of Trustees to sell some church property up to $750,000 to fund the Oregon-Idaho Conference Congregational Development Team, which supports the work of innovation and vitality.
On Saturday afternoon, June 22, lay members met online and in person in the gym of Tigard United Methodist Church to hear reports of different lay ministries. They also listened to interviews with Conference Lay Leader nominees, Paul Nickell and Cynthia Abbey. Ultimately, lay members voted to re-elect Nickell as Conference Lay Leader for another quadrennium.
The clergy session was held online and in the sanctuary of Tigard, with clergy voting on a number of issues in closed session.
Saturday afternoon, Conference lay members elected Paige Lowery as their new lay delegate to Western Jurisdictional Conference, with Sara Goetze and Paul Nickell being elected as the first and second lay delegates, respectively. Clergy elected the Rev. Jorge Rodriguez as their new clergy delegate to the Western Jurisdictional Conference.
Conference concluded on the morning of June 23, with a celebration of ministry worship service that recognized the individual gifts that laity, elders, deacons and diaconal ministers, certified lay servants and licensed local pastors all bring to the work of local churches and ministry. Bridgeforth “fixed” the appointments to local ministries.
With the laying on of hands by the bishop, surrounded by family members and supporters, the Revs. Thomas Orquiza-Renardo and Michael Conner were formally and prayerfully welcomed into ministry as an ordained elder in full connection and provisional elder, respectively.
The dates for Annual Conference 2025 were announced as June 19-22, 2025, but a location has not been set.
Kristen Caldwell, conference communications manager, Oregon-Idaho Conference