The Kerusso – July | 2022
Kerusso (Greek): “To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.”
As You Prepare for General Conference 2022
The excitement is building as final preparations are being made for GC2022. Here are a few more details to help you as you prepare to arrive at Ridgecrest Conference Center.
Driving Directions to Ridgecrest Conference Center 1 Ridgecrest Dr, Black Mountain, NC 28711 •From Interstate 40, take Exit 66 (Ridgecrest). •Turn left (if traveling east) or right (if traveling west) onto Dunsmore Ave. (.2 mi) •Turn right onto Old U.S. 70 (1 mi) •Ridgecrest is on the left. *Please note: The physical address does not work in most GPS systems and mapping programs. Please use the turn-by-turn directions provided above.
Ridgecrest Check-In Time: Regular check-in time at Ridgecrest is 4pm. They are asking that we do not arrive on
campus before Noon and you will want to grab some lunch before you arrive. Once you are at Ridgecrest, check-in at the front desk of Pritchell Hall. They will let you know if and when your room is ready.
Ridgecrest Conference Center Map
Johnson Spring (PTM registration & meeting rooms) Rhododendrun (dining)
g in rk a F Pa re A
Pritchell Hall (Ridgecrest check-in) Mountain Laurel (guest rooms)
M tn
. L a u rel West
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Laure Mtn.
Pa Arerking aE
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Stairs Covered Walkways Nibble Nook
No-Stairs Route
Joh nso Sprin n g
Other buildings
dru den
Din Roo ing m
T O o/F ld ro US m 70
Par k Are ing aB
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Pritchell Hall
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Clouds Coffeeshop
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Roots Retail
g ParkinC Area
g ParkinD Area
Main Entrance
While you are waiting for your room and/or for GC2022 to begin, you are welcome to enjoy the campus. There will also be open space on the 1st floor of Johnson Spring in Room 1C to gather for fellowship while you wait.
The Kerusso - July | 2022
Page 2
Kerusso (Greek): “To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.”
General Conference 2022 Preparations (continued) GC2022 Check In Begins: 12:30pm on the 1st floor of Johnson Spring Conference Begins: 3pm in Johnson Spring 2 (2nd Floor) Ladies and Men’s Banquets:
If you prepaid for the optional Ladies Lunch or Men’s Breakfast, pick up your ticket at GC2022 check-in. Tickets will only be available for those who have prepaid as a part of their GC2022 registration. Unfortunately we will not be able to add any additional attendees to either banquet at the conference.
Kid’s Kamp with DEEP Ministries You will soon be receiving an email from DEEP Ministries. Once you have received it and as a part of your preparations, please read the email and complete the consent form before you leave for the conference. Kid’s Kamp (nursery - 12 years old) will open 15 minutes before each business/plenary session and worship service. Room assignments will be given out at the conference Check-In table on the first floor of Johnson Spring. As a friendly reminder, please be considerate of the workers and pick up your child(ren) within 5 minutes after the business session or service is over.
Johnson Spring
Please note: we will not be able to add any babies or children to Kid’s Kamp at the conference. ROOMS
ROOM SIZE CLASSROOM
ROUNDS
THEATER
ROOMS
Youth Ministry with Jonathan and Lisa Moore
ROOM SIZE CLASSROOM
ROUNDS
THEATER
Board Room 23'x18' Fixed Exhibit You will soon be receiving an email from Youth 1 A-H 59'x120' 248Activities. Once you have received it and as a part of your preparations, Hall please read the email and complete the consent form before you2leave conference. from ages600 13-18 will A-C for the 63'x120' 396 Youth 432 follow their note 32 that their 40 meeting room is on the second floor of Johnson Spring room 5A. 1 A-Cspecific (each) schedule 29'x27' and should 27 2 A-C (each)
63'x40'
132
144
240
3-5 (each)
40'x40'
60
104
125
3-5 A-D (each)
20'x20'
12
29'x29' 32 45 at the conference. *Please note:1 Dwe will not be able to 36 add any additional youth 1 E-G (each)
30'x27'
27
32
40
1H
30'x29'
36
32
45
20
Johnson Spring
Numbers shown are maximum occupancy per space. ROOMS
ROOM SIZE CLASSROOM
ROUNDS
THEATER
ROOMS
248
Exhibit Hall
Board Room
23'x18'
Fixed
2 A-C
63'x120'
396
432
600
2 A-C (each)
63'x40'
132
144
240
3-5 (each)
40'x40'
60
104
125
3-5 A-D (each)
20'x20'
12
1 A-H
59'x120'
1 A-C (each)
29'x27'
27
32
40
1D
29'x29'
36
32
45
1 E-G (each)
30'x27'
27
32
40
1H
30'x29'
36
32
45
ROOM SIZE CLASSROOM
ROUNDS
THEATER
20
Numbers shown are maximum occupancy per space.
Not Attending GC2022? Please be praying even if you will not be on site at GC2022. There are EMCers traveling from
all over the world by plane and car that will greatly appreciate prayer for their protection. The Conference will also be appreciative of the extra prayer support for wisdom and direction most especially during business sessions. Worship services will be live-streamed on the EMC Facebook page Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings at 7:30pm eastern. The Tech Support team will be grateful for the added prayer over all the details needed for a smooth event. Last but not least, be praying for the 70 children and their teams of workers that everyone would be healthy and safe. Thanks for praying. CLASSROOM
ROUNDS
THEATER
The Kerusso - July | 2022
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Kerusso (Greek): “To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.”
Rev. Jim Coulston - A Legacy of Service
(by Rev. Max Edwards)
This coming General Conference will be a wonderful time to connect, share, and learn. It promises to provide some memorable moments, but maybe none more special than our opportunity to celebrate the legacy of one of the longest-serving elected officers in EMC history. Rev. James Coulston will be officially retiring from his post as General Secretary / Treasurer. Just three days after the conference concludes, Jim will have given 25 faithful years of service to the EMC in this important post. He was appointed by General Council to step into the role of Secretary/Treasurer on August 1, 1997 as the Lord had drawn former secretary Vernon Perkins to go back to service in Mexico. He was then elected by the General Conference in Virginia Beach, Virginia in 1998 and every quadrennial conference from then until now. Many things could be said about his devotion to the EMC that this article does not afford the space for. Among the highest of his godly attributes would be his obvious love for people. Jim was ordained in 1978 as a traveling Elder at a Central Lakes District Conference meeting held at Vennard College. Before stepping into the role of General Secretary, Rev. Coulston served for 20 years as a local church pastor to three EMC congregations: Defiance, Ohio; Fairmount, Illinois; and Shelbyville, Indiana. These churches were all blessed by his humble spirit and insightful teaching. He has also served as a District Secretary, District Treasurer, Chair of the General Board of Youth Activities, led the Publications Department, and has spent time working on the General Board of World Missions. He even briefly served as an acting District Superintendent, and was youth camp cook for a time. Wow!! He and his amazing bride Grace have given of themselves joyously in the Lord’s service, and she has been a support to Jim in all of his various roles. Grace, herself, has been elected to various committee roles over the years, has volunteered in organizing and hosting local, regional, and national events, and has served in a variety of roles in the local churches they have pastored. Mark Twain reportedly said, “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind read,” and Jim Coulston speaks that language very well. His wisdom is invaluable, and he is one of the most humble men I have ever known. I’ve been blessed by Jim since my coming into the EMC in 1997, but these last four years serving alongside him in a more direct way have been a treasure I won’t likely forget until senility robs me of my memories. I’d like to ask you to help me celebrate the legacy service of Rev. James Coulston in a grand way at this General Conference in July. The denomination will be giving him and Grace a monetary thank you to help them achieve a goal of a Caribbean Cruise with their whole family later this year. PLEASE DON’T FEEL PRESSURED, but you are INVITED to join us in celebrating Jim’s retirement by bringing the Coulston’s a personal card from you and/or your church to Conference. If you wish, you may choose to include a small cash gift, as a further expression of your appreciation. A basket of cards will be presented to Jim and Grace in one of the sessions, so if you choose to do so, bring your card to the EMC check-in table when you come to get your materials and name badges, and my wife Judy will be there to receive them and bundle them with the others. Some of you may be wondering what the transitional plan is regarding the future, so just a word about that. With joy unbounded, I’m pleased to announce that the Board of Finance and Jim have worked together to form a plan for Jim to stay on for a period of years as a part-time bookkeeper, working for and with the next elected General Secretary/Treasurer. This is an incredible blessing to us in at least two ways: First, we get the benefit of Jim’s knowledge of our somewhat intricate software system, and he will be helping the newly elected General Secretary settle into the role with the comfort of knowing they have an amazing human resource for training and transition. And second, it will help us meet yet an even higher level of sound fiscal policy and auditing standards having two employees serving in corresponding roles in our monetary processes. The elected Secretary is the office manager of the headquarters complex, and for many years now the Secretary and Treasurer have been the same person. We believe that can continue for the foreseeable future so long as an adequately trained person in accounting practice is elected as Conference Secretary.
The Kerusso - July | 2022
Kerusso (Greek): “To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.”
Page 4
GC2022 Ladies Luncheon Information: Greetings Ladies from your Evangelical Methodist Women Board! We hope that you are getting excited as the time for General Conference 2022 draws ever so close. It will be a tremendous time of fellowship and renewing of friendships from across the country. We are looking forward to meeting our guest speaker, Debbie Childers, and hearing from her as she shares her love for the Bible combined with reallife lessons and laughter. We would like for those ladies that have signed up for the EMW Luncheon to bring a small item from your ladies group that can be used as a door prize. Nothing large or expensive, just a memento from your church group to another. Thank you in advance for helping to make General Conference 2022 and the EMW Luncheon amazing! Looking forward to seeing you there! . Blessings from the EMW Board - Tammy Hammond, Lisa Walker, Kenda Caulkins, Sonya Penny, and Kelly Davis
A GREAT RESURRECTION OFFERING! Each of our global conferences: Mexico, Myanmar, Asia Pacific and CFAN have active church plants and revitalizations in progress. In past articles, I’ve written about some of these. What amazing servants these pastors and ministers are … sacrificing to plant these churches with little or no budget. As many of you know, church planting takes resources, which means that the church planter family pays for many things out of their own pocket through sacrificial, bi-vocational work. God is certainly pleased with such devotion! But that doesn’t mean we can’t come alongside and help as God stirs our hearts to partner with some of them. This year was the second time that the Board of World Missions has promoted the Resurrection Offering—a life-giving offering for missions. Last year the offering was divided between the conferences for direct pastoral relief at the height of the pandemic. How we wish we could do more, to provide lasting relief to all these faithful pastors, but that is something for the “God basket.” (That’s a reference to the 2012 movie, “Christmas Angel,” starring Della Reese.) Your giving this year came to just over $7,000 dollars! This will give a modest help to each of the conferences for church planting or church revitalization, or the new mission field in Shan State, Myanmar. Beyond that, the specifics are up to the conference leaders. They live there and know the needs better that we possibly could. These funds were distributed at the end of June, so they are already being put to work! Thank you for your generosity and concern for our EMC brothers and sisters around the world. MISSIONS PRAYER ZOOM: We continue to hold weekly prayer meetings for needs of the EMC conferences around the world, each Wednesday night at 10pm Eastern. You are invited to join anytime you are able. The Meeting ID is 838 6265 4366 and the Password is 596321. You may also use this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83862654366?pwd=Cpfkuv4oir52zD2aw5zHpXjzxs_dVz.1 GLOBAL CONFERENCE PRAYER LIST: Each week I send a prayer list email with requests compiled from the four global conferences. If you’d like to receive that document, please let me know by sending me your name and email address. (Text to 706 -255 -3450 or email to billwalkeremc@gmail.com). Bill Walker, Board of World Missions, Chair