"Stewards of God's Grace" was the theme of the North Indiana Annual Conference held June 1-3 at Purdue University in West Lafayette with more than 1,000 lay and clergy members in attendance.

Indiana Area Bishop Mike Coyner invited Dr. Randy Maddox, professor of Wesley studies at Duke Divinity School, who taught four sessions on John Wesley's view of conferencing, stewardship, grace and salvation.

Following a one-hour session considering the formation of a new annual conference with the South Indiana Conference, a written ballot was received on whether or not to form a task force to draw up a plan to form a new conference. The ballot will be announced next week following the South Indiana Annual Conference session on forming a new conference. If approved, a plan for a new Indiana Conference will be voted on in 2007.

In other major business, the conference approved a plan to raise $16 million to upgrade three seasonal camp facilities and develop Epworth Forest near North Webster, Ind., into a major year-round facility including a new auditorium for youth and adult camps, conferences and retreats. A feasibility study will review the campaign goal.

The Conference Council on Finance and Administration reported the success of the new sharing ministries Tithe Plus in lieu of conference apportionments and the development of a realistic conference budget. Under this tithing plan, churches remit monthly to the conference treasurer, one-tenth of their income excluding capital campaign income. General and jurisdictional church apportionments are also expected above the tithe.

The conference approved a 2007 expense budget of $10 million, a 3.29 percent increase over the 2006 amount of the current $9.7 million budget.

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of full clergy right for women, the Rev. Jean Brindel, preached at the memorial service. Brindel was the first woman ordained and made a full clergy member of the conference in 1977. Currently, there are 163 women in ministry in North Indiana including two district superintendents. Clergy women at the conference wore a commemorative scarf.

Africa University's Dr. Fanuel Tagwira, dean of the agricultural school, told members that AU students are playing a reconstructive role in rebuilding countries across Africa. Indiana Area's Operation Classroom collected a truck load of anti-dust chalk and copy paper for partner schools in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of Mississippi thanked by video the churches of North Indiana for their volunteers in mission teams which helped hundreds of Gulf Coast residence recover their homes and built the Seashore District Volunteer Center at Heritage UMC in D'Iberville, Miss.

The Rev. Darryl Tate, a minister of the New Orleans District in Louisiana and director of the Louisiana United Methodist Disaster Recovery Ministry, personally thanked North Indiana churches for their partnership in assisting Louisiana hurricane survivors to recover their homes.

The Advance for Christ and His Church recognized North Indiana for contributing a conference record $2.7 million in 2005 which included funds used in rebuilding the Methodist Church in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

To encourage better health among clergy, the conference provided Health Flex Plan members a free health screening during annual conference.

The conference approved a resolution on Darfur which encourages churches to give to Darfurian relief, support legislation to sustain humanitarian aid to Darfur and asks the State of Indiana to divest any funds going to Sudan in protest of that government's treatment of Darfurians. The conference approved another resolution to support state-wide efforts to decrease the use of tobacco in Indiana. A third resolution requested churches to receive an offering to go to the Global AIDS Fund.

The conference gave its $14,395 gift, from the United Methodist Publishing House to clergy pensions, to the Central Conference Pension Fund.

Bishop Coyner ordained nine elders, two deacons and commissioned six probationary clergy. The conference retired 12 clergy.

Membership stands at 98,299, down 1,050 from the previous year. Average weekly worship attendance stands at 68,496, up 37 from the pervious year. Average weekly church school attendance stands at 26,231, down 6,204 from previous year. However, due to a change in definition to include all spiritual formation groups in church school statistics, enrollment stands at 70,350, up 13, 799.

More North Indiana Annual Conference reports can be found at www.nicumc.org. Click on Annual Conference Session.

Memorials to remember Bishop Leroy Hodapp can be given to one of three United Methodist-related organizations:

Send your memorial gift, designated to one or more of these organizations noted in the check memo, to the Indiana United Methodist Foundation for distribution. Make check payable to the Indiana Area United Methodist Foundation, and send to Indiana Area United Methodist Foundation, 1100 West 42nd Street, Suite 210, Indianapolis, IN 46208.

On Monday, June 5, ballots from both the Detroit Annual Conference and the West Michigan Annual Conference, which had been properly sealed, were opened and counted by respective conference secretaries, Linda A Schramm and the Rev. Kathy Cadarette, in the Michigan Area Office, under the supervision of the Rev. Terry Euper, Clergy Assistant to the Bishop. The results of those votes are as follows:

As a result of this vote, both West Michigan and Detroit Conferences have approved the following legislation:

The Michigan Area Cooperation Task Force moves that the West Michigan Annual Conference declare its intention to unite with the Detroit Annual Conference to create a new annual conference in the Michigan Area. We believe this strategic change will allow the Michigan Area to better fulfill its mission of strengthening the local church for the purpose of "making disciples of Jesus Christ" for the transformation of the world. Further, we request that the bishop of the Michigan Area appoint a transition team who will assist the bishop in designing the new Michigan Area Annual Conference. The transition team will report at the 2007 sessions of the Detroit Annual Conference/West Michigan Annual Conference, with a final vote of affirmation by June 15, 2008 (Petition #1 - 2006 West Michigan Annual Conference and Resolution #5 - 2006 Detroit Annual Conference.)

In accordance with the decision Bishop Keaton will be appointing the Transition Team to carry out the work outlined in the Resolution.

To complete the requirements of the procedural motion, this information is being provided to district offices, conference offices, and the Michigan Christian Advocate for their posting on respective websites.

To view the full wording of the petition, including the rationale, visit http://wmcsite.brickriver.com/page.asp?TableName=oPages_6KF3UU&PrimaryKey=oPages_6KF3UU_ID&PKValue=1163.