Tennessee Conference

United Methodist Women

2008 Annual Conference Report
The Purpose of United Methodist Women. The organized unit of United Methodist
Women shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to
experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative
supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the
global ministries of the church. As United Methodist Women we strive to fulfill our
purpose in the Tennessee Conference with many different opportunities to serve God.

The Tennessee Conference United Methodist Women’s theme for 2008 is “Making the
Most for Mission through Membership”. We are “Reaching for the Stars” with our
conference goal of a 5% increase in membership in United Methodist Women during
2007-2008.

The following is the 2008 Executive team for the Tennessee Conference United
Methodist Women:
♦ Joyce Clark, President
♦ Margaret Boyd, Vice President
♦ Caroline Martin, Secretary
♦ Judy Vecchione, Treasurer
♦ Nellie Settle, Spiritual Growth
♦ Diane Bennett, Social Action
♦ Rachel Pace, Membership–Nurture-Outreach
♦ Joy Lewter, Education & Interpretation
♦ Mary Ellen Knott, Secretary of Program Resources
♦ Berta Perkins, Communications

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 ♦ Lois Azar, Nominations Chair
♦ Members of the Nominations Committee
♦ Terry Guertin
♦ Dorthene Woods
♦ Glenda Smith
♦ Gwendolyn Smith-Sales
♦ Millie Hansen
♦ Helen Noffsinger
♦ Asieren Rhea Boyce
♦ Karen Geller
♦ Jerlean Bass, Dean, Christian Mission Event
♦ Gwendolyn Smith-Sales, Assistant Dean, Christian Mission Event
♦ Kimi Brown, Women’s Division Director
♦ Kathy Booker, Vice President, Southeastern Jurisdiction Core Planning Group
♦ Stephanie Edwards, President, Clarksville District
♦ Betty Ann Ogilvie, President, Columbia District
♦ Nancy Curtis, President, Cookeville District
♦ Barbara Lampley, President, Cumberland District
♦ Margaret Hicks, President, Murfreesboro District
♦ Eileen Vaughan, President, Nashville District
♦ Beverly Duke President Pulaski District

We remember and honor the Past Conference Presidents of the Tennessee Conference
United Methodist Women: Jean Pride, Jerry Fanning, Bettie Jean Richardson, Velma
Bunch-Jenkins, Ruth Tracy, Opal Ransom and Carolyn Binford and all other past
conference officers.

For 2008 our special offerings are designated as follows:

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 ♦ Birthday Dollars – Red Bird Missionary Conference
♦ Christian Mission Event Offering – Mission Giving
♦ Spiritual Life Retreat – Miriam’s Promise
♦ Annual Meeting – Bethlehem Centers
The theme for the 2008 Call to Prayer and Self-Denial is "Learning for a Lifetime". The
offering will Fund Programs addressing Education Issues at Mission Institutions related
to United Methodist Women and the General Board of Global Ministries - to be divided
between United States and international institutions.

“Called by Name” the Southeastern Jurisdiction Core Planning Group Quadrennial

Meeting of United Methodist Women will be April 4-6, 2008. Kathy Booker is the
nominee for President of the Southeastern Jurisdiction Core Planning Group for 2008-
2012. The Tennessee Conference nominees for Women’s Division are Carolyn,
Binford, Nellie Settle and Opal Ransom.

Each year the Tennessee Conference United Methodist Women sponsor the Christian
Mission Event which will be held July 16-19, 2008 at Scarritt Bennett Center in
Nashville.
• The spiritual growth study – I Believe in Jesus
• The issue study – Native American
• The geographical mission study – Israel and Palestine
There will be a class at night for adults and classes for children, youth and adults during
the day. The Christian Mission Event for 2007 had 154 people attending class, teaching
or leading the event. We had 8 youth and 2 children attend the event.

The 2007 Spiritual Life Retreat was attended by 210 people with wonderful music,
plenty of laughter and fellowship and the spirit of God was surely in our midst. The
2008 Spiritual Life Retreat will be held at Beersheba Springs on September 12-14.

Annual Meeting for the Tennessee Conference United Methodist Women will be October
11, 2008 at Columbia First United Methodist Church.

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United Methodist Women have a Green Team, which champions environmental justice.
The following are some of the issues that the Green Team has lifted up for us to be
involved in while we work to make our environment safer for all:
• UMW Green Team's Letter-Writing Campaign for Processed Chlorine-Free (PCF)
Paper
• Earth Day and the Environment
• Earth Day and the Roadside Trash - What Can We Recycle?
In 2008 we remember the MISSION of the Women’s Division:
“To work to build a supportive community among women; to be an advocate for the
oppressed and dispossessed with special attention to the needs of women and children;
and to engage in activities that foster growth in the Christian faith, mission education,
and Christian social involvement through United Methodist Women.”

Joyce Clark
President