fundraiser has "run its course" no pun intended. Ultimately the members of this Annual
Conference will determine the future of this event.

What a privilege is has been for me to work with you to bring a measure of hope to so
many people within the bounds of the North Carolina Annual Conference.

Randy Maynard, RunAValk Coordinator

SOUTHEASTERN JURISDICTIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL

As SEJAC closes 1 1 years of ministry, continued growth is evident in service, as well as
in mission clarity, leadership, and fiscal strength. We celebrate the leadership of Gordon
Goodgame who retired as Executive Director on December 31, 1999, and we look forward
to new leadership in the new quadrennium.

We rejoice in the support of the Annual Conferences in the many aspects of SEJAC
ministry. Of particular joy is the support of The Mission and Ministry Fund that reached an
86% collection ratio during 1999 as compared to 84% during 1998. This fund provided
$ 1 ,587,079 for support of the Jurisdictional office, Junaluska capital funds. Ministry use, and
support of the seven Jurisdictional Agencies. The feasibility study for the Capital Funds
initiative was very encouraging and SEJAC is now in the silent phase of this project and plans
to begin a public campaign during 2000.
Ministry Division:

The Division celebrates 11,726 persons involved in ministry events during 1999. Of
great celebration is 5,734 youth involved in programs as compared to 2,727 in 1988. Lay
Ministry continues to touch lives and help grow persons spiritually in the jurisdiction. They
report contact with 16,108 persons outside Junaluska and 2,304 persons on the grounds
of Junaluska. Communications continues to reach persons in new and creative ways both
in the quarterly printed news magazine (16,000 each time) and with the www.sejac-umc.org
web site. The Church Cast Ministry now has 10 videos for web viewing and The Nicodemus
Project has 10 online courses available with many more in the offering. The web site reports
an average of 19,035 hits per day in the various sites. Outreach and Advocacy continues
to foster communications and be a spokesperson for the Racial/Ethnic population in the
Southeastern Jurisdiction. The Korean Methodist Church reports serving 56 churches in the
Jurisdiction, and SEJAC is working with North Georgia Conference to secure leadership for
Hispanic ministries. The staff continues to work on Strengthening The Black Church for the

2 r Century and the Bishop's Initiative on Children and Poverty. The challenge for the next



273 Reports

year for this division will be to sharpen mission focus and secure new leadership with a

programming portfolio.

Agencies:

Gulfside Assembly- Reports 4,998 visitors during 1999 and has begun a visioning
process for use of their remaining beautiful property for a Multi Cultural Complex.
Finance and Field Services are completing a feasibility study for a capital campaign of
$3.5 million.

Hinton Rural Life Center - Rendered 54 training or consultative events in 10 Annual
Conferences during 1999 with a contact of 1,200 persons. Their volunteer ministry
continues to grow with over 1,300 participants during 1999. They continue to have
property improvements and have just completed the purchase of 19.5 A of adjoining
property which has been paid for with donated funds.

SEJANAM - Had a leadership change during 1 999 from Bob Mangum to Ken Locklear.
They continue to focus on strengthening Native American Churches. Since 1995 they
have raised over $38,500 and sent a work team each year in outreach to Bolivia. Great
things happen when Mative American communities see themselves in mission.
SEMAR - Bob Pitzer retired after more than 30 years service to this ministry and Vergil
L Daughtery 111 has assumed leadership during 1999. Activities for 2000 include the first
Walk to Emmaus for the Deaf, construction of the first group home for Mative Americans
in The United Methodist Church, creation of additional conference agencies to serve
developmentally disabled persons and continued consulting and resource development.
United Methodist Volunteers in Mission - Also experienced a leadership change
during 1999 when Nick Elliott replaced Walter A. Whitehurst. They report 683 teams
in 1998 with 11, 506 team members who spent $8,067,321 and served in 40 countries.
Intentional Growth Center - Reports another significant year marked by record
attendance, continuance of proven programs, and several exciting new endeavors.
During 1999 they had 4,147 participants in 42 events. Dr. Jim Warren has also
informed the Board of his intention to retire during 2000.

Archives and History - Continues to serve as the repository for history and the
research center for the Jurisdiction. They also maintain an excellent museum which had
4,576 annual guests and they participated in the confirmation training for 1,408
confirmands.
Junaluska Division:

Significant property and plant improvements were made during 1999 as follows: The
Rose Walk - a joint effort of SEJAC and The Associates together spent $359,261 to stabilize
the shore and beautify the walkway; Bridge over the Dam - a joint effort of the Junaluska
property owners and SEJAC have committed $447,600 to replace the bridge which will be
re-opened March 2, 2000; SEJAC spent $785,343 to renovate the Apartments from
Missional Funds and Maintenance Reserves; The Terrace lobby, common areas, and
meeting rooms were refurbished at a cost of $249,396 from the maintenance reserve funds;
Lamhuth Center section sleeping rooms were refurbished at a cost of $258,406 from
maintenance reserve funds, the east and west wings will be completed before the summer of
2000; energy conservation has begun on the Terrace and Lambuth which will cost
$333,413 and is expected to result in annual energy savings of $68,328.

Lake Junaluska experienced a decline in the number of guest nights during 1999
(100,240 in 1999 compared to 112,194 in 1998). This is only the third decline in 10 years
of history but is a concern. Marketing efforts have been intensified, intentional hospitality
ministry has been expanded, and new programming is being pursued in order to reverse this
trend.

The residential community continues to grow with the addition of 24 new homes and
8 new condos under construction. A new residential services shop was completed for this
staff during 1999 thus completing the separation of the property management staff from
other Junaluska properties staff. The rapid growth of the community have dictated a need
for a new covenant of rules and regulations and architectural standards to be completed
during 2000.

C. David Snipes, Interim Executive Director



Reports



274



STATISTICIAN'S REPORT
(Table I - 1999)

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP 1998

1 Total full members reported at the close of last yr

2 Rec. this yr. on Confession of Faith or Restored

3 Received from other United Methodist Churches

4 Received from other denominations
5A Total removed by Charge Conference action
5B Removed by withdrawal

5 Ttl removed by Charge Conf action or withdrawn

6 Removed by transfer to other United Methodist

7 Removed by transfer to other denominations

8 Removed by death
9A Asian

98 Black + African Amencan
9C Hispanic
9D Native American
9E Pacific Islander
9F White

9 Total full members at close of this year

10 Av. attend, at the prin weekly worship service(s)

1 1 Number of persons baptized this year (all ages)

12 Prep mbrs now on roll(all bapt children under 19)

13 Num of persons on constituency roll (Par. 232.4)

14 Total enrolled in confirmation classes this year
SUNDAY SCHOOL

15 Number of leaders

16 Children in all classes and groups

17 Youth in all classes and groups

18 Adults in all classes and groups

19 Total church school membership

20 Av attendance in the Sunday Church School

21 Av attend in other ongoing classes/grp

22 Av attend in short-term classes/grp for learning

23 SS mbr joining the church on confession of faith
UNITED METHODIST MEN

24 Membership in chartered United Methodist Men

25 Amount paid for projects
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN

26 Membership in United Methodist Women

27 Amt pd for local church and community work
UNITED METHODIST YOUTH FELLOWSHIP

28 Membership in UM Youth Fellowship

29 Amount paid for projects
PROPERTY AND OTHER ASSETS

30 Value of church land, buildings and equipment

31 Value of church-owned parsonages and furniture

32 Value of other assets

33 Indebtedness on items 30, 31 , 32 at end of year

34 Other indebtedness

Table II -1999

BENEVOLENCES

35 World Service and Conference Benevolences

36 Ministerial Education Fund

37 Black College Fund

38 Afnca University Fund

39 Mission Initiatives

40 Total General Advance

41 Youth Service Fund
42A Human Relations



Change +/-



223,663


225,629




4,087


4,019


-68


3,383


2,969


-414


2,315


2,434


119


639


840


201


1,267


781


-486


1,906


1,621


-285


1,937


2,301


364


1,216


1,340


124


2,757


2,859


102


294


183


-111


5,319


5,781


462


93


164


71


2,497


2,299


-198


29


31


2


217,397


218,482


1,085


225,629


226,930


1,301


81,725


82,480


755


3,651


3,800


149


28,845


29,630


785


18,352


19.473


1,121


2,366


2,256


-110


13,377


13,793


416


24,445


24,024


-421


12,628


12,515


-113


46,129


46,396


267


105,942


96,728


-9,214


45,416


44,716


-700


23,475


22,595


-880


27,200


25,635


-1,565


2,270


2,361


91


8,367


12,046


3,679


533,528


766,873


233,345


25,970


28,319


2,349


933.974


1,171,889


237,915


10,661


11,238


577


445,951


490,632


44,681


639,780,191


689,504,865


49,724,674


74,203,516


71,015,880


-3,187,636


109,534,482


69,437,603


-40,096,879


42,669,265


53,657,628


10,988,363


2,267,800

19


3,375,236


1,107,436


1998


1999


+/-


3,223,839


3,206,206


-17,633


551,207


570,291


19,084


194.797


228,830


34,033


49,029


54,853


5,824


24,519


26,551


2,032


1,065,893


951,737


-114,156


4,790


4,852


62


11.926


11,115


-811



275



Reports



42B One Great Hour of Sharing

42C Peace with Justice

42D Native American Awareness Sunday

42E World Communion

42F United Methodist Student Day

42 Total General Church Offerings

43 Spint for Tomorrow

44 Conference Advance Specials

45 $10 Club

46 Higher Education

48 Health and Welfare agencies

49 Disaster Preparedness

50 Flood Relief not Remitted to Conference

51 Other benevolences paid directly by local church

CONNECTIONAL ADMINISTRATION FUNDS

52 Interdenominational Cooperation Fund

53 General Administration Fund

54 Junsdictional Administration Fund

55 Area and conference administration funds

56 Disthct Work Fund

CONNECTIONAL CLERGY SUPPORT

58 Pension and benefit funds remitted to GBOP

60 Distnct Supenntendents' Fund

61 Episcopal Fund

62 Equitable Salary Fund

63 Apportioned ministenal support

CLERGY SUPPORT LOCAL CHURCH

64 Pastor's base compensation

65 Associate's base compensation

66A Pastor's util. & other housing-related allow.
66B Assoc, util. & other housing-related allow.

66 Total Utilities/Housing
67A Pastor's travel

678 Associate's travel

67 Total travel paid

68A Other cash allowances paid to/for pastor
688 Other cash allowances paid to/for associate
68C Pastor's Medical Insurance paid by the church

68 Total other cash allowances

LOCAL CHURCH EXPENDITURES

69 Diaconal Minister(s) total compensation

70 Other staff compensation

71 Current exp. for program (inci church school)

72 Other current operating exp. (not incI prog exp.)

73 P&l pd on indebtedness, loans, mort., etc

74 Pd on bidgs/imprvmt (not incI funds borrowed)

75 UMW cash sent to Dist. or Conf. UMW Treasurer

76 Grand Total Paid

NOTE: The tables above are preliminary figures and



80,138


70,445


-9,693


7,753


8,513


760


17,313


14,381


-2,932


23,762


15,186


-8,576


7,344


9,803


2,459


148.236


129,443


-18,793


50





-50


391,791


390,305


-1,486


137,266


125,710


-11,556


1,328,249


1,205,946


-122,303


627,392


612,879


-14,513


5,513


1,102,999


1,097,486





1,424,117


1,424,117


3,472,286


3,697,293


225,007


1,224,857


13,861,455


2,636,598


30,145


34,692


4,547


98,685


105,547


6,862


126,981


128,212


1,231


1,041,187


1,300,876


259,689


654,103


754.515


100,412



1,951,101 2,323,842 372,741



3,326,753 3,327,984



1,231



1,242,839 1,105,418 -137,421

344,728 380,872 36,144

685,897 715,361 29,464

3.196.109 1.972.335 -1.223.774



8,796,326


7,501,970


-1,294,356


16,436,268


17,249,390


813,122


1,122,547


1,303,664


181,117


1,705,455


1,753,050


47,595


113,278


141,797


28,519


1,818,733


1,894,847


76,114


1,797,835


1,805,640


7,805


94,019


110,603


16,584


1,891,854


1,916,243


24,389


207,318


196,803


-10,515


22,059


22,507


448


2,788,183


3,061,631


273,448


3.017,560


3.280.941


263,381


24,286,962


25,645,085


1,358,123


593,063


562,635


-30,428


12,471,910


13,577,153


1,105,243


5,438,883


5,957,153


518,270


12,880,852


14,185,046


1,304,194


7,164,379


9,058,716


1,894,337


14,413.847


17.449.960


3,036,113


52,962,934


60,790,663


7,827,729


574,116


562,066


-12,050


99,796,296


110,685,081


10,888,785


are subject to change upon final audit



Reports 276

STATE OF THE CHURCH ADDRESS

It is my privilege today to bring to you the fourth and final State of the Church address
of this quadrennium. It's hard to believe that soon, four years will have passed since Linda
and I made our v^ay from Columbus, Georgia, to this eastern Nortn Carolina Annual
Conference.

In the year 1984, August, in Waycross, GA, 1 stumbled upon a text found in John
14:12. Very tnulu, I tell you the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do
and in fact, win do greater works than these, because f am going to the Father. I
stumbled reluctantly upon that verse of scripture; after all, I'm good at stumbling. Some of
you will remember (if you were at Edenton Street Church at what 1 have come to call the
great fall in" of September, 1996), when I was wonderfully welcomed, Linda and 1, into
North Carolina; that as I climbed the steps into the pulpit at Edenton Street Church, my toe
caught on the step and down 1 went - a humbling, memorable stumble. A humble,
memorable beginning for our ministry as you embraced Linda and me as bishop and wife.

Well, so it was in Waycross, GA, 16 years ago, that I stumbled upon a text that I had
wished for a long time had not been in the Bible. 1 was preparing for my first rounds of
charge conferences as district superintendent, and in the midst of that very familiar 14'
chapter of John, in verse 12, wnich 1 would have liked to have swept under the rug,
stumbled out on me. The works that I do, you shall do and greater works than this, shall
uou do because I go to my Father.

For so many years, that had been an intimidating passage of scripture. Jesus, it seems to
me, is saying, "You see what I've been doing. You're going to be doing that also, even
greater than I've been doing." And frankly, 1 didn't think I was doing them greater than
Jesus was doing them. I couldn't heal the blind. I couldn't feed 5,000. I couldn't calm the
storm. I couldn t walk on water. I couldn't do any of that. It was a verse of scripture that 1
did not understand, but God visited me in the Holy Spirit on that August morning, in my
devotional, and it dawned upon me in due time, what Jesus was saying to his disciples in
the great 14'^ 15'^ and 16'^ chapters of John where He is talking about the Holy Spirit.

what He is saying to His disciples and to all of us even here today is, "I'm going back
to the Father and Vm going to send my Holy Spirit; and when the Holy Spirit comes, 1 will
empower my church at its birth, equip it and resource it until it will move out across human
history, and in fact, will do what I have been doing - and do it even greater than 1 have been
doing it."

Suddenly, the meaning of that scripture came alive to me when I realized that at
Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came and the ordinary people began to do extraordinary things.
And the Church was born and throughout these years until this year 2000, the Holy Spirit
has been at work in the life of our church and around the world, in South Africa, Angola,
Mozambique, and in Horth Carolina.

So I came to North Carolina and some of you have heard me preach that sermon more
times than you want to hear it. 1 went into every district preaching that that's who we are.
We are the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we will do His work in the power of the
Holy Spirit around the world even greater than He did it in tiny little Palestine. He will put
His arms around the whole globe, and those things He began in Jerusalem and Judea, He
will do around the whole world.

Well, I said that to you as we began our ministry together, and as I stand here now in
the closing days of this quadrennium and in the opening days of a new millennium. I
recognize as we look back over these years, some of the marvelous things God has indeed
been doing in and through The United Methodist Church in the North Carolina Conference.
After preaching in over 200 local churches, moving among you in all kinds of times of joy
and circumstance and travail and pain and trouble and trial, I nave experienced with you the
movement of the Holy Spirit. Here are some things I have been seeing and observing and
I celebrate them with you today as signs that we are indeed doing the work of Christ in the
power of the Holy Spirit in North Carolina.

For example, as I've already alluded, God's grace has been abundant in eastern North
Carolina as we have undergone through these four years the deluge of Fran and Dennis and
Floyd, Floyd's devastating flood waters, and our most recent January blizzard. Our own
conference has a staff of 23 persons giving full-time attention to the recovery ministry,
including construction and pastoral care and volunteer services. We are especially grateful
to the Western North Carolina Conference and the Duke Endowment for all their support.
God has been good and the work of Christ has been and is being done.

Over these past four years, God's grace has been abundant as vital local church
ministry has unfolded in large and small and middle-size churches. In this quadrennium, we
have established 19 new congregations - 25 in the last five years. United Methodists all
across this nation are looking at North Carolina and sending people to look and talk about
our model, grateful for what they are seeing. 15,886 persons have made first-time pro-
fessions of faith in Jesus Christ. Our net growth in membership has been 6,000 people. Our
total membership has grown to 227,000, and average in worship attendance of plus 6%.



277 Reports

The emphasis on the Bishops' Initiative on Children and Poverty has given focus to
major work in local churches which has linked us to public schools and the expansion of
child care facilities and outreach to children who have been bom on the outside. The works
that I do, you shall do and even qreater works than these.

God's grace has been abundant in the commitment to mission beyond the four walls
and so many churches have been enlivened. One sign of this is the increasing percentage
of apportionments being paid - almost 96% last year - and all this during a period of
successive natural disasters. Thanks to the Sanford and Greenville districts for 100% payout
as they model for us and lead the way; and we are finally, although a long way from home,
beginning to make a dent in the large unfunded pension liability. We have a plan in place
that we think will meet this in a timely fashion out in this 2r' century. The works that I do,
you shall do and qreater works than these, shall you do.

The Raleigh Area has responded to the financial pivot point for Louisburg College,
given it new energy, and played a role in rescuing that oldest of two-year church-related
colleges in the nation. 1 have also been in dialogue with our other colleges, and the two
bishops in North Carolina will be sitting down in September with all of our United Methodist
institutions in North Carolina as we seek to work together about what our role will be in
Christian higher education.

I've had stimulating conversations with the faculty at Duke Divinity School in the last
two years and with individual faculty members. It was there that 1 met our esteemed speaker
for this week, where one of the faculty members said, "He's our resident saint. " And we can
begin to understand why. The works that I do, you shall do and greater works than these,
shall you do.

God's grace has been abundant as the Cabinet has sought to move eastern North
Carolina Methodism into the fuller values of racial inclusiveness. We have a long way to go.
The sin of racism is paramount and I will address it in a moment. This appointment year,
we have 25 congregations receiving pastors of racial, ethnic backgrounds other than that
of the majority of the members. A series of multicultural dialogues are going on now as we
look for ways to keep alive the richness of our diverse and inclusive community of faith. We
have not arrived but we are at least on the journey. The works that I do, you shall do and
greater works than these, shall you do.

God's grace has been abundant as the Conference has struggled with discernment of
God's will regarding homosexuality while seeking to interpret with clarity the official position
of The United Methodist Church. We have provided a forum across this Conference to give
all United Methodists here a chance to engage in biblical dialogue and share personal
stories around this issue. A dialogue group continues now in that second year of meeting
as we're talking to and loving one another even in our disagreement and hurt. Our recent
General Conference reaffirmed our Church's position on this issue, but it has reminded us
afresh and anew, that we are to be in ministry with and to all persons, including gays and
lesbians.

God's grace has been abundant as we have sought to organize ourselves in ways which
would help us minister more effectively. This Annual Conference will be considering later
this afternoon, the option of a new church structure and a connectional table as a way to
focus our vision for ministry, and 1 will share some clear visions I have in hopes of what will
happen around such a connectional table.

Our camping ministry has a new lease on life. We have organized it in a new way and
it has a new full-time director. For the first time in many years, we are addressing some of
the fundamental problems in the camping program, ana moving us in a new creative way
towards solutions for problems that have been around. I will speak to that in a moment in
my visions for the future.

We've added a full-time coordinator for Hispanic AAinistry to help us respond faithfully
to their increasing presence in eastern North Carolina, and he will be presented later this
week. The Board of Ordained Ministry has employed a coordinator of sexual ethics who will
work with our Board of Ordained Ministry and our pastors as we seek to live out fully and
wholjy ethical values among our clergy.

The Conference is bringing a full-time pastoral care director in ministry with clergy,
pastors, and families which you will look at and vote upon final formation later this week.
We know there is a desperate hunger and need in clergy families for deeper nurture and
pastoral care. The Conference is moving us creatively in that direction.

We've joined with the Western North Carolina Conference in a vital Discjple Bible Study
ministry. Do you know that since we gathered here last year, there are now 17 Disciple Bible
Study ministries in prisons in eastern North Carolina? A revealing incident around that
happened when one of our prisoners in the Elizabeth City District was transferred to a new
jail facility. He had been in Disciple Bible Study and the first question he asked when he got
to the new jail was, "Where is our Disciple Bible Study leader?" The works that I do, you
shall do, and greater works than these shall you do, because I go to my Father and the
Holy Spirit comes.

Now with Western North Carolina, we are joining hands with Disciple Bible Study in