05.28.25

Note from Derrick Scott III
Conference Co-Lay Leader

Hi friends —

Let me start out by thanking you for your efforts to embody the grace of Jesus Christ in your local congregations and faith expressions. As the Book of Discipline states, the witness of the laity is “the primary evangelistic ministry through which all people will come to know Christ and the United Methodist Church will fulfill its mission." Making disciples and transforming our communities is what we are here to do. I am grateful for the ways you lead, serve and offer your gifts for the work of ministry in your contexts. Again, please hear me say THANK YOU!

As most of you are aware, we are ONE WEEK AWAY from Annual Conference 2025. We will gather in Lakeland for a few days of worship, fellowship, and celebration of our shared ministry. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will awaken each of us to God's grace—grace that empowers our ministries and energizes our witness for Jesus Christ throughout Florida and beyond.

At the end of the day, nurturing and empowering disciples of Jesus Christ so that our communities are transformed is what it is all about. Let’s continue stewarding the Wesleyan witness in our local communities. I am cheering for you!

Awakening to Grace,

Derrick Scott III
Conference Co-Lay Leader

Around the UMC Connection

VIDEO Bishop Berlin’s Message to the Regional Gatherings
Bishop Berlin spoke at five regional gatherings across the state of Florida for clergy and laity in the beginning of May. During his message, he invited us to take a rooftop perspective to see more clearly what is happening in the world around our congregations and to consider how we might respond as Wesleyan Christians. Click HERE to watch the message, recorded at Harvest UMC in Bradenton.

UMNEWS: Minneapolis chosen for 2028 General Conference
During an online meeting, the Commission on the General Conference chose to hold the next session of The United Methodist Church’s top lawmaking assembly on May 8-18, 2028, in the Minneapolis Convention Center. Read the UMNews article HERE.

RMN Convocation: Uncharted July 24 - 27, 2025 in Madison, WI
The last General Conference left many of us hopeful for progress and inclusion. But between then and now, we’ve been buffeted by polycrisis: heightened cruelty, exclusion, and a shaky future of justice for LGBTQ+ people of all intersecting identities. In the swirling chaos: who do we say God is? And who do we say we are? Learn more about the Reconciling Ministries Network 2025 Convocation HERE.

UMCOR awards $2 million to support migrants as policies shift
In solidarity and support of vulnerable migrant communities facing heightened threats and uncertainty, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has awarded over $2 million in grants to two partner organizations working on the frontlines of refugee and immigrant support in the United States and around the world. Read more HERE.

Laity Space is the online information hub for the laity of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church.