Over the last weekend in May, the Michigan United Methodist Church Conference was held in Traverse City. This gathering of United Methodists included clergy and laity intending to pass legislation, learn about what other churches are doing, and enjoy time of fellowship. This year, Chelsea First sent four members to represent our church in the voting actions at the conference. Those members were Andrea Alford, Jeff Melvin, Nolan Peterson, and Annette Weeks. There were other Chelsea First members there as clergy, retired clergy, and laity members.

Conference Theme

The theme of the 2026 Conference was Love Boldly. Taken from the UMC vision of “Love boldly. Serve joyfully. Lead courageously.” Bishop Bard opened the conference on Friday with a sermon about being an “accidental Methodist.” He said that through God’s grace and love, he found his way into his faith and the Methodist tradition. He continued to talk about how looking back at our traditions can propel us forward to “be bold as love.” Bishop Bard’s sermon can be found on the Michigan UMC website.

Guest Speaker, Dr. Ashley Boggan

The tradition of the Methodist church was highlighted by our guest speaker, Dr. Ashley Boggan. Dr. Boggan is a historian who walked us through the history of the Methodist church from John Wesley’s early days to the present. She taught us to embrace the “vile-tality” of the early Methodists who turned the ideas of religion on its head. She taught that we need to use this history to keep us moving forward, not to be passive. You can watch both of Dr. Boggan’s teaching sessions on the Michigan UMC Website.

Legislation Voting

We also voted on various legislation for our conference. This included the redistricting of our conference from 7 districts to 4 districts. Due to this switch, Chelsea First is now a part of the Greater Detroit District. Our Superintendent is now Rev. Dr. Darryl Totty. We also voted on continuing and strengthening our Anti-Racist Anti-Bias training for clergy and laity in the church. Finally, we voted on statements on social issues, including a call for accountability and an end to racial profiling by ICE, supporting the people of Ukraine, and providing aid to Gaza. We were encouraged as members of the Michigan UMC to write to our representatives about these issues. For further details of the legislation passed, visit the conference website.

Summary

Other things that happened at the conference include a celebration of the retiring clergy, ordination of new clergy, and a remembrance of members who had passed over the last year. We were also updated on the conference budget. Chelsea First has continued to pay 100% of its ministry shares. Chelsea First was also featured with the churches that have been participating in the Making Meaning Grant. We were featured for our willingness to have children lead in our worship.

Learn More

If you have questions or would like to learn more about this year’s Michigan Annual Conference, feel free to speak with any of Chelsea First’s representatives:

• Andrea Alford
• Jeff Melvin
• Nolan Peterson
• Annette Weeks

For additional information, visit:

• 2026 Michigan Annual Conference Website
• Bold in Faith and Love Initiative

As we return from Annual Conference, may we continue to live out our faith and Love Boldly in our church, community, and daily lives.