Information about the Winchester District UMC

2007 WINCHESTER DISTRICT PROFILE

Updated: November 13, 2006

Printed: July 4, 2007

HISTORICAL

As early as November 27, 1867 the Winchester District was a part of the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The Winchester District became a part of the Virginia Conference on October 16, 1940. The Winchester District is composed of country and rural areas.

The Winchester city area retains an identity with the Civil War. Its local battlefields noted by history that the city of Winchester changed hands more than 52 times during the Civil War. The area had no large cities, just small to medium towns which until recently hardly any traffic lights. Its life styles encompassed horse country, farmlands, orchards (apple and peach) and beef, dairy and hog farms. Throughout the District, including Loudoun, Warren, Fauquier, Clarke, Shenandoah, Winchester and Frederick Counties, the area’s rich history and historical landmarks are celebrated in a variety of ways, including parades and festivals. The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival has been held in Winchester for over since 1924. It became an annual event until the bombing of Pearl Harbor and America’s entry into World War II in 1941. The festival resumed in 1946 and still draws thousands of participants and tourists each spring.

The district had multiple churches on a charge (sometimes as many as four or five per charge). With the merger in 1968 that formed the United Methodist Church we became enriched with the history of all three: Methodist, Evangelical United Brethren and the Central Jurisdiction. This district gained fourteen former EUB Churches and their church-related Shenandoah College, and inherited their Camp Overlook as part of a tri-district camp. We gained ten African American churches, the highest number within any district in the Virginia Conference. Approximately 30 churches from the Winchester District were transferred to the Harrisonburg District when it was formed more than thirty years ago. A 1998 boundary change transferred Crossroads UMC (Ashburn) to the Arlington District and received Bethel UMC and Warrenton UMC to this district.

THEOLOGICAL

The United Methodist Churches on this district are situated in seven different areas that are politically and theologically diverse communities, which represent the diversity within the Virginia Conference. The District Committee on Ordained Ministry, has been a strong committee and some of what they do is a model for other districts. We expect to maintain that strong leadership by nurturing, fostering and preparing candidates for the ministry. We have excellent guides for those in the ministry inquiry process and in our “mentoring program.”

MISSION MINISTRIES

Our first ever Missions Statement: “The Winchester District Board of Missions, a non-profit corporation registered with the Commonwealth of Virginia, exists to assist the United Methodist Churches on the district in their mission work in the name of Jesus Christ. It does so through encouraging and assisting with financial support, local church Volunteers in Mission teams; through distributing Church Extension grants to churches; through approving “Builder’s Club” requests for construction projects for churches; and through providing funds for churches with special needs. All the churches on the Winchester District are represented on the Committee, which meet annually. Between annual meetings, the Board of Missions Steering Committee, made up of lay and clergy members and chaired by the District Superintendent, conducts the work of the board.”

The “Builder’s Club” re-instated in 1999 is a voluntary “membership club” for both clergy and laity who give $20.00 twice yearly to the “CALL”. During the past three years the “CALLS” have gone to the following: 

2004: District Parsonage received $7,375.00 and Marshall UMC (Fauquier Country) received $7,447.00.

2005: Round Hill UMC (Frederick County) received $7,550.00 and Bethel UMC (Warren County) received $8,080.00.

2006: St. Marks UMC (Fauquier County) $7,655.00 and White Post UMC (Clarke County) $7,889.00.

With a district membership of 21,407 members we have a long way to go to reach 100% GOAL. 

UMVIM and other MISSION PROJECTS 

The 2006 District Conference offering $1,284 went to the “Katrina Church recovery appeal via the VA Conference.”

International Missions: 

Mission teams from Winchester District churches and Shenandoah University (SU) went to five countries: 

Nicaragua (SU and Warrenton UMC); Mozambique (Forrest team – District); Guyana (Evergreen UMC); Mexico (SU); Russia (Toms Brook UMC)

Katrina Relief Missions:

Six UMC and Shenandoah University sent seven teams to Gulf Coast to help victims of Hurricane Katrina: Crums UMC; Front Royal UMC; Harmony UMC; Toms Brook UMC; Warrenton; and Round Hill (Loudoun) UMC

U.S. (East Coast) Missions and other 2006 mission teams traveled to:

Petersburg, VA; Asheville, N.C.; Winchester, VA (Jeremiah Project) and others:

- Warrenton UMC: Jeremiah Project;

- Marshall UMC: Sager Brown Center, “MERCI;”

- Bethel (Falquier) UMC: Pocahontas, VA;

- Burnt Factory UMC: Washington, D.C.;

- Crums UMC: Wilmington, N.C.;

- Harmony UMC: Wheeling, WVA

District Ministries:

- Second Chance (enrichment program for at risk elementary children)

held at two locations: Middleburg, and growing edges of Leesburg

- Local gleaning projects

- Numerous Appalachian Service Projects. 

PREJUDICES - AREAS OF CONCERN

Even with the recent progress there is still some resistance to:

Female pastors (do not want women pastors)

Open itinerancy (resistance to open itinerancy)

Our district leadership is intentionally being inclusive in the effort to diminish and eliminate those “special areas of concern” (prejudices). Our committee is open to receiving a woman or ethnic minority person as District Superintendent with the hope that any person appointed is sensitive to the above issues.

DISTRICT LEADERSHIP

Both clergy and laity demonstrate “partners in ministry” by being inclusive and actively working together. Our District leadership is strong, dedicated and committed to being servants who work well together.

As part of DCOM, we have featured:

- Co-chairs on DCOM being inclusive in gender and race.

- Co-chairs on Global Ministry first time both being laywomen.

- A NEW disaster team in place.

- Conflict Management Workshop, known as “Name the Elephant” with clergy receiving .05 CEU.

- Spiritual Formation held a “Listening Prayer Retreat” and a “Renovare” Covenant Clergy Group has formed a group following their huge event.

- The Children’s Ministries leader attended a CEF conference at Lake Junaluska.

- Sought to identify and develop clergy and laity in areas of Education and Higher Education, and plan continuation.

- The committee on Lay Speaking Ministries initiated, planned, held their fifth 8-hr. School on Lay - Speaking that offered Advanced classes and one Basic class. More lay speakers are becoming pastoral candidates or part-time local pastors.

- Parish Nursing Programs provide the model for volunteer Parish Nursing programs nationwide and expanding global experience as District Parish Nurse Leader became a part of the Institute of Church Professions at Shenandoah University.

- Lay Leader and Associate Lay Leader work as a team as ethnic minority male and white female serving in these positions.

- Pre and Post Charge Conference discussions following attendance by a laity team member(s) and District Superintendent at the 67 separate charge conferences. Members of the eight person laity team attend local church conferences, along with the District Superintendent, listening and participating, lifting up the connection between the local church and the district.

- Leadership in Global Ministries continues to hold District Mini School of Missions annually with five hours of study.

- The academy of Servant Leadership Training has been held annually since 2005.

- Annual Leadership Training Sessions (January) have increased to three locations and offer more training opportunities and choices.

- A Stewardship Chair is desperately needed on the DCOM. 

- Lay and Clergy serving on Conference boards, agencies and commissions have increased with 14 lay and 10 clergy serving in 2006 with two laity serving as chair; one lay and one clergy serving as chair of a Conference Committee in 2005.

GIVING OVER LAST 3 YEARS

We have grown spiritually with personal retreats, district-wide Bible studies, conflict management workshops, worship events and educational workshop/training. The churches have grown not only in membership but also in the attitude of Stewardship. 

In 2006 ninety churches paid 100% of their apportionments, with one paying 101%. We expect continued strong support of our apportionments.

GROWTH

Fast-growing population areas are here. With Loudoun County’s population growth listed as one of the fastest growing areas in the nation. Hispanic and Asian people continue to lead the population growth. The projected 2010 population with the 2005 estimated population for:

2010 2005 Whites 2005 Blacks 2005 Hispanic/Latino 

Winchester City 26,865 20,313 2,689 2,198 (8.73%)

Frederick County 74,735 62,651 2,005 2,044 (3.06%)

Loudoun County 328,122 188,704 17,200 20,269 (8.21%)

Shenandoah County 41,728 36,517 516 1,426 (3.72%)

Warren County 38,141 32,184 1,679 677 (1.95%)

Fauquier County 71,928 55,754 5,253 1,845 (2.91%)

Clarke County 14,804 12,540 883 1,595 (4.00 %)

(Statistics given Sept. 14, 2006)

Many of our church members commute to jobs in Washington, D.C., Maryland and surrounding areas. Therefore, our congregations include CEOs, government employees, teachers, nurses, industrial workers, white and blue-collar workers, farmers, orchardists, and the horse country community still abound.

PRESENT SITUATION

There is an excitement within our district even though we are separated by mountains and rivers, cover six different counties. This excitement comes from being encouraged, enabled, and acknowledging the possibilities of “what is to come.” The 2005 District Members totaled 21,407, being the 5th largest district in our conference. There are challenges for open itinerancy, racial inclusiveness and reconciliation within the 74 active clergy and 20 retired clergy and many certified lay speakers who are trained each year in our district Lay Speaker’s School.

With 99 churches, the majority of our clergy are ordained elders (37). We also have clergy who are Part-time local pastors; Probationary Elder; Full–time local pastors; Probationary deacons, Associate members; Deacons in full connection; Elder Member, other Annual Conf.; Associate Member; Minister recognized And then from other Denominations. Serving UM Probation; Student Local Pastor and Lay Supply. We have nine 3-point charges; seventeen 2-point charges; and 43 churches as 1-point charge-- making a total of 69 charge conferences.

Based upon the denominational standards of being called a small, medium or large church is not dependant upon the membership of the church, but on the “attendance.” Therefore, the numbers for the three categories are: small church (1-99); medium church (100-499) and large church (500+). The 2005 statistics show we have 74 small churches; 23 medium churches and 2 large churches, making a total of 99 churches. (These figures above will change for 2006. Also we have: 3-point charges (8); 2-point charges (16) and station churches (43) making a total of 67 charge conferences for the District Superintendent to attend.

EMERGING MINISTRIES

A new District Hispanic Ministries Committee will include a chair, and two from each of the six counties within the district with the District Council on Ministries giving directions for their task. The District Nominating Facilitators Committee will nominate those to serve on this new committee and presented to the 2007 District Conference. A Satellite Church of the Crossroads, an Arlington District church, was planted within the Winchester District October 2006. Crossroads West is located in Purcellville. Other plants are in the works.

ENVISIONING

We envision avenues of ministries that need to be facilitated with prophetic openness. Establishment of a new Hispanic (Latino) cell is one of those needs. 

The long-term vision is to build new churches and new ministries since the field is wide-open and far stretching. The field is ready for harvest with more developing communities at hand! 

PRIORITIES FOR DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT

We believe he/she needs to the following attributes/attitudes:

-Thick skinned
-Good Sense of Spirituality
-Visionary
-Partnership in ministry
-Pastoral Leadership
-Strong Administrative Skills
-Fortitude
-Executive Management
-Ability to make a decision and be able re-evaluate it later and change it if needed.
-Management Skills to manage our District
-Skilled in Conflict Management
-High sense of conventionalism:
caring as much for the small . . . as the large congregation
-Have Great Love for the United Methodist Church.