Multi-media news roundup

The past few weeks show what digital media can do to enhance the story-telling/information-sharing possibilities for the West Virginia Annual Conference. For starters, check out the infographic on how media was used at Conference June 8-12. This graphic also appeared in the June edition of the West Virginia United Methodist.

 You can see more stats in media usage here. It’s also of interest to point out the cost of digital vs. print media. Printing 5100 Daily Journals cost more than $800 – about 16 cents per issue; while 4500 enews editions cost about $.004 cents per issue.

On to other news…

The WV Conference celebrated the 225th anniversary of Old Rehoboth, the oldest church structure still standing west of the Allegheny Mountains, on June 25. Check out our slide show on flickr, and read the reflection the Rev. Amy Shanholtzer wrote on her pilgrimage to the United Methodist heritage site. There’s also an audio piece featuring June Peters, one of the people present at the celebration whose connection to Rehobeth goes back to the 1820’s (her great-grandparents are buried there).

June Peters reflects (click the ‘play’ button below to listen)

June Peters points to where the windows used to be located in the Old Rehobeth Church, located near Union in Monroe County, West Virginia

Summer Youth Celebration was also last week at West Virginia Wesleyan College.  Bishop Lyght, who continues to recover at home from pneumonia and related health complications, sent this multi-media presentation to the youth in Buckhannon.

In denominational news, the church trial of the Rev. Amy DeLong was the dominant story for the United Methodist Church last week. United Methodist News Service (UMNS) reporter Heather Hahn covered this story; read the complete coverage from UMNS here.

This piece, also by Hahn, is a summary of what happened last week.

DeLong was suspended from pastoral duties for 20 days beginning July 1, 2011, for presiding over a same-sex union ceremony in 2009. She was acquitted by a unanimous vote of being “a self-avowed practicing homosexual (see par. 2702, UM Book of Discipline).

The trial coincided with the passage of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in New York state. In the Northern Illinois Conference, more than 200 clergy say they will conduct same-sex unions. Paragraph 2702 of the UM Book of Discipline prohibits clergy from performing such ceremonies.

Only the UMC’s General Conference has the power to change the Book of Discipline. The next General Conference session is in Tampa, Fl., April 24 – May 4, 2012. Read more about General Conference and the legislative process here.