Social Justice and United Methodists:
A General Conference Primer

January 21 - 22, 2011
Pine Lake Camp, Westfield, Wisconsin

This January 21-22, 2011 retreat will focus on social justice issues that will be brought before the 2012 General Conference, the once every four years global gathering of The United Methodist Church. Rev. Neal Christie, Assistant General Secretary for Education and Leadership Formation, General Board of Church and Society of the UMC, will provide leadership.

Petitions to the 2012 General Conference addressing social justice concerns will be considered and voted at the 2011 session of the Wisconsin Annual Conference.  Other proposed legislation will be sent directly to the General Conference.  Why United Methodists believe people of faith need to speak to these issues, and what our denomination teaches about them, is important to know as we prepare our response.  Retreat participants will explore the issues that underlie petitions that will be sent to General Conference.

Putting Justice
at the Heart of Faith requires
administrative work such as changing
our Book of Discipline
Picture of Neal Christie

Neal Christie

Retreat leader Neal Christie was first appointed to serve GBCS in 1996 as Program Director for the United Methodist Seminars on National and International Affairs. In 2001 he assumed duties with the Education and Leadership Formation ministry area of the board.

Neal is an ordained Elder in the Greater New Jersey Conference. He has recruited, designed and facilitated experiential seminars and workshops and served as keynote speaker at events focused on spiritual formation and justice for youths, young adults, college students, and laity and clergy leaders in conferences across the U.S. and in Northern Europe, Central, Eastern and Western Europe, the Philippines and West, Central and Southern Africa. He has also led advocacy seminars in Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Israel and the West Bank.

Retreat housing will be in the Rader Retreat Center at Pine Lake Camp, accommodating two persons per room. The Oakwood Center will be used for the retreat programs, with meals served in Amphlett Dining Hall.The retreat will begin at 7:00 pm on Friday evening, and conclude with lunch on Saturday. Overnight accommodations will be in the Rader Retreat Center at Pine Lake Camp, accommodating two persons per room in hotel style rooms. The Oakwood Center will be used for the retreat programs, with meals served in Amphlett Dining Hall

The retreat is co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Conference Board of Church and Society and the Wisconsin Chapter of the United Methodist Federation for Social Action. For more information, contact Steve Zekoff.

REGISTRATION FOR Social Justice and United Methodists
January 21 – 22, 2011

Name______________________________  Phone______________ E-mail__________________

Address________________________________________________________________________

Please register me for: 

_____I would like to receive .5 CEU for participating in this event.

_____Friday night housing (double, per person), Saturday breakfast and lunch: $50.00

_____Friday night housing (single), Saturday breakfast and lunch: $85.00

Total due: __________  

Please make your check payable to “WUMFSA,” and send with your registration form to:
Jenny Chay, Registrar, WUMFSA January 2011 Workshop, 6614 Hillcrest Dr., Wauwatosa, WI 53213