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United Methodist Women’s News

By Lillian Miller-Byrd


It has been a wonderful year of accomplishments for the OIMC United Methodist Women.
 

Our Annual Meeting was held in the Southwest Region on October 1-2, 2004, at Anadarko, Oklahoma. Sixteen pastors and Lay Missioners were present at the well-attended event.
 

We were welcomed by our UMW Conference President, Becky Thompson, and the Host of the Southwest Region.
 

Our day was well planned. We had four focus groups; Talent Bank, OIMC/Time Line, Social Action, and Creative Ways to Raise Money.
Our keynote speaker was Mrs. Virginia McGilbray. She shared with us her memories of the Women’s Society of Christian Service (WSCS) and the OIMC/UMW of the present day.
 

Our memorial service honored those that have gone before us and whose footsteps we now follow.
 

Minutes of the 2003 UMW Annual Conference were read and the conference president gave her report. A report on our Mission Education and the Treasurer’s Report were given by our Dean, Linda Cusher. The budget and by-laws were also given.
 

Our local units were asked to wear something unique to the event. Our parade of units showed off their “designers” special. The creativity and the colors were something to see.
 

Our new slate of officers for 2005 and 2006 were elected. President, Karen Tso; Vice President, Barbara Wilson; Secretary, Barbara Roy; Treasurer, Linda Cusher; Secretary of Program Resources, Lori Carberra; Spiritual Growth, Hazel Battice; Membership Nurture & Outreach, Wanda Frazier, Education & Interpretation, Lillian Miller-Byrd; Communications Coordinator, Barbara Dankowsky; Committee on Nominations, Nellie Long. Please keep them in your prayers.
We celebrated 135 years in mission with cake and punch.
 

In March just over 40 UMW members from the OIMC traveled to San Antonio, Texas for the South Central Jurisdiction UMW Quadrennial Meeting. UMW elections for the quadrennial were held. Geneva Foote was elected Vice-President of the SCJ UMW Core Planning Group and Josephine Deere was elected to serve on the Women’s Division. Several of our own UMW’s served as voting delegates and Katie Scott served this quadrennial on the SCJ officers Nominating Committee. OIMC UMW also had a banner on display which was created by Minnie Kingfisher Clinton of Tahlequah, OK. OIMC UMW was also mentioned as one of the several having the most members at the quadrennial.
 
Our Mission Education Event was well attended and the study leader did a good job. Our studies were prayer, Cuba, and public education. I think everyone is still talking about our mountain top experience. Every morning our devotion was held at the cross. And we would have 70-100 attending.
 

Attending the Mission Education we had 186 in attendance, 17 pastors and lay missioners, with 1/3 or the total attendance being new people attending for the first time. 106 adults and 80 children and youth were in attendance. We hope to have even more next year.
 

Our new Dean will be Louvina Frank, Assistant Dean will be Lillian Miller-Byrd, and the Associate Dean will be Hazel Battice. We wish to thank Linda Cusher, 2004 Dean for all the hard work and planning.