“Transformation: Changing from Glory into Glory” will be the theme of the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Conference, scheduled for June 6-7 at Green Lake Conference Center. The theme draws on 2 Corinthians 5:17, in which St. Paul writes: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” It also acknowledges an anticipated change in the structure of the Conference itself: the dissolution of our current associations and the emergence of a network of ministry “hubs” across the state that advance the work of the Conference.
“In the whirlwind of changing times, God’s love remains constant though never stagnant,” Conference Minister Franz Rigert said in explaining the choice of theme. “The Holy Spirit is transforming the Church, and we are agents of this movement. In Christ, we are emerging into a new glory of liberating and loving, uniting and collaborating, and generously sharing our ministry resources.”
Registration for Annual Meeting 2025 is expected to open Feb. 24. Here are some of the highlights you can expect:
Keynoter will be the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ. A theologian and writers, she is the first woman and first woman of African descent to serve as leader of the denomination.
Preacher at the closing worship on Saturday afternoon will be the Rev. Jen Patricca Bloesch, pastor of Community of Hope UCC in Madison. Annual Meeting will conclude after worship.
Saturday-evening options will be dinner at Green Lake Conference Center or a cocktail-and-appetizer reception at nearby Daycholah Center.
Wellness time will be built into the meeting schedule. Among the options will be nature walks and yoga.
Online registration will be available for attendees looking to book their stays at Green Lake Conference Center.
“So, We Did This Thing,” a one-day intensive workshop, will precede Annual Meeting. The workshop is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 5 at Daycholah Center. The Rev. Laura Wright will facilitate a series of presentations by ministry leaders whose work has evolved with our changing church.