June 9, 2022
Purchase District Delegates will be sporting these buttons
at the Inaugural AC next week.
Inaugural Annual Conference of the TWK
I can distinctly remember the day I first heard the term Annual Conference. I was sitting in a circle in one of the classrooms at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in Wilmington, NC. It was a weekday, which I normally wasn’t at church on weekdays, but it was Confirmation class. The Senior Pastor of our church was walking us through the structure of the UMC. He had a chart that showed the flow from our local church through the various levels of our denominational structure. It wasn’t exciting stuff for a group of 6th graders, but if you are going to be United Methodist our pastor believed you needed to know how things functioned. Of course, we learned that day that Annual Conference can refer to three things: a regional body, an organizational unit, and a yearly meeting. 

This year we are a NEW Annual Conference. We have been since January 1, and our yearly meeting as an Annual Conference is next week, June 15-17 at Brentwood UMC in Brentwood, TN. We will meet in a new place, and we will meet new people. Our theme for this year’s Annual Conference is an excellent one for our season, “The River of Life Unites Us.” The idea behind our theme is a celebration both the various rivers that unite us geographically and the life that is collectively ours in Jesus Christ.

Annual Conference (AC) has come to mean a great deal to me since I first learned the term. The Memphis AC was where I was ordained, and now where my own children have been confirmed (they had to have the structure of the UMC talk with one of their two clergy parents)! I am looking forward to celebrating that legacy Conference and the Tennessee legacy Conference, but I am excited for what our new expanded regional body, organizational unit, and yearly meeting will come to mean for others gathering and celebrating in the name of Christ. I am also thrilled that now our region of the Annual Conference is even asserted in our name Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference or as District leadership has come to say, “we are the WK of the TWK!” 

Peace,

Nancy E. Johnston Varden
District Superintendent
TWK Annual Conference 2022 | "The River of Life Unites Us"
June 15 - 17, 2022
You can find lots of information on the TWK website to be prepared for Annual Conference such as:

  • Offering
  • Registration
  • Photo directory
  • Childcare
  • Schedule
  • And much more!


Download the app here.

Please prepare before June for the Managing Transitions annual conference learning experience! Link
Office closure notice
The district office will be closed Tuesday, June 14 - Monday, June 20 for staff to attend the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference and in observance of Juneteenth. Regular office hours will resume Tuesday, June 21.
Clergy Spouse Luncheon
The clergy spouses will meet on Wednesday, June 15, at 12:00 at Franklin First United Methodist Church, 120 Aldersgate Way, Franklin, TN 37069. Lunch is a boxed meal with sandwich, pickle, chips, side item, dessert and drink for $15.00. Please complete and submit the registration form by June 11th. | Link
The Connector
The first issue of The Connector magazine arrived in mailboxes last week! The TWK Communications team hopes you enjoy reading about some of the wonderful ministries in our conference. You can read the digital version if you did not receive one in the mail. 
TWK UMC Affinity 2022
Did you know the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of the UMC has an insurance partner with coverage benefits and specific resources to help reduce your risks? By joining the TWK UMC Group Property and Casualty Program from Church Mutual Insurance Company, you can earn a discount, safety dividend, and ... Learn more
Christmas in July? | 2022 Project Christmas Shoe Box is getting ready to launch
UM Churches throughout the southeastern US have worked together to provide our UM missionaries and local pastors with Christmas gifts and the Christmas story to children they minister to. In 2020, over 13,000 boxes were distributed in 9 different countries. Our 2022 project dates are July 15th – August 15th.
Last year, the entire legacy Memphis Conference joined in this project, filling over 2,000 boxes.
LET'S DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR!! | Details

To pick up the required shoe boxes and the list of appropriate contents, contact the district office at 270-527-8282 to set up an appointment. Boxes are already going fast!
It's time to register for DayShore Summer Camp
Employment Opportunities
Communications Coordinator, Paris First UMC | contact 731-642-4764

Pianist/organist, Paris First UMC | contact 731-642-4764

Childcare/Preschool Teacher, Trinity UMC | contact 270-534-9516
Staff and Volunteer positions are open at Lakeshore Camp & Retreat
STAFF: Several staff positions are still available. If you are interested or know someone who would like to apply, please have them reach out to Allison Doyle as soon as possible

VOLUNTEER COUNSELORS: Do you have any plans this summer? Looking for a great way to spend a week and gain some volunteer hours? Sign up to be a volunteer counselor! This position is available for anyone 15 years or older*. You can fill out an application on their website.
Event Reminders
Check Out Our District Links
What's Happening Beyond the District?
What's Happening in our Local Churches?
For more details, click the links in the boxes below.
Need a church address? Click Here
Online Worship Opportunities | Link
Jun. 11 Community Breakfast, 8am-9:30am, Kirksey UMC
Jun. 11 Drive Thru Food Pantry, 10am-noon, Kirksey UMC
Jun. 12 G-Men Breakfast, 8am-9am, Goshen UMC
Jul. 16 Vacation Bible School "Taste & See that the LORD is Good!,” Kirksey UMC (more details to come)
How to Submit News

Email submissions to purchasedistrict@twkumc.org by the Thursday prior to the week you would like the information featured.
The mission of the Purchase District is to discover, equip, connect and send lay and clergy leaders to join Christ's transforming, disciple-making work in and for the world.
Purchase District of The United Methodist Church
270-527-8282 | 2285 Jack Treas Road, Kirksey, KY 42054

Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. | Friday-Sunday closed

Purchase District

Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference
Your District Staff
Rev. Nancy Johnston Varden
District Superintendent
Penny Story
Administrative Assistant
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