Jackson, Miss., May 31, 2013 - The presentation of the 2013 Mississippi Annual Conference's Emma Elzy Award will likely capture the attention of many people from outside the conference, as Myrlie Evers, wife of slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers is scheduled to present the award.
Evers will help recognize the group of Mississippi Methodist ministers who signed a 1963 document known as the Born of Conviction Statement, which declared the ministers' disapproval of discrimination, the closing public schools to create private schools with tax funds and communism. This action stirred controversy and heartbreak for many of the signers who would eventually leave Mississippi. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of The Born of Conviction Statement, which can be viewed at //bit.ly/1427QLT.
The presentation will take place on Sunday, June 9, during the 10:00 a.m. session of the Mississippi Annual Conference gathering at the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson.
The Mississippi Conference of The United Methodist Church's Commission on Religion and Race chose to honor the group after reviewing several nominations for the award.
Emma Elzy spent her life advocating for better race relations, church relations and family relations. Elzy died in 1985 at age 98. The award in her name encourages reconciliation by honoring an individual, group or institution that has shown outstanding achievement in race relations in the state of Mississippi. Nominees must have shown outstanding achievement in race relations through the building of interracial relationships, the establishment or operation of a program emphasizing race relations, work beyond the "call of duty" or any other significant activity that promotes reconciliation. Although United Methodists may receive preference, the selection process does not exclude persons or agencies from other denominations or faith traditions.
The Mississippi Annual Conference convenes June 6 – 9. Other significant milestones within the life of the denomination and celebrations during this occasion include:
- the 200th Anniversary of the first Mississippi Conference
- the 25th Anniversary of the North Mississippi Conference and the Mississippi Conference Merger
- the celebration of baptism with approximately 40 to 50 candidates for baptism
All of the worship services are open to the public. For dates and times visit the conference website www.mississippi-umc.org. To watch the annual conference live online, go to www.livestream.com/MY_MSUMC.
The Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church with open hearts, open minds and open doors, is one church in nearly 1,100 locations. There are roughly 180,000 members of the United Methodist denomination in Mississippi. For more information about the Mississippi Conference United Methodists visit www.mississippi-umc.org, facebook for The Mississippi United Methodist Conference, and twitter@ Mississippi_UMC or download the Mississippi conference mobile app, MY MSUMC. It is available on all apple, android, galaxy and blackberry platforms.
The Mississippi Conference of The United Methodist Church
320 Briarwood Drive, Jackson, MS 39206 | Phone: 601.354.0515
