LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. (June 8, 2016) -- The Holston Annual Conference took a missions offering of $100,849 on June 7 during the evening service at Stuart Auditorium. The funds will be used to aid local churches in providing ministries to children in poverty -- especially through school partnerships -- throughout the coming year.

Holston members also gave $57,698 to Change for Children, which will support children's ministries in Africa as well as Holston.

The Annual Conference celebrated three truckloads of Hands-on Mission supplies for Liberia and Zimbabwe with a total value of $221,334. The school, health, and food kits were collected by Holston churches over the last few weeks and blessed by Bishop Dindy Taylor on June 7 in Stuart Auditorium.

On Tuesday during the lunch hour, 60 volunteers helped bag 14,000 pounds of potatoes during a Society of St. Andrew "crop drop." The potatoes will be distributed to area pantries and Holston groups feeding the hungry.

During the June 7 evening Missions Celebrations, 88 bags of children's books were offered and accepted during an altar call. The books, donated by Annual Conference members, are to be used as conversation-starters for congregations planning to begin new partnerships with nearby schools.