e-Review archive
Global Connection
January 2006
 

Delegation to Philippines probes violence against church workers

Jan. 3, 2006      United Methodist News Service A delegation of United Methodist leaders from the United States is visiting the Philippines Jan. 3-7 to learn more about the killing and harassment of church workers, peace and human rights activists, and journalists. "The situation in the Philippines is deeply disturbing," said the Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries in New York. "Church workers, human rights activists and others who are perceived as threats are terrorized and killed. "We need to hear firsthand the stories of the people who serve God in the midst of this danger, and show them that the international church is with them in their struggle," said Day, who attended college in the Philippines. The delegation expects to meet with church leaders and U.S. State Department and Philippine government officials during its four-day visit and will report on its work before departing. full story

Christian Unity week set for Jan. 18-25

Jan. 5, 2006      United Methodist News Service United Methodists will join with other Christians Jan. 18-25 to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year's theme, "Where Two or Three are Gathered in My Name…" (Matthew 18:20), is intended for reflection on Jesus' invitation to gather in his name and on the meaning such gathering holds for the unity of the church and the renewal of the human community. The United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns and Bishop William Oden, the ecumenical officer of the denomination's Council of Bishops, are encouraging United Methodists "to enter into this period of prayer and meditation as we seek the unity of Christ's Church." full story

Latin American Methodist leaders welcome election of indigenous president in Bolivia

Jan. 5, 2006     News media contact:   Elliott Wright * 212-870-3921*  New York General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church   Several Methodist leaders in Latin America are warmly greeting the election of Evo Morales as president of Bolivia, the first indigenous head of state chosen in that country. Bishop Carlos Poma of the Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia said that the election of Mr. Morales, who is Aymara-Quechua, is an "extraordinary achievement for the indigenous, the poor, and the excluded." full story

UMCOR Georgia to receive $3 million for agricultural development

Jan. 5, 2006     News media contact:   Elliott Wright * 212-870-3921*  New York General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church   NEW YORK — The United Methodist Committee on Relief Non Governmental Organization received notification that the US Department of Agriculture intends to award over $3 million in commodities to support agriculture development in the Republic of Georgia. full story

United Methodist bishops asked to advocate for immigrants

Jan. 6, 2006      United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — United Methodist bishops are being urged to help lead the denomination in understanding issues related to immigration reform. A Jan. 3 letter addressed to each U.S. bishop notes that while it is generally recognized that the U.S. immigration system needs to be fixed, "the question is how it is to be fixed - and if this is to be in a manner consonant with the tenets of our church as well as with the security and economic needs of the nation and also its basic values." The letter is signed by Bishop Joel Martinez, president of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, and Bishop Edward Paup, president of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Co-signers are the Rev. R. Randy Day and the Rev. Paul Dirdak, chief executives, respectively, of the board and UMCOR. full story

'Stop the killing' in Philippines, United Methodists say

Jan. 6, 2006       United Methodist News Service MANILA, Philippines — A United Methodist delegation on human rights in the Philippines called upon President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to take a more aggressive role to stop the killing of clergy, laity, journalists and human rights workers who work with the poor. Noting that "extrajudicial" murders had increased in the past year in the country, Bishop John Hopkins, head of the delegation, told a Jan. 6 news conference in Manila, "The killing must stop." Hopkins said the delegation heard deeply moving first-hand testimony from more than 20 victims and surviving family members from many parts of the Philippines, who described the pain and suffering exacted through murders targeting religious and community workers. "Our people are not armed," said the bishop, who leads the denomination's Ohio East Area. "They teach, provide medical care, counsel and educate. We implore the government and military officials to recognize the important work of those who seek to minister with the poor and marginalized, and to distinguish their work as vital and important to the country and its people." full story

Armed robbery during worship service jolts congregation

Jan. 6, 2006      United Methodist News Service WASHINGTON — An armed gunman interrupted the evening service on New Year's Day at Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Bel Air, Md., shocking the congregation as he robbed them of an undisclosed amount of cash and valuables. Most disturbing to the congregation was the intruder's use of three children present to gather up the wallets and purses. "He had to be desperate to be waving a gun at children," said the Rev. Craig McLaughlin, the church's pastor. "That was evil. I was thinking of the Scripture passage, 'The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church.' Evil will not stop people from serving God." Those thoughts filled McLaughlin's prayers as he sat in the front pew of the contemporary service, praying for his congregation to remain quiet and calm. full story

Church delegation to attend Liberian presidential inauguration

Jan. 9, 2006       United Methodist News Service A delegation of United Methodist leaders from the United States will attend the inauguration of Liberia's newly elected president in a show of support for the first African woman head of state. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, an active member of First United Methodist Church of Monrovia, will officially become president of Liberia in a Jan. 16 inauguration ceremony in Monrovia, the country's capital city. "We celebrate Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's election as president because she represents great compassion, a commitment to justice, and she is a fine disciple of Jesus Christ," said Bishop Peter Weaver, president of the United Methodist Church's Council of Bishops. Weaver will present Johnson-Sirleaf with a Bible signed by all the denomination's bishops. Last year, the Council of Bishops presented President George W. Bush, also a member of the United Methodist Church, with a signed Bible. full story

Housing investment helps Native Americans overcome addiction

Jan. 10, 2006 United Methodist News Service SAN FRANCISCO — A new $12 million building painted in warm Southwest colors opened recently here, allowing the expansion of a holistic addiction treatment program emphasizing Native American culture and values. With a new facility, the Friendship House American Indian Healing Center expanded in 2005 from 30 to 80 beds, lengthened treatment from 90 days to six months and added a six-month transitional housing and job training program. About 85 percent of the Friendship House clients are from Native American tribes in California and other states. When they arrive at Friendship House, many are homeless, unemployed and addicted to alcohol or amphetamines. Most leave with a strong commitment to sobriety. They find jobs, resolve legal problems, understand their heritage and feel more balanced in body, mind and spirit. "It works for us as Indian people. We're different," said Helen Waukazoo, a Navajo and executive director of the Friendship House. Construction was made possible in part through a $1.8 million, 30-year loan purchased by the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits as part of its affordable housing investment program. full story

Georgia church leads effort to help Iraqi baby

Jan. 10, 2006      United Methodist News Service DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — One United Methodist called his church and asked for help, and now a tiny baby girl from Iraq is resting comfortably after the first of three surgeries to correct a life-threatening birth defect. Lt. Jeff Morgan, a Georgia National Guardsman serving in Baghdad and a member of Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church, sent an urgent plea to his home church asking for help in bringing Noor al-Zahra, a 3-month-old girl born with a severe form of spina bifida, to the United States for surgery. At birth, she had been given 40-45 days to live. The Rev. Adam Roberts, pastor of Shepherd of the Hills, admitted when Morgan's e-mail came he was skeptical about what the congregation could do against such enormous odds. The church would have to find a doctor and hospital, arrange transportation and locate a home where the Iraqi family could stay while Noor underwent treatment. "But, luckily," he said, "that's not what members of the church thought, and they jumped in and started working, particularly Debbie Stone." Largely through Stone's initiative, and the cooperation of other people and agencies in the right place at the right time, "Baby Noor" arrived in Atlanta Dec. 31. She underwent the first of three surgeries at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Jan. 9. full story

United Methodists minister to families in mine tragedy

Jan. 11, 2006    News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {017} United Methodist News Service When the community of Buckhannon, W. Va., gathers to remember the miners who died in the Sago Mine tragedy, it will probably be the voice of a 10-year-old boy they will never forget. Ti (Thomas Issaic) Anderson, son of Tom Anderson, will read Psalm 91 at a community memorial service being organized by church leaders who were with the families throughout the ordeal. The service will be at 2 p.m., Jan. 15, at United Methodist-related West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon. Psalm 91 was his father's favorite, Ti told the Rev. Mark Flynn, a United Methodist pastor, as they waited in the Sago Baptist Church for news about the miners. Flynn, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Buckhannon, went to Sago Baptist Church early Jan. 4 after getting a phone call from his wife, who had heard news reports of a mining accident that had left 13 men trapped underground. The families were gathering at the Baptist church to await news about their loved ones. Flynn, the Rev. Carol Duffield and the Rev. Clifford Schell were with the families when they received word first that the miners were alive and then later that 12 men — including Ti's father — had died. full story

Diversity marks 2006 United Methodist Women's Assembly

Jan. 12, 2006      United Methodist News Service A Bolivian organizer, Tongan women's choir, Latino orchestra, Christian salsa band and drummers from several cultures reflect the diversity to be found at the 2006 United Methodist Women's Assembly. The assembly, which has occurred every four years since 1942, will meet May 4-7 at the convention center in Anaheim, Calif. The theme is "Rise! Shine! Glorify God!" and an estimated 8,000 women are expected to attend. Well-known assembly presenters will include Anna Deveare Smith, the actress, playwright and writer, and Emily Saliers, a musician and one-half of the Grammy Award-winning Indigo Girls. full story

Africa University partners with Chevron, Angolan university

Jan. 12, 2006     United Methodist News Service MUTARE, Zimbabwe — United Methodist-related Africa University is joining forces with Chevron Corp. in an initiative to help with the reconstruction and development of Angola. The $1 million capacity-strengthening effort focuses on revitalizing a once-thriving agricultural zone, Huambo Province in Central Angola, by encouraging entrepreneurship to boost incomes and improve livelihoods. Its nucleus is Agostinho Neto University, Angola's oldest and largest higher-education institution, and that school's Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, based in Huambo. Beginning in February or March, Africa University will offer professional training for students and staff of Agostinho Neto University's Faculty of Agricultural Science. Africa University will also help its Angolan counterpart establish English language instruction centers and livestock and crop production units in Angola. full story

Hurricane recovery stress causing domestic violence increase

Jan. 12, 2006     United Methodist News Service BATON ROUGE, La. — Much of the damage from Hurricane Katrina is obvious — homes, businesses and churches devastated by fierce winds and rising waters. But the monster storm has also taken an often-unseen, emotional toll. Counselors at the Capital Area Family Violence Intervention Center in Baton Rouge are dealing with an increasing number of calls to their crisis line. They believe the stress of dealing with the damage caused by Katrina will lead to more calls for help from domestic violence victims. "Stress of this magnitude, and lasting this long a period of time, is incredibly hard to deal with," said United Methodist Vikki Peay, the center's program director.  "And so people don't have healthy ways to cope with it." full story

Parallels seen in Pakistan to U.S. civil rights struggles

Jan. 13, 2006      United Methodist News Service For Andris Salter, a trip to Pakistan — where Christians suffer persecution and have seen their churches burned — served as a reminder of the struggles of the U.S. civil rights movement. Salter, an executive with the Women's Division, United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, traveled to Pakistan in November with a group of four women from different denominations and countries. They represented a women's solidarity delegation sponsored by the World Council of Churches. With the United States celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 16, Salter reflected on how her Pakistan experience evoked intense feelings about civil rights, persecution, and her belief that the work started by the civil rights leader must continue, both nationally and globally. full story

New resources address church's spiritual leadership need

Jan. 13, 2006     United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Church's discipleship agency has announced two new initiatives aimed at building spiritual leadership among pastors and within congregations. The announcement comes as part of a churchwide response to an urgent need identified by the 2004 General Conference, the top legislative body of the denomination. The assembly identified leadership and faith development as critical matters facing the church in the 21st century. The two new initiatives, designed to help pastors and congregations build those leadership skills, were introduced Jan. 11 at the Board of Discipleship. "These two companion resources squarely address the most pressing issue of the church today," said the Rev. Karen Greenwaldt, top executive of the agency. "Both initiatives are dedicated to creating spiritually formed leaders who want to improve their skills and deepen their congregation's commitment to disciple-making. The impact these resources will make will be felt for years to come." The L3 Leadership Incubator and the Church Vitality Indicator, more than three years in the making, use a combination of cutting-edge technology and prayerful dialogue to strengthen leaders and reshape disciple-making faith communities, said discipleship agency staff. The L3 stands for "love, learn and lead." full story

Liberia's new president vows to work for change

Jan. 17, 2006      United Methodist News Service MONVORIA, Liberia — Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the 23rd president of Liberia, pledged to work for economic stability, create a brighter future for youth and children and empower women in her inauguration speech Jan. 16. "We will work to change," she said. The first woman elected head of state in Africa, Johnson-Sirleaf acknowledged many challenges lie ahead for her country. "I understand what you ordinary citizens go through each day," she said, speaking to her people. "I applaud the resilience of our people, who have been dehumanized by poverty and shackled by 14 years of civil war, who had the courage to go to the polls and vote — not once but twice — for me and Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai." Under cloudy skies, the new president began by reflecting on her two illiterate grandmothers and parents who taught her "to be what I am today." She also called for a moment of silent prayer. An active member of First United Methodist Church, Johnson-Sirleaf spoke of her faith several times during her 40-minute speech. On Sunday, Jan. 15, a thanksgiving and intercessory service was held at her church and officiated by Liberian Bishop John Innis and Bishop Peter Weaver, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. Weaver presented Johnson-Sirleaf with a Bible signed by the bishops of the church. full story

Commentary: An encounter with truth on MLK Day

Jan. 17, 2006     United Methodist News Service Three years ago, in January 2003, I was at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville, Tenn., for a conference of United Methodist leaders. The meeting would take place on the Monday on which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered. For many people this was and is a holiday. I arrived at the school late on Sunday evening; we would begin our work the next day at noon. The dorms were plain, austere and cold! The next morning, I woke up and made my way to the dining hall. A couple there introduced themselves: James and Eunice Mathews. They asked me to join them, and we shared breakfast together. I offered the blessing, remembering especially on that day the life of Martin Luther King Jr. The Mathews seemed vaguely familiar to me. He was a retired bishop, and they were known for their commitment to missions (I note this now with an honest embarrassment!). They shared some of their life together that morning. Eunice was the daughter of E. Stanley Jones, who served in India as a missionary/evangelist for 40 years and whose books were translated into 18 languages, selling in the millions. James Mathews had been elected a bishop in 1960, without his knowledge (he was in India at the time) and apart from his ambition. Eunice told me this story: When Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, a reception was held for him at United Methodist-related Boston University, where he had received his doctorate. James Mathews was the bishop of Boston at the time, and he and Eunice joined in the line of people to congratulate him. When King met Eunice, he pointed his finger at her and said, "It was your father's biography of Gandhi that changed my life, and convinced me of the necessity of nonviolence." full story

Commentary: Memories of Martin Luther King and two Aprils

Jan. 17, 2006      United Methodist News Service On April 4, 1967, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a powerful speech in opposition to the Vietnam War to 3,000 people attending a meeting of Clergy and Laity Concerned about Vietnam at New York City's Riverside Church. A few days later, he defended his words at a midtown Manhattan press conference packed by news reporters including myself. I was Protestant-Orthodox editor for Religion News Service in 1967 and 1968 and was assigned to report on Martin Luther King's opposition to Vietnam War. The Riverside speech was not King's first action in opposition to the war. He had earlier taken part in a war protest march in Chicago and given a strong anti-war speech in Los Angeles. But the thundering condemnation of the war on that April day, exactly a year before he was killed in Memphis, brought torrents of criticism. We now know that then-President Lyndon Johnson, who supported civil rights legislation, had turned against King for daring to question White House military policy. The congressional and media "hawks" put the preacher from Atlanta in their sights. Much of the civil rights establishment accused King of abandoning the cause, claiming that the Vietnam conflict and civil rights were two different things. The New York Times took up the cry against King's views on Vietnam. full story

Grants aim to help young people change world

Jan. 18, 2006     United Methodist News Service Young hip-hop leaders in New York will receive $8,000 from the United Methodist Church to help them transform the village of Harlem "from a haven of poverty and despair to a solace of hope and love." Young war victims in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will receive $6,000 so they can learn computer skills that will help them find employment. A group of young people in Johnson City, Tenn., will get $9,000 to drill wells for families without access to public water, install septic systems for homes without indoor plumbing, and provide badly need plumbing upgrades in an area where families cannot afford the repairs. These programs represent some of the ways the United Methodist Youth Service Fund is helping youth around the world become "world-changing disciples of Jesus Christ." This year, the Youth Service Fund will send $91,000 to 15 programs in the United States, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Cambodia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Grants for ministries with young people total $90,000 for 17 programs in the United States, Finland, Liberia, the Philippines, Germany and the Democratic Republic of Congo. "The most exciting thing to me, about the Youth Service Fund, is that it is raised by youth to support ministries by youth. These funds are not from World Service dollars," says the Rev. Lillian Smith, top executive for the Division on Ministries With Young People at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship. full story

Carrie Sahmaunt, oldest Kiowa Indian, dies at 101

Jan. 18, 2006     United Methodist News Service Carrie Sahmaunt, who was the oldest living member of the Kiowa Indian Tribe, died Jan. 15 at the age of 101 at her home in Meers, Okla. The funeral service was scheduled for Jan. 18 at Mt. Scott Kiowa United Methodist Church, near Lawton, Okla., with burial in the Mt. Scott Inter-Tribal Cemetery. The church was built in 1895 by her family and is often referred to as the mother church of the Kiowas. Her parents, the Quoetones, and husband's family, the Sahmaunts, were charter members. Today, Mt. Scott Kiowa United Methodist Church is an official United Methodist historical site. Sahmaunt's Kiowa name was Tsat-Mah, which means "Door Woman." She was born Aug. 20, 1904, in Carnegie, Okla., during a Sun Dance being held north of town. It was when she was forced by the U.S. government to attend the Rainy Mountain Boarding School with other Kiowa children that she received her English name, "Carrie." All Native American children were given English names and would be punished if they were caught speaking their language. Despite that, Sahmaunt was among a few Kiowas who still spoke the language. Sahmaunt was one of three Kiowas who received a 160-acre land allotment from the federal government almost 100 years ago. In addition to being a full-blood member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, she was a women's leader in the United Methodist Church. "The conference lost another legacy in the passing of Carrie Sahmaunt," said the Rev. David Wilson, superintendent of the United Methodist Church's Oklahoma Indian Missionary (regional) Conference. full story

Letter from Uganda: Menace of malaria still threatens Africans

Jan. 20, 2006     United Methodist News Service KAMPALA, Uganda — The rains have come to central Uganda. This is good. But it also means the menace of malaria will return as well. This is the experience of Rossette Kemigish, school nurse at the United Methodist-related orphanage and primary school known as Humble Place in Mukono District, about 30 kilometers outside Kampala. Last year, she treated 279 children for malaria in a school with fewer than 200 students. It's a persistent challenge to stay ahead of the mosquito-borne disease in this humid, wet climate. full story

Young people will gather to explore call to ministry

Jan. 23, 2006      United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Rev. Telley Gadson says she will "come full circle" when she preaches at the opening worship service of "EXPLORATION 2006." Although Gadson, now pastor of Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Sumter, S.C., delivered her first sermon at age 14, she made her final commitment to full-time ministry at the 1994 EXPLORATION event. "I wanted to be an attorney. I was comfortable with the call to preach, but I didn't want to do ministry full time. I was negotiating with God," the 31-year-old elder recalls. But then she heard the late Rev. Cornelius Henderson, who preached a sermon about the story of Jonah at EXPLORATION 1994. "Clearly, from that message, I knew God was calling me to Nineveh. ... I went back to my hotel room, and I had a new Bible. I wrote my commitment to the call in that new Bible," Gadson says. The Rev. Meg Lassiat, director of student ministries, vocation and enlistment at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, says she's excited about the community that the event will bring together Nov. 17-19 at the Hyatt Regency in Jacksonville, Fla. full story

Q&A: Liberia needs church's support, new president says

Jan. 23, 2006     United Methodist News Service MONROVIA, Liberia — On her third day in office, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf met with a delegation of United Methodists from the United States and Liberia. At 67, Sirleaf is the first woman to be elected a head of state in Africa, and she is a member of First United Methodist Church, Monrovia. Sirleaf discussed the role the church has played in the peace process and expressed her hopes for the future of Liberia in an exclusive interview with United Methodist News Service. full story

World's churches will focus on transformation at assembly

Jan. 24, 2006     United Methodist News Service Transformation — of the earth, of society, of the church and of individual lives — will be the focus of the World Council of Churches' 9th Assembly Feb. 14-23 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Up to 1,200 "core participants" — such as church delegates and representatives of related organizations — are expected to attend the event at Catholic Pontifical University, along with about 1,800 others. The United Methodist Church is sending an official delegation, and other United Methodists and Methodists from around the world will take part. Norman Shanks of Scotland, moderator of the assembly planning committee, said the theme, "God, in your grace, transform the world," reflects both the global and individual need "for healing and change, recognizing our dependence of God, acknowledging that we all have a part to play in the process of transformation." full story

Church members can follow WCC assembly from home

Jan. 24, 2006     United Methodist News Service Those who aren't attending the 2006 assembly of the World Council of Churches in Porto Alegre, Brazil, can still learn about the issues and follow the action from home. full story

Methodist activist joins cabinet of new government in Bolivia

Jan. 25, 2006     United Methodist News Service The recipient of the 2003 World Methodist Peace Award has been named minister of justice for the new government of Bolivia. Casimira Rodriguez Romero has become part of the cabinet of President Evo Morales, who was inaugurated Jan. 22 in La Paz. She attends Emmanuel Methodist Church in Cochabamba. Rodriguez is chief executive of the National Federation of Household Workers, a union that successfully lobbied the Bolivian Parliament to pass the Household Workers Law in 2003. Since 2001, she also has headed the Confederation of Household Workers of Latin America and the Caribbean. full story

UMCOR depot needs new supplies

Jan. 26, 2006     United Methodist News Service   NEW YORK — The warehouse for the United Methodist Committee on Relief needs donations to help re-stock its supplies. The top two needs are not the standard kits, but specific cleaning and bedding items needed to fulfill requests after 2005's many disasters, according to Ted Warnock, interim director of the Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, La. full story

United Methodist Men's ministry gets new home

Jan. 26, 2006      United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist agency responsible for men's ministries will soon have a home of its own for the first time since its creation in 1996. The Commission on United Methodist Men will move to Music Row, an area populated by the country music industry. Until now, the nine-member staff has occupied crowded rooms in the Kern Building, a structure owned by the United Methodist Board of Discipleship. The building also houses offices of the discipleship agency and the Board of Higher Education and Ministry. The commission bought a building formerly owned by the Nashville office of the General Council on Finance and Administration. The 4,200-foot structure became available when the finance agency moved to a larger space nearby, where it consolidated its Nashville operations and its main office from Evanston, Ill. full story

Appeals ask Judicial Council to reconsider two decisions

Jan. 27, 2006     United Methodist News Service   United Methodist leaders in Virginia have filed requests for reconsideration of two Judicial Council decisions that have stirred debate within the church on the issues of homosexuality and pastoral authority. Bishop Charlene P. Kammerer, who leads the Richmond (Va.) Area, and the Virginia Annual (regional) Conference Board of Ordained Ministry have separately filed motions for reconsideration of Decisions 1031 and 1032. Both rulings relate to the Rev. Ed Johnson, senior pastor at South Hill (Va.) United Methodist Church, who was placed on involuntary leave last summer by the clergy executive session of the Virginia Conference for refusing to admit a practicing gay man into membership at the church. At its Oct. 26-29 meeting in Houston, the Judicial Council ruled in favor of Johnson, reinstating him with all salary and benefits. As a result, Kammerer reappointed Johnson to South Hill Church. Council President James Holsinger has placed the motions for reconsideration on the non-docket agenda for the court's spring session, set for April 26-28 in Kansas City, Mo. That means that at least five members must agree to reconsider the decisions. full story

Youth will help hungry through Souper Bowl of Caring

Jan. 27, 2006     United Methodist News Service Youth from across the United States will try to score a touchdown for hunger relief on the day of the national football championship game. Armed with soup pots, youth in all 50 states and Canada will spend Feb. 5, the day of the Super Bowl, at the doors of their churches, collecting $1 or a can of food from each person walking by. The money and food will be given to a local hunger ministry or charity of their choice for the Souper Bowl of Caring. The Super Bowl will be held in Detroit, identified by Souper Bowl of Caring officials as America's poorest city. According to a Souper Bowl media release, Detroit is "an appropriate location to draw attention to the needs of our nation's hungry and hurting, and (to) demonstrate how small efforts can make a difference." Youth from numerous denominations and faith traditions will use that weekend, transforming the days of parties and celebrations into a day of caring for the hungry and hurting. full story

Africa University receives anonymous $10.5 million gift

Jan. 30, 2006 United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — An anonymous $10.5 million gift to United Methodist-related Africa University has increased the school's endowment and will fund more capital projects. The gift to the 14-year-old institution in Mutare, Zimbabwe, is the result of proceeds from the November sale of an Illinois farm. A couple with a love for Africa and the United Methodist Church, but wanting to remain anonymous, donated the 320-acre farm. It was their second major gift to Africa University. full story

Campus ministry to be replanted at Africa University

Jan. 30, 2006     United Methodist News Service WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The annual conferences that brought the United Methodist Church the first two Wesley Foundations in the United States are partnering to replant a Wesley Foundation at Africa University next year. Through an agreement between the Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference and the Wesley Foundation at Purdue University in the North Indiana Conference, the Revs. Glen and Lana Robyne will consult with Africa University and restart a Wesley Foundation campus ministry at the school from Feb. 1 through June 30. full story

World Methodist Conference set for July in South Korea

Jan. 30, 2006      United Methodist News Service LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — Methodists from the far corners of the earth will come together July 20-24 in Seoul, South Korea, for the 19th World Methodist Conference. "All Methodists worldwide have been invited to join with their Korean Methodist brothers and sisters in attending this momentous event and in praying with the Korean Methodists for peace in their land and for the reunification of the Korean peninsula," said the Rev. George Freeman, top staff executive of the World Methodist Council. The assembly is the only event that specifically brings together people from all of the world's Wesleyan traditions. The theme will be "God in Christ Reconciling." full story

Church leaders oppose federal budget bill

Jan. 31, 2006    United Methodist News Service Five mainline denomination leaders are urging members of Congress to oppose the federal budget bill because of its impact on the poor. James Winkler, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, was among the signers of a Jan. 29 letter sent to members of the House of Representatives. The letter urges the defeat of the Budget Reconciliation Spending Reduction package for Fiscal Year 2006, scheduled to come before the House on Feb. 1. Under the budget reduction package, states would be able to cut benefits for most of the 28 million children enrolled in Medicaid and may be forced to shift funds from child care needs to new work requirements under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. full story

Family, pastors remember fallen Marine

Jan. 31, 2006     United Methodist News Service Before Lt. Ryan McGlothlin became a war hero — before President Bush lifted him up in a recent speech — he was an Eagle Scout who installed the attic floor at Lebanon (Va.) Memorial United Methodist Church. McGlothlin, 26, died Nov.16 during intense fighting near Iraq's border with Syria. Since then, the story of the Marine from Lebanon, Va., has appeared in newspapers and TV news programs all over the country. McGlothlin's parents have not only conversed with the president's speechwriting team, they've been interviewed by CNN's Wolf Blitzer and quoted in the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle. Ruth McGlothlin and Don McGlothlin are proud that their youngest son has received so much worthy attention. But as any parent would understand, the limelight pales when compared to the sacrifice that was made. full story

United Methodists mourn death of Coretta Scott King

Jan. 31, 2006     United Methodist News Service Coretta Scott King, widow of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is being remembered by United Methodists as a strong woman of faith who "answered a hard call at a high price." King, 78, died Jan. 30 at a rehabilitation center in Mexico. She had suffered a heart attack and stroke last August and had been recovering at her home in Atlanta since September. full story