e-Review archive
Global Connection
April 2005
 

UMCOR joins coalition rushing aid to Indonesia

Apr. 1, 2005     News media contact:   * ( ) * {05188} United Methodist News Service NEW YORK (UMNS) — The United Methodist Committee on Relief has joined an ecumenical coalition shipping emergency aid to the Indonesian island of Nias, which was hard hit by a March 28 earthquake. On March 31, UMCOR, in partnership with Church World Service, sent 35 boxes of medicine, 14 boxes of gloves, 500 tents and 1,000 packages of emergency supplies on a United Nations helicopter, together with a water purification unit and other supplies. Both organizations are members of Action by Churches Together, the international ecumenical alliance. full story

Christians decry Easter Sunday shooting in Pakistan

Apr. 1, 2005     News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {05189} United Methodist News Service NEW DELHI (ENI) — Church officials in Pakistan say the firing on a Christian congregation during Easter Sunday that killed one worshipper and injured seven others shows the vulnerability of the Christian community in the Muslim-majority nation. Armed assailants fired bullets at the Christians on Easter Sunday, March 27, when about 50 worshippers in Khahamba village near Lahore were leaving a service at the New Apostolic Church in the locality. "This (attack) shows the vulnerability of the Christian community," said Sohail Aktar, spokesperson for the National Council of Churches of Pakistan, which groups four major Protestant churches in the south Asian country. The nation's Methodists are part of the Church of Pakistan, which also includes the Anglicans, Lutherans and Presbyterians. full story

Churches sell steeple space as hiding spots for cellular antennas

Apr. 1, 2005     News media contact:   Matt  Carlisle * (615) 742-5470*  Nashville {05190} United Methodist News Service For generations, church steeples have served as conduits to God, symbolically reaching heavenward, providing a visual reminder of the size and power of the church, and calling congregations to worship with the sound of bells. These days, the steeple may also include an antenna to relay cell phone calls. Churches, from the National Cathedral in Washington to the most rural parishes in the U.S. Midwest, are taking advantage of the telecommunications industry's need for a system of wireless antennas. Churches allowing such antenna in their steeples have discovered a new source of income that often runs into tens of thousands of dollars annually. full story

Pope embodied courage, love, United Methodist leaders say

Apr. 2, 2005     News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {05191} United Methodist News Service Pope John Paul II is being remembered by United Methodists as one of the great leaders of the Roman Catholic Church. The 84-year-old pontiff, whose health had taken a serious decline over the past few weeks, died peacefully April 2 at the Vatican in Rome. "John Paul II personified the Roman Catholic Church for more than a quarter-century," said Bishop William B. Oden, ecumenical officer for the United Methodist Council of Bishops. "He embodied its conflicts, its strengths and weaknesses and its struggles. "Without a doubt, he will be seen as one of Catholicism's greatest popes-personable, charismatic and clear about his vision of the church," Oden added. "Still, he left a legacy of many unresolved issues, including women in the priesthood, celibacy and the call for greater lay involvement in decision making." full story

Students battled to leave Liberia but plan to return

Apr. 4, 2005     United Methodist News Service Three Liberian students at Southern Methodist University overcame life-threatening obstacles to reach the Dallas school from their war-torn homeland-walking 30-plus miles through checkpoints peppered by rebel gunfire, then riding rickety buses to small planes that carried them through seven risky stops on their 36-hour trip to America. Even before their dangerous exodus, they bested stiff competition to receive full scholarships to United Methodist-related Perkins School of Theology. Each battled for nine months to obtain visas allowing them to enter the United States, even as civil unrest blocked paperwork and closed key government offices. Yet, their goal is to return to Liberia in 2006 to teach, preach and share a message about forgiveness. full story

Hispanic leaders attack Iliff advertisement

Apr. 5, 2005     United Methodist News Service Hispanic leaders are incensed by a United Methodist seminary's newspaper ad, in which the school extols its accomplishments following the controversial departure of its Hispanic president. The advertisement, in the form of an open letter to United Methodists from Iliff School of Theology, appeared in the March 25 issue of the United Methodist Reporter. In it, the Denver seminary said it was resolved to address the findings of an investigative team that examined leadership and cultural sensitivity issues related to the retirement of the Rev. David Maldonado, former president of Iliff School of Theology. full story

Annual conferences to consider changes to church constitution

Apr. 5, 2005     United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Eight proposed changes to the United Methodist Church's constitution are being considered this year by annual (regional) conferences meeting throughout the world. The changes must be ratified by an aggregate two-thirds vote of the 63 U.S. annual (regional) conferences meeting this spring and the 52 conferences meeting throughout the year in Europe, Africa and the Philippines. Delegates to the United Methodist Church's General Conference proposed the eight amendments during their meeting last May in Pittsburgh. If the annual conferences approve the changes, the amendments will go to the Council of Bishops for final ratification. full story

Witch daughters’ cared for by United Methodist Church

April 6, 2005 United Methodist News Service MASSIGNA, Mozambique — After Joaneta Tomo Come’s husband died in 1991, her four children chased her out of her home because they thought she killed him using witchcraft. "They said, ‘You have to go away, you killed our father,’ and I haven’t heard from any of them since then," she says. Come is one of 26 elderly women living at the United Methodist Hanhane Women’s Shelter. All are there because their families accused them of witchcraft and threw them out. These "witch daughters" are cared for by the United Methodist Women’s Society of Mozambique. full story

Children receive care, love at United Methodist orphanage

Apr. 6, 2005     United Methodist News Service TELES, Mozambique — Smiling, excited children, ranging from toddlers to teens, stand on the front porch of the Teles Orphanage, singing jubilantly as visitors arrive. Two-year-old Pedro, spying a grown woman without a child in her arms, quickly fixes that vacancy by approaching her and holding up his little arms. The smiling faces and lively chatter momentarily mask the reason all the children are here. They are orphans in a country ravaged by war, poverty and AIDS. Adding a hint of sadness to their home is its previous history as a leper colony. Teles, supported by the United Methodist Women's Society of Mozambique, was originally established to shelter children left homeless by war. Now many are here because their parents or guardians have died of AIDS, or cannot care for their children because of extreme poverty. full story

College students live among the homeless for spring break

Apr. 7, 2005     United Methodist News Service ROUND ROCK, Texas — While many college students head for the beach for spring break, a group from a Texas church spent the time off shivering under a bridge and scrounging for food, learning about life as homeless people. Six young men and women from First United Methodist Church of Round Rock spent three days on the streets of nearby Austin and several area communities. Each started with only $7 and faced the daily challenges of finding food, transportation and a place to sleep. The experience was "definitely life-changing," says Kimmy Beitelshees, 18, a student at Texas Tech University. full story

United Methodist Women kicks off Green Team Environmental Justice Program

April 11, 2005     News media contact:   Kelly C. Martini * (212) 870-3729 *  New York Women's Division, UNited Methodist General Board of Global Ministries A new program activating local United Methodist Women members to work on environmental issues in their communities was launched at the spring board meeting of the Women's Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries in Stamford, Conn., April 7-11. The Women's Division is the national administrative body of the one-million member United Methodist Women organization. Twenty-four United Methodist Women members, including one male pastor, were selected for the Green Team program after a three-month month application process. Pastors of United Methodist churches are ex-officio members of United Methodist Women. full story

Conflict mediators explore communion's role in healing schism

Apr. 11, 2005   United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — United Methodists must engage conflict constructively if the church is to find peace, according to a group of people who practice mediation and conflict resolution. Nearly 30 United Methodist mediators and other leaders met in Nashville April 5-7 to explore how holy conferencing and Holy Communion can be used in response to talk about schism and as a way to deal with the church's differences. "How do we become a church that becomes a beloved community?" asked the Rev. Tom Porter, executive director of JUSTPEACE. "By dealing with differences, learning from them, transcending them and reaching higher ground together." full story

Hmong women risk to make others' lives better

April 12, 2005     News media contact:   Kelly C. Martini * (212) 870-3729 *  New York Women's Division, UNited Methodist General Board of Global Ministries The Laos women crossed the Mekong river in small numbers — much like refugees — leaving their homeland.  On the other side, they were met by Hmong women from the United States, who had once been refugees themselves. The difference between them — the women from Laos would return to their country after a few days, putting themselves at risk to make the lives of other women and children better. At the end of March, 60 women from Laos participated in the United Methodist Women's Bible Women training in Thailand, a country where the women felt they could meet, learn and discuss issues safely.  Their home country is under communist rule and stories of Christians jailed or displaced for their faith are not uncommon. The Bible Women training has spread throughout South and Southeast Asia, teaching grassroots women — many who are illiterate themselves — to go into the poorest, most untouched regions of countries and address issues the indigenous women identify as critical to their women. The women from Laos wanted training on health, parenting, and microcredit. full story

Personal pain, mixed with hope, shapes leader's faith

Apr. 12, 2005    United Methodist News Service STAMFORD, Conn. — For Jan Love-the daughter of a United Methodist pastor and a leader both in the denomination and the ecumenical world-a sense of mission has been a guiding principle of life. But her faith journey, which last year led to a position as chief executive of the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, also reflects the effects of personal suffering. As she told her story to division directors during their April 8-11 spring meeting, Love spoke publicly of her 1979 abduction and rape and its impact upon her life and faith. full story

School of Theology equips pastors for challenges in ministry

Apr. 13, 2005    United Methodist News Service CAMBINE, Mozambique — The Rev. Ana Maria Francisco says she was 13 years old when God called her to be a pastor. Today, she leads Belem United Methodist Church, a congregation of 1,172 people. She is also a student at the theology school at Cambine Mission Center. "You have to be courageous and passionate to work as a pastor," says Francisco, who was raised in a non-Christian home and attended a United Methodist church after marrying. "A pastor faces so many problems in the congregation and needs time to think, reflect and teach people how to deal. You have to have courage because without it you would just give up." Like many pastors in Mozambique, Francisco has no transportation and often walks 20 to 30 miles in a day to visit church members. full story

Church leaders discuss social concerns with former veep candidate

Apr. 13, 2005    United Methodist News Service WASHINGTON — Former vice presidential candidate John Edwards met with two United Methodist bishops and several other Protestant leaders April 11 to discuss poverty, homelessness and hunger. The topics, near and dear to United Methodists and other people of faith, are the agenda for Edwards, a United Methodist and former Democratic senator from North Carolina. "National political leaders have not paid much attention to these issues," Edwards said. "Local and regional leaders have. This is going to have to work from the ground up." full story

United Methodists experience firsthand trauma of school shootings

Apr. 14, 2005     United Methodist News Service Until a teenage boy went on a shooting spree in March, few outsiders paid much attention to the people of the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesota. Molly Miron did. As editor of the Bemidji Pioneer, Miron has covered the reservation and its people for years. John Robinson, dentist and administrator of the reservation hospital, and George Stowe, executive director of the North Star Chapter of the Red Cross, did as well. They both work side by side with the tribe to provide care and treatment throughout the year. And Deb Brooks, a special education teacher at Red Lake High, not only worked with and for the people of Red Lake, she now shares one of their most recent experiences: the trauma and grief of trying to understand what would make a 16-year-old boy pick up a rifle and shoot family, friends and protectors. All four have something else in common: all are members of Bemidji United Methodist Church and were on site as the events of March 21 at Red Lake Reservation unfolded. full story

Pastor serves as bridge between two cultures

Apr. 14, 2005    United Methodist News Service The Rev. Don Goodwin is uniquely qualified to serve as a grief counselor at the Red Lake Reservation. A licensed local pastor serving Pine Bend United Methodist Mission Church in northern Minnesota, he has been a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church, and he is a pipe carrier for the Anishinaabe, also known as the Ojibwe tribe of Native American Indians. Goodwin has been hired to provide grief counseling at the Red Lake Reservation. He will join other Native American counselors, as well as counselors from the federal government and Lutheran Social Services, in helping Red Lake's people deal with the traumatic aftermath of the March 21 killings at Red Lake High School. His ministry reflects his childhood. His father was raised a Methodist and attended Pine Bend United Methodist Church; his mother was raised a strict Catholic in Twin Lakes, Minn.; and he is Anishinaabe, raised, in part, on the reservation. full story

United Methodists should fight malaria deaths, executive says

Apr. 15, 2005    United Methodist News Service STAMFORD, Conn. — If United Methodists can help clear Mozambique of landmines, they should be able to do the same with mosquitoes. That's one of the challenges that the Rev. R. Randy Day presented to directors of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries during the April 11-14 spring meeting. Day is the board's chief executive. "Malaria is much on my mind as a preventable disease that is all too often fatal," he said. The disease kills one African child every 30 seconds and a total of 2 million people a year, he noted. While it's been shown that insecticide-treated mosquito nets can reduce the incidence of malaria by 50 percent in areas of high transmission, fewer than 5 percent of African children sleep under a mosquito net, Day reported. full story

UMCOR allocates $1 million to Sudan start-up work

Apr. 15, 2005   United Methodist News Service STAMFORD, Conn. — Responding to the humanitarian crisis in the Sudan, the United Methodist Committee on Relief has approved a $1 million-plus start-up budget for work in the African country. The budget will cover personnel, equipment and operations costs and program activities. UMCOR directors approved the funding request during the April 11-14 spring meeting of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, the agency's parent organization. Sudan remains a priority for the board, according to the Rev. R. Randy Day, its chief executive. In March, the United Nations estimated that at least 180,000 people died in the Darfur region during the previous 18 months because of illness and malnutrition. full story

Conference sparks creative worship techniques

April 14, 2005     News media contact:   Kathy Noble * 615-742-5441 *  Nashville Interpreter Magazine Worship at First United Methodist Church of Land O’ Lakes, Fla., has become more creative with the addition of drama, videos, PowerPoint® and sign language. full story

European United Methodists elect new bishop

Apr. 18, 2005    United Methodist News Service A new bishop has been elected to lead the United Methodist Church's Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe. The Rev. Patrick Streiff, 49, was consecrated during an April 17 service at Bern Cathedral in Switzerland. He will succeed Bishop Heinrich Bolleter, who will formally retire in May 2006. Streiff was elected to a four-year term on the second ballot, receiving 66 of a possible 73 votes, during the central conference meeting. The Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe includes 14 countries in Europe and North Africa. full story

UMCom launches syndication service for church Web sites

Apr. 18, 2005    United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Church's communications agency is introducing new syndication formats that will enable local church Web sites to make the latest denominational news available more easily. United Methodist News Service, a part of United Methodist Communications, and UMC.org launched a series of "syndication" tools April 18 that allow Web designers and site visitors to customize the display of articles and news generated by the agency. full story

Kansas church welcomes families drawn by promise of free land

Apr. 19, 2005 United Methodist News Service MARQUETTE, Kan. — There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but something much more valuable-free land-is drawing a new wave of settlers to the Kansas farm belt. And the idea may just lay the groundwork for rejuvenating small-town life in the sparsely populated region. "(Marquette is) a town that wanted to stay alive," says Mayor Steve Piper. "A lot of small towns are dying, quite frankly, in the Midwest." Marquette is one of eight small towns listed at www.KansasFreeLand.com and offering free lots and other incentives to attract residents. full story

Methodists advocate for Christian unity with new pope

Apr. 20, 2005    United Methodist News Service Several Methodist leaders are hopeful that the new Roman Catholic pope, Benedict XVI, will support efforts toward Christian unity. German-born Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected April 19 as the 265th pope to lead the billion-member Roman Catholic Church. Since 1981, he had served as second-in-command to Pope John Paul II, who died April 2. The Rev. Geoffrey Wainwright, who has been chairman of the dialogue between the World Methodist Council and the Roman Catholic Church since 1986, called the new pope "a first-rate theologian, with a subtle and penetrating mind" and said he was delighted by his election. full story

Large church initiative provides support system to pastors

Apr. 21, 2005    United Methodist News Service The large-membership United Methodist churches have a responsibility to be responsive and helpful to the rest of the denomination, according to a pastor who leads an initiative that supports large congregations. "We are an organization of churches helping each other," said the Rev. Robert Pierson, chairman of the Large Church Initiative and pastor of Christ United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Okla. "People who know best about large church work are those doing it," he said.  "We are in partnership with the Board of Discipleship but run by pastors of large churches. All of us have the responsibility to help each other." The initiative is an association of large congregations working together to strengthen the United Methodist Church and to make disciples of Jesus Christ, Pierson said. full story

Agreement reached between former president, theological school

Apr. 22, 2005    United Methodist News Service A settlement has been reached between Iliff School of Theology and its former Latino president, who claimed he was forced to resign last year due to "culturally different" views. The Rev. David Maldonado, the first Latino president of a United Methodist seminary, said he was pleased and feels "the justice issues have been resolved." Maldonado became president in June 2000 and abruptly retired last May 26. He said the faculty resisted his leadership, and that some faculty accused him of being too theologically conservative or moderate. They told him he did "not fit" or was "culturally different," he said. In addition, Maldonado said, he felt pressured to leave by faculty leadership and some trustees. full story

Non-U.S. clergy face 'urgent' need for pension help, leaders say

Apr. 25, 2005 United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As the widow of a Liberian pastor, Minerva Kekeh is barely eking out a living. She is one of hundreds of clergy spouses in her country who are surviving on pensions that are less than paltry. "Right now, a bag of rice is about $35-United States dollars," she said. "And with what we are getting, you cannot afford a bag of rice." Leaders of a United Methodist pension initiative are working to change that, and they are looking to U.S. churches for help. As United Methodists in America prepare for annual gatherings in May and June, the denomination's top pension executive has an important message for them. "We need their help to address a basic issue of justice with regard to enabling clergy in developing countries-their brothers and sisters, really-to retire with dignity and hope," said Barbara Boigegrain, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits. full story

United Methodist group to promote dialogue with Muslims

Apr. 26, 2005    United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — United Methodists hope to initiate a dialogue with Muslims through the denomination's interfaith agency. Members of the Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns voted during the April 21-24 spring meeting to pursue such a dialogue, either through the National Council of Churches or on their own. Given the current climate of terrorism and religious violence, "the way in which Christians and Muslims related is significant," the Rev. Larry Pickens, the commission's chief executive, pointed out in his address to members. As an example, he cited the debate in Europe regarding Turkey's application to the European Union, with the backdrop of Europe's secularization and the growing influence of Islam there. "The situation in the United States is not as stark as it is in Europe, but our reality calls for dialogue and interaction with Muslim communities," Pickens said. full story

United Methodist missionary killed in accident in Nepal

Apr. 26, 2005    United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — The Rev. Karuna Bhujel, a United Methodist missionary and native of India, was killed in a motorbike accident on her way to church in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 23. She was 48. Her husband, the Rev. Devi Bahadur Bhujel, also a missionary, and the couple's 12-year-old son, Eben, had left for the church earlier. Mrs. Bhujel was to follow but never arrived. The father and son found her dead on the street as they returned home following activities at the church. Her motorbike was struck by a truck, and she died immediately, according to hospital police and autopsy reports provided to Dr. Mark Zimmerman, a United Methodist missionary on staff at Patan Hospital. Mrs. Bhujel's body had been taken to Patan. full story

Angolan bishop wants to reduce panic from outbreak of deadly virus

Apr. 27, 2005    United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — A United Methodist bishop in Angola is hoping the church can help reduce the panic that has occurred in that African country since the outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus. Bishop Gaspar Joao Domingos of the denomination's West Angola area, said he became aware of the virus last October. "But those were very isolated cases and there was not much attention about it," he told United Methodist News Service through a translator. The outbreak in recent weeks, however, had killed 230 people by mid-April, including 14 nurses and two doctors, according to the New York Times. A cousin to the Ebola virus, Marburg spreads through blood, vomit and other bodily fluids and is highly contagious, even after the victim's death. In the recent outbreak, nine out of 10 of those infected have died. full story

Clark Atlanta drumline chops-and chomps-through McDonald's ad

Apr. 27, 2005    United Methodist News Service Clark Atlanta University is lovin' it. Students from the historically black United Methodist school are starring in three McDonald's commercials airing across the United States. Riding the wave of the hit movie "Drumline," the drummers from Clark Atlanta University's Mighty Marching Panther Band are featured in a new commercial for McDonald's value meals airing on network TV, BET and in syndication. Other students, including Ms. Clark Atlanta University 2005-2006, are featured in commercials for the fast-food chain's Chicken Select. full story

Project gauges 'pulse' of young adults interested in ministry

Apr. 28, 2005  United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — An initiative aimed at keeping the fingers of the United Methodist Church on the "pulse" of the millennial generation has been unveiled to church leaders responsible for helping young people make vocational decisions. Staff of the Pastoral Leadership Search Effort, or PLSE (pronounced "pulse"), debuted resources designed to help congregations and campus ministries identify gifted young people and encourage them to explore a call to the ministry. The presentation was made to 100 church leaders from across the country April 18-19. Research by the now-defunct United Methodist Council on Ministries indicates that fewer than 3 percent of United Methodist clergy are between the ages of 25 and 30. The United Methodist Church is among four denominations in the cooperative venture, launched by the Atlanta-based Fund for Theological Education Inc., and funded in part by a $2 million grant from the Lilly Endowment. The church, through the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, is contributing to the project as part of its efforts to cultivate a new generation of leaders for the denomination, reconnect young people with the church, and rebuild the educational pipeline. full story

Church housing effort brings new hope to South Los Angeles

Apr. 28, 2005  United Methodist News Service LOS ANGELES — New hope is springing forth on a busy intersection in South Los Angeles. Faith Community United Methodist Church recently celebrated the grand opening of Faith Housing New Hope Courtyard Apartments. The church's housing corporation, along with another Los Angeles non-profit agency, dedicated 25 new homes to serve low-income individuals and families living with special needs in South Los Angeles. "As we continue to make an impact in this community (through building affordable housing), we can change lives," said the Rev. M. Andrew Robinson-Gaither, senior pastor of Faith United Methodist Community Church. full story

Model migrant housing project gets under way

Apr. 28, 2005    United Methodist News Service MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. — Private business, higher education and the United Methodist Church are partnering to build a model house designed to promote the need for quality housing for migrant farm workers. Representatives from Mt. Olive Pickle Co., Harvey Farms of Kinston, N.C., Duke University and the North Carolina Annual (regional) Conference of the United Methodist Church signed the agreement April 22 in a brief ceremony at First United Methodist Church in Mount Olive. The 2,800-square-foot house, designed to house up to 17 workers, will be built on land owned by Harvey Farms, just off U.S. 70 near Kinston. Construction is expected to start late this summer, with completion before spring 2006. full story